Lonsdales in France: And finally Marrakech

We felt a bit sad to be leaving the restful environment of the mountains especially knowing how busy Marrakech can be. It only took an hour to get to the city so a nice short drive.

Due to the fact that the streets in the old part of Marrakech (the medina) are so narrow the taxi parked and then we walked to our Riad which was a different one to that which we had stayed at on New Years Eve. We said our fond farewells to Hassan. He was a fantastic guide and according to the rave reviews he gets on trip advisor we certainly aren't the only ones who think very highly of him.

The new riad was a bit more comfortable with a rooftop terrace and mint tea whenever the need arose! Our bedroom was side by side to the kids rather then across the courtyard which was great. After our last restaurant experience in Marrakech we decided to consult trip advisor this time. This place had great reviews and wasn't too pricey. It was hidden away down some little narrow alleyways and even though we didn't have a booking they managed to fit us in. It was a lot more expensive then we had anticipated - about the same price as France but we did get a bottle of wine which was a treat. As Morocco is a muslim country alcohol is not readily available. The wine we had though was actually Moroccan wine and very nice. They also had a bit of variety in their menu - not just tangine!! The food was lovely and the kids especially enjoyed their creme brûlée for dessert after not having any desserts while on the tour except for mandarins.

Inside Pepe Nero Restaurant.

Penelope with her creme brûlée.

The next day we were met by our guide at 9am and off we set to explore Marrakech. First stop was the Bahia Palace. Unfortunately parts of it were closed for renovation so we didn't get to see the gardens. We still got to have a good look at the beautiful rooms where the Kings wives stayed though.

The riad at Bahia palace.

The ceiling in one of the wives rooms.

We then set off through the streets taking in all the sights and smells of the busy street traders.

Herbs and Spices for sale

Meat for sale on the side of the street. Not sure how it would smell when it gets to 40 degrees in summer.

One of the storks of Marrakech.

The Moroccan people are into their homeopathy remedies and there are lots of little shops selling all sorts of potions and oils. Our guide took us into one where we were given a demonstration and talk about a few different remedies and what they are used for. We ended up buying some of course!
All sorts of interesting potions and remedies!

Next stop was the Saladin Tombs where the sultans children's, wives and those that worked with him are buried.
The inner tombs

The tomb of the children of the Sultan.

Hannah and Jasper getting their picture taken with a water catcher. There are lots of these guys around Marrakech and if you pay a euro you can have your photo taken with them.

Next historic site was the Koutoubia Mosque which is the tallest building in Marrakech and no buildings are allowed to be built taller then it. It also has lovely gardens which we enjoyed sitting down in to have a break from the heat.

Lastly we walked to the Jemaa El Fna square where we saw monkeys, snakes, vultures as well as all sorts of amazing things for sale. We felt sorry for the poor animals especially the monkeys being kept on chains for the entertainment of tourists. The kids were very keen though on having a snake draped on them. I was more anxious about the snakes lying on the ground and that one of the kids was going to stand on one as they were the same colour as the ground and still very sleepy.

Yes James had a turn too but not Penelope or me!

Walking the twisty alleyways of The Souks.

Amazing things for sale.

By this stage we were all a bit tired and hungry so we said goodbye to our guide and found a restaurant for lunch. It was nice and tasty and we had a circus group entertain us.

Delicious chicken couscous with chickpeas - yum!

After lunch we popped back to the riad to get rid of our jumpers and then headed back to the covered market. We had great fun haggling for teapots and earrings although I found it all a bit stressful and probably got ripped off. I wanted to buy some silver earrings for Penelope and myself. I bought them from two different shops both guys reassured me that they were silver but when we had a closer look later discovered that mine weren't. Oh well all part of the experience I guess!

So many teapots!

We wanted to head out to the Marjorelle Gardens which had been designed by a French painter called Jacques Marjorelle in 1924. It fell into disrepair and then was rescued by French designer Yves Saint-Laurent. The gardens were lovely even though they were quite small. We had decided to take a horse and carriage out to the gardens as we had seen lots of these around and thought it looked like fun! We were walking across the square and a driver stopped and asked if we wanted a ride. We eventually agreed on a price although we thought it was still expensive. We should have walked on and gone to someone else but decided he would be ok. We hadn't gone far when he was stopped as he was suppose to wait at the pick up point but had jumped the que by picking us up. We then got a bit further and he stopped to pick up a girl he knew which we thought was very odd. We arrived at the gardens and rather then going around the way the other carriages had gone he had gone the way which would make it easier to carry on to where his girlfriend wanted to go. The problem was that we were on the wrong side of the road and had to cross an incredibly busy road. I lost it at this point and was not happy at all and told the driver so. It was a bit frustrating but we didn't let it spoil our outing.
In the carriage.

Our dodgy driver!

In the gardens where it's quiet and tranquil.

The amazing cacti in the gardens.

We decided to head back to the medina - this time by taxi!

In place Jemaa El Fna at dusk.

Setting up for the night market.

We had a look around the night market but we were so harassed by the stall owners trying to get us to eat at their eatery that we just put our heads down and kept on walking! The night market was busy, chaotic and colourful but we decided to head to a little restaurant we had seen near our Riad. It was fantastic with great food and great service and about a quarter of the price of the meal the night before - although no bottle of wine or creme brûlée.

The next day was our last day in Morroco. We woke to a beautiful day and after packing and then breakfast on the roof terrace we set off.

One final wander through the Souks.

The garden at the mosque.

Our tour guide the previous day had told us about the gardens at the Mamounia Hotel. The gardens are open to the public and were just gorgeous. We had to walk through the hotel to get to the gardens and it was a very opulent place - Penelope was quite keen to stay there but we had to carry on.