Marrakesh: An Intro to Morocco

One of the highlights of summer vacation this year was a 10 day trip to Morocco. Yes it was hot (late July/ the beginning of August was the only possible time to go --- so we didn't go to the desert this time), but we sure packed a lot into those few days. We visited three cities: Marrakesh, Casablanca and Rabat.

We started the trip by flying into Marrakesh. After making our way through security and finding a taxi, we arrived at our riad. A riad is a traditional home. Many have been converted into hotels with only a small number of rooms (ours had 5). The rooms look onto a courtyard in the middle. Our riad, Riad Eldar, had a pool and relaxing areas in the courtyard and was located in the medina, which is the pedestrian zone with windy streets. We had a delicious, traditional breakfast of bread, a type of pancake, cake, and a fried egg there every morning.

We packed a lot into a few days, and it was tricky to figure out a schedule to beat the heat. It's best to stay inside during the hottest part of the day. One day we (or rather I) insisted on sightseeing during that time, and even my kneecaps were sweating. Won't do that again. Let's talk about some of the highlights of our days in Marrakesh.

1. The souks and Jemaa el Fna

The souks are the markets, and boy they can be overwhelming, but hey, that's part of the adventure. There are hundreds of little stalls mostly in covered areas with people selling all sorts of stuff: leather goods, traditional clothing or shoes, lamps, spices etc. I found it quite difficult to shop but did get a beautiful scarf. Basically as soon as you slow down in front of a stall to get a look at something, the shopkeeper is at the ready to talk to you about the item (and convince you to buy it of course). There are no prices and bargaining is a must. Supposedly you could get some pretty good deals, but it's hard to know! 

Jemaa el Fna is the main square in town. We passed by during the day and there were loads of fresh fruit juice vendors so we enjoyed a fresh squeezed orange juice. At night, the square turns into craziness. Smoke rises from the barbecue and food vendors. There are snake charmers and musicians, monkeys and street performers. I enjoyed my sweet mint tea on the edge of the square as the sun set.

2. Bahia Palace

Bahia Palace was probably my favorite site in Marrakesh. It's a 19th century palace complex with beautiful mosaics, carvings, fountains and colors.

 

 

3. El Badii Palace

An easy walk from the newer Bahia Palace is the El Badii Palace, completed in 1593. This feels somehow more "earthy" since the walls are a red dirt. However in fact, at the time of its construction, the palace was full of marble, gold and onyx which were later reused in other buildings after the fall of the Saadian kings. Today you can see the layout of the former palace and lots of storks sitting along the walls.

4. Saadian Tombs

The Saadian Dynasty ruled Morocco from 1549 to 1659 and they left behind a legacy with some beautiful buildings and architecture. One of the most beautiful things you can see today in Marrakesh is the tombs of the Saadians. It's a small area with some tombs inside and others outside. My favorite was the room of the kings that was covered in ornate mosaics, arches and ceiling carvings.

5. Majorelle Garden

Something a little more modern to visit in Marrakesh is the Majorelle Garden. This was a nice respite from the heat. There are many varieties of cacti and flowers. At the center sits a colorful house designed by Yves Saint Laurent.

6. Walking the streets and eating the food

Of course no trip to Morocco is complete without tasting the local cuisine. And taste I did. I tried three different kinds of tajine, pastilla, Moroccan mint tea and Moroccan pastries. We found some great recommendations on TripAdvisor and I can really say we ate well at Atay Cafe (a special rooftop restaurant in the medina - perfect for a sunset dinner) and La Cantine des Gazelles (a delicious restaurant by Jemaa el Fna with a French owner that makes a mean tajine).

In the medina - on the hunt for the Photography Museum

Chicken tajine with olives and pickled lemon

View from El Badii Palace

Marrakesh was colorful, confusing, busy, enlightening and special. It is a gateway into a new culture and my first time in a place like that. At times I definitely felt out of place, but it's such a touristy town that people there have seen everything. It's easy to spot the tourists from the locals. Most obviously, many Moroccan women (but not all!) wear headscarves and many men wear a type of long dress. Donkeys and carts are led through the streets and scooters can whizz past at any time in any little street. We mainly stuck to the historic, traditional center, but keep in mind that Marrakesh is quite a big city and has a modern business area of town too. I plan on getting back to Marrakesh sometime to keep exploring. There's so much to see and do!

Manchester and Liverpool

After my quick stay in London, we hopped on an early morning bus to go north to Manchester for a few days.  Our plan was to spend two nights in Manchester, followed by a one night stay in Liverpool, and return to Manchester for our last night before taking the plane home.

Arriving in Manchester, we walked to our hotel, which was above a local pub and next to MOSI (the Museum of Science and Industry).  We settled in and headed out for food.  We decided to satisfy our craving for a certain Italian restaurant called San Carlo.  I had a delicious salmon dish with hollandaise sauce. Yum!

Our hotel "The Oxnoble"

After that, we decided to walk around town a bit.  We were already in the center and lots of people were out and about.  The outdoor pubs were full since it was a warm, sunny day.  I was still regretting not packing my sunglasses...

The Manchester cathedral flying the English flag for St. George's Day

That night, we took a needed break and went to the movies.  In France, foreign language movies are often dubbed... and honestly that just gets on my nerves, especially when it's an actor you know with a different voice.  I'd prefer subtitles! In England, we were able to watch movies in their original versions.

Manchester canal

The next day, we decided to tackle the museum.  In the 18th century, Manchester was at the heart of the Industrial Revolution.  We learned about the importance of textiles and electricity for the city.  We saw a variety of trains, planes, and automobiles.  They even had a replica of the first computer that stored memory.  It was about the size of my bathroom in all!  After that, we walked around the nearby canal, which had a relaxed feelings and pubs alongside.  All of the flowers were beginning to bloom too!

Manchester canal

For dinner, we enjoyed Indian food.  Indian food is very common in Manchester; they even have a stretch of road nicknamed the Curry Mile, since there are so many curry restaurants.

The next day was our day in Liverpool! Liverpool is about an hour away from Manchester by either bus or train (we took the bus).  Our hotel was conveniently located in the center.  What first struck me about Liverpool was the interesting and varied architecture.  They had impressive buildings with Roman columns alongside modern angular buildings as well as Victorian brick houses.  

Liverpool from Albert Dock

Liverpool from Albert Dock

We walked to Albert Dock, one of the most touristy areas of the city hosting the Beatles Museum, Tate Modern Art Museum, the ferry, and other sites related to the history of Liverpool.  We took in the art museum and then went to find some fish n' chips.  It's the place for it after all!  We continued our day with a trek to the cathedral, which happened to be much farther than we thought.  Though we could see it from the docks, it was about a 45 minute walk, somewhat uphill, to get there.  The cathedral itself was very impressive and large with an incredible stained glass display.  Inside was unique.  Rather than only acting as a religious space, the cathedral set aside an area for an art gallery display as well as a cafe, restaurant and gift shop.  It was quite unique.  

Gallery space in the Cathedral

After a couple more hours of walking and seeing the sights, we went to find a good place to eat.  We consulted TripAdvisor back at our hotel and learned that the top rated restaurant in our area was a Japanese one.  We went to try it, first being told that there was no space and to come back later.  We passed our time at a pub drinking Pimms, a unique, light and refreshing drink.  Once the time arrived, we headed back to the Japanese restaurant and were in for a treat! I ordered seared tuna with teriyaki sauce and salad and rice on the side. It was incredible, melt in my mouth delicious.  I was happy with my choice.

The next morning came too early, and we were headed back to Manchester.  It was starting to drizzle rain for the first time on our trip.  My big plan for the day was afternoon tea!  Luckily, one of the best tea rooms was around the corner from our hotel, so we went there to enjoy an Alice in Wonderland inspired tea.  We enjoyed a large pot of green tea, various finger sandwiches, pastries and scones.  I sure was full!

Tea time!

For my first time in the UK, it was definitely a good trip! We kept busy by seeing different cities and trying different things.  I'm happy that I was able to get a taste of each city.  They were all unique with different feelings.  London was the big city with lots of things to do.  Manchester was a smaller community with a nice relaxed city feeling.  Liverpool seemed to have more hustle and bustle going on and it was difficult for me to understand their accents.  Someday I'll be back to the UK, but this was a nice introduction.