After a good nights sleep.....although we found the rooms a little hot because you need to shut the shutters for privacy, we were ready to attack the Medina and Souk after a delicious breakfast upstairs on a balcony overlooking the courtyard. Yoghurt, fresh fruit, muffins, fresh bread, and really good coffee set us up for the morning. Our hosts Merwan and his Belgian wife took breakfast with us.
Merwan gave us a map and instructions.....as finding our way to the Square is a little like doing a maze. I think he fully expected we might get lost…..and of course we did! We got a small way and then in time found we had made a wrong turn at the vegetable market. Actually we took the alternate route because a man got aggressive because I was taking a photo....and wanted to charge....even though it wasn,t him I was photographing!
Finding Our Way To Djemaa el Fnar Square
It turned out to be both a good and bad move.Good because we found a telecom place who were extremely helpful. Not only did they spend some time fixing Brian,s phone....But their prices for a sim card and time on it were cheap. Merwan was very surprised!
We came to the Musee du Marrakech and had to wait for it to open, but it was good to be first in as we missed the tour groups that started to arrive just as we were leaving. This is a really interesting Museum with beautiful tilework and carved plaster. You lean some of the history of Marrakech and there is an art gallery.
However..... Djemaa el Fnar Square was proving elusive. After several wrong turns or so we thought, we finally reached the Square.....and saw we had come in from some distance to the entrance we should have. Merwan had directed us to the entrance by the France Hotel. It seems all roads lead to Djemaa el Fnar Square....but it can take longer depending which was you go through the maze!
Scenes from Marrakech Medina
Upstairs for Photographs and a Breeze
We did see the Le Glacier restaurant he suggested though. We checked other restaurant options - a few would have been very hot in direct sunlight, so we went upstairs in Le Grand Balcon Cafe Glacier which overlooked the Square.
We opted for an upstairs restaurant because it caught the breeze, and we had a birds eye view of the square. This meant taking photos with the zoom lense that wouldn’t be possible if we were actually in the Square. If you take photos of the men with their monkeys, the snake charmer and various other acts….they will be chasing you for money!
We managed a front table which was great as we could see all the action while we had a tasty tuna salad. Their pizzas looked pretty good too.
We opted for an upstairs restaurant because it caught the breeze, and we had a birds eye view of the square. This meant taking photos with the zoom lense that wouldn’t be possible if we were actually in the Square. If you take photos of the men with their monkeys, the snake charmer and various other acts….they will be chasing you for money!
We managed a front table which was great as we could see all the action while we had a tasty tuna salad. Their pizzas looked pretty good too.
Once we had cooled off.....by this stage it was 38oC, we walked through the rows of horse and carts.....very smelly although they looked charming, and crossed the road to the Mosque. The streets are wide boulevards lined with cool shady trees.
We walked through a lovely park, and then went in search of a hotel that is supposed to have a spectacular garden. Sadly it was shut.
So back we went through the souk which we had missed. The usual array of local spices, clothing, bags, slippers, pottery, etc was all there. And of course the men… trying to get us to take a look. However, their cajoling antics didn’t work….we were not easily deterred. We were ready for a cold shower and a rest.
We walked through a lovely park, and then went in search of a hotel that is supposed to have a spectacular garden. Sadly it was shut.
So back we went through the souk which we had missed. The usual array of local spices, clothing, bags, slippers, pottery, etc was all there. And of course the men… trying to get us to take a look. However, their cajoling antics didn’t work….we were not easily deterred. We were ready for a cold shower and a rest.
Dinner in the Square
For dinner we found our way back to the Square...now busy with locals coming to eat from the food stalls filling the square that had been set up. Orange juice stalls are lined up, while smoke rises from the night food stalls. Freshly squeezed orange juice is one of the plentiful, cheap treats of Marrakech.
We opted for a restaurant across from .......7 Heaven I think it was called, be cause we had tired feet and preferred to sit down. With a sprayer to cool the air and good views into the Square, we could see all the action while we ate.Delicious tajines, salads, Pizzas and other Moroccan dishes were all on the menu and we enjoyed the freshly squeezed orange juice and fruit salad for afters.
Well satisfied but weary, we managed to meander around the alleyways and straight home…..without getting lost!
We opted for a restaurant across from .......7 Heaven I think it was called, be cause we had tired feet and preferred to sit down. With a sprayer to cool the air and good views into the Square, we could see all the action while we ate.Delicious tajines, salads, Pizzas and other Moroccan dishes were all on the menu and we enjoyed the freshly squeezed orange juice and fruit salad for afters.
Well satisfied but weary, we managed to meander around the alleyways and straight home…..without getting lost!
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