First podcast is in English, the second is in Italian.
The Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakesh
We’ve been back from Marrakesh for a week now. Since this would have turned into a small novel if l decided to just write about it, l added an accompanying podcast so as to squeeze in as much information as possible. New for the blog is Federico’s take on Marrakesh in Italian, so if you want to listen to Italian, or just hear what he sounds like, here’s your chance. The journey started out a little rough when l realized upon getting to the airport that l had forgotten my luggage at home :-(. A trip to the souk fixed that upon arrival though. Marrakesh deserves your visit. Here are the reasons why l think more and more people are discovering a part of Africa that has long been a playground for the extremely rich and very famous people like The Beatles in their prime, The Rolling Stones, and Winston Churchill.
History of Marrakesh:
Turbulent history- Marrakesh went through so many power struggles and captures in it’s over a thousand-year history. It still managed to rise from the literal ashes and stands as a true testament in the face of adversity. It was ruled at various times by the Almoravids, the Marinids and the Saadians. It ultimately became a French Protectorate and home to stars like Maurice Chevalier, Edith Piaf and Josephine Baker. Marrakesh became independent in 1956.
The new city (Ville Nouvell), now called Gueliz was formed by the French diplomats, and planner Henri Post was commissioned to design it in 1914 on the outskirts of the Medina walls. Marrakesh became a “hippie Mecca” in the 60’s and a lot of the rock stars and fashion designers made homes there. Moroccans launched a grand plan to rid themselves of the long-haired westerners and their drug culture, clearing them out by the mid 70’s. French expats then moved in and began renovating the old town. It became a UNESCO heritage in 1982. Gueliz is where you would find all the modern conveniences of life, like banks, ATM, mall, theater etc. I prefer the old town.
Connection to South Spain (Andalusia) and Seville in particular. The Koutoubian mosque minaret is actually a twin of the one at the Giralda. Same thing for the one at the Hassan Tower in Rabat. Since the Giralda was used as a model for so many other church towers, like Moscow’s Red Square ones for instance, you could say it’s influence is indeed far-flung.
Arabic is the official language, with French being the second language. It makes sense therefore that most of the tourists are French people. A lot speak English as well, especially the younger ones, so don’t let that stop you.
Where we stayed:
Our fantastic Riyadh Farhan experience, right in the middle of the Medina. Don’t even think of staying anywhere else 
Our Riad – small and cozy, just perfect. Those little alcoves were for chilling or eating.
Our room. It was huge, with a sitting area too!
Bathroom, double sinks and a big shower.
Breakfast included…missing from the picture is the Moroccan pancakes
What we saw:
The Djemaa el Fna Square – The main square in the Medina. Huge and lively. This is where you find the snake charmers and some scary looking monkeys and their handlers. Do not take pictures of them though, unless you are willing to shell out €1-2 per picture. No, thank you!
Spices in the Souk
The square coming to life in the evening
Majorelle Gardens – Why is there a monument to Yves Saint Laurent you ask? Because he donated it to his adopted city.
Main house of the gardens..
Lovely shades to enjoy the pond and the waterlillies
Agdal Gardens – Loads of Palm trees jostling for space with super humongous estates, and camels too!
Since they have just one hump, l think these are dromedaries…
Federico wanted to bring one home :-). Thank you, but no!
It liked being petted for a while..
Menara Gardens – Reservoir with water from the Atlas mountains
This was gigantic.. Men who wanted to fight in Andalusia had to swim the length as one of the tests.
View of the Koutoubia from Menara gardens. On weekends, families walk (about 45mins) to the gardens for picnics.
Saadian Tombs – Grand final resting place of the Saadian rulers, grand.
The Saadian tombs of Marrakesh
Ben Youssef Madrasa school of Koran – A grand old school for teaching the Koran. The rooms are so tiny..
The courtyard of the Ben Youssef Madrasa school of Koran
The rooms were teeny tiny, and the only source of light was a window in each room.
Bahia Palace – Old deserted secondary palace, signs of its grandeur exist.
Bahia Palace courtyard
One of the rooms in the palace. Insane hand work.
My Hammam experience in Marrakesh: (not on podcast)
I chose to have a private Hammam scrub at the Les Cinq Sens in the Djemaa el Fna Square. It is a female only beauty center. The Hammam is the Moroccan version of the Turkish bath. I had this lady who was so thorough, so good. You are first put into a room, given a locker to store your stuff and told to strip, leaving only your panties if you want. I was then taken into this huge steam room. She filled up a huge vat with warm water and lathered me with some sort of licorice soap. I was left to steam, (the room smelled of Eucalyptus) for about 15 minutes.
Next, I was taken to another room and told to lie face down. She put on a glove and went to work. She scrubbed every single part of my body, every nook and cranny, right down to a shampoo. There was no hiding anything from that gloved hand :-). You look at all the dead cells and dirt that are scrubbed of you, and you’re just like wow! because you can’t believe it. I had never felt cleaner, even though l was left with a few tiny bumps on my body. My skin felt baby smooth, and l loved it. Finally, l was wrapped in a huge comfy bathrobe and led to a bed where l promptly fell asleep for a few minutes after sipping on some mint tea. I added on a tonic massage to my scrub, so another girl came to get me when she was ready. The massage was so good, and yes, l nodded off too. It was a great afternoon. My husband wandered around the square while l enjoyed myself. You definitely want to do this. My bill was €32, worth every penny. There are public Hammams which are much cheaper. They are usually €1 to enter and get the scrub, then you tip your scrubber about €5 bringing your total to €6 as opposed to my €12 for the private one. I prefer private
Helpful Hints:
Haggling in the Souk
A typical shoe store in the Medina..
What not to wear: Try and respect the country and cover up
I purchased this, as l left my luggage at home! ;-). Fresh squeezed orange juice is a must! 40 cents a glass!!!!!
What we ate:
These local pastilla were my favorite. I think l had it at least 3 times. It’s made with chicken and almonds and in a crusty shell, with cinnamon sprinkled on top. It’s a meal and dessert combined. How could l not love it? :-)
Charwama beef and fries..
Food cooked in a tagine
The tagine
Loads of veggies, and small amount of meat..steamed in the tagine for about an hour over coals
Market stall food:
Loads of choices, all grilled to perfection..
Fierce competition to get you to eat at their stall..
Yum..yum..
I love rice…the veggies..not so much..
The olives were fantastic too, so many kinds.
Of course, everything is washed down with mint tea. I could have gallons of this.
Don’t forget that this is a Muslim country. You should not expect to find alcohol in most places. Your hotel might have it, ours did, but it was €4 for a 250 ml can 
and a glass of wine was l think €6..yikes!
We brought back with us a couple of tagines to cook with, and l can not wait to cook some meat in them, little veggies, and loads of meat (the opposite of Marrakesh). We also splurged on some really good quality saffron. We have already made saffron and shrimp risotto with it. Fantastic!
Total cost of the trip:
Flights, accommodation and shopping total
Was it worth it? Yep! absolutely.
Questions you might have are answered?
Safety? Marrakesh is a very safe place. I think it has to do with the fact that there is little alcohol available. It reminds me of Istanbul in that aspect. Lovely!
Visa? Most people will not require one to visit for up to 90 days.
Getting lost in the Medina? Oh..it’s going to happen a lot!!! How to find your way back to the hotel or Riad with the help of the locals.
What do you think of Marrakesh? Have you ever been? Did you like it? and would you recommend it to others? If not, does this sound like a place you would like to visit?
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