~ Marrakesh ~ 

Today was our last full day in Morocco and we were going to be famous! We had a walking tour organized for most of the morning and had been asked by the tour guide if a camera crew could follow us around for a television show about tourism in Morocco! Of course we said yes! But to be honest it was a little bit odd. We met down in the lobby and went outside to meet the film crew. There was two camera men and a few other director-type people. We were told to do our best to ignore them and they would just follow us. Easier said than done as the camera men were walking/running along beside us! 

Our first stop was the Koutoubia Mosque – the second Mosque that has stood in that location as the original wasn’t properly aligned with Mecca, so it was levelled and the current one was finished in the 12th-century. The 70m-high tower is a reference point all over the old town of Marrakesh and is a signature example of Moorish ornament: scalloped keystone arches, jagged merlons (crenellations), and mathematically pleasing proportions. 

We then headed to the Jewish quarter. Although most Jewish families abandoned the mellah in the mid-20th century, there is still a small Jewish population occupying the quarter and many buildings have been well preserved. Our guide showed us only some of the wide array of synagogues including the only remaining active one in the city. 

Our next stop was the Bahia Palace. Though only a portion of the palace’s 8 hectares and 150 rooms is open to the public, you can see the unfurnished, opulently ornamented harem that once housed Bou Ahmed’s four wives and 24 concubines. The quarters of his favourite, Lalla Zineb, are the most spectacular, with original woven-silk panels, stained-glass windows, intricate marquetry and ceilings painted with rose bouquets. It wasn’t just the rooms that were stunning, the gardens and grounds alone were incredible! So peaceful – you would have no idea you were in the midst of a bustling city! 

It was time for our big on screen appearance! Max was chosen for the one on one interview, was microphoned-up and taken away to a “good filming location”. Off to be the next big star of Moroccan free to air television! 

When the interview was over the television crew said thank you and their goodbyes and we were off on our own! We started wandering (being guided) around the winding streets of the city our guide showed us some of the best souks in town and the more interesting areas. We stopped in at a Pharmacy and had a group demonstration of different kinds of herbal medicines and oils including Argan oil, Rose Hip oil, Saffron, Cumin, a cure for hemorrhoids and Eucalyptus just to name a few. We made one more stop outside a Hammam (a steam room, similar to a Turkish bath, where Moroccans habitually go to cleanse themselves) so that people who wanted to could book in. I was initially eager to try it, however when I discovered that someone else washed you I decided I didn’t want to do it. Some of the others booked in though!

We ended our tour back in the Djemaa el-Fna, although it was less chaotic than last night! Our guide told us the hoopla and halqa (street theatre) has been non-stop here ever since this plaza was the site of public executions around AD 1050 – hence its name, which means ‘assembly of the dead’.

After our tour we were both famished and roasting from the heat so we went in search of an air conditioned lunch venue. We found this restaurant in the square which seemed good and headed inside. Unfortunately it was not. We ordered pizzas and drinks. The drinks took 30 minutes to arrive and some of them just didn’t arrive! Then when the pizzas came out two were wrong, then when they brought the corrected ones out they were still wrong! The most frustrating thing was that half of our group had an appointment at the Hammam they needed to get to! Paige had had enough and started loudly telling the waiters in French what we all thought. It was fabulous. It ended up being a funny scenario in the end but at the time we were pretty hungry and grumpy to say the least! We wrote a scathing review online! 

The girls and I headed back to the hotel to relax and start to pack our bags, and the others headed off to the Hammam. We met back up downstairs to say our final goodbyes to Mohamed. It was so sad! We all almost cried, it had been such a terrific tour and Mohamed had made some of the downs of the trip all okay! 

We decided to go to a different part of town as we found a restaurant with excellent reviews “Dar Chérifa”. At first we were worried we wouldn’t be able to find it as the streets in the medina don’t always have names and numbers. Thankfully for us there were plenty of lovely people willing to help direct us – it seemed like a common query! When we first walked into the restaurant we were concerned we wouldn’t be able to afford it! It was beautiful! The roof was open with drapes strung up, the lighting was stunning and there were candles and flowers everywhere including the floor! When we looked at the menu the prices were reasonable and we all relaxed and enjoyed the beautiful environment we were in. 

The food was delicious – all of it, no exception. The service was excellent and it was really just a cute last night together! We were regaled with tales of the Hammam experience – all of the hilarity and embarrassment rolled into one!