Welcome back to part two of my Moroccan adventures. We have left the wonderful city of Fez and are traveling onwards to Marrakesh, the pink city…
The thing I love about travel is the spontaneity factor. We were driving between Fez and Marrakesh through the Riff mountains, with spectacular scenery all around, when we came upon some roadside stalls selling pomegranates. These were the sweetest and juiciest pomegranates I have ever eaten. The sun and the soil of Morocco had played their part in producing these beauties!
Our tour of Marrakesh starts with an early morning visit to the market located just behind the famous square, Djemaa El-Fna. Here we watch the butcher prepare the whole lambs for the pit oven where he will roast up to 40 lambs at a time for 5 hours or so. They call this lamb preparation Mechoui and it is commonly served with cumin salt, chopped salad and Moroccan bread. Here the slow-roasted lamb is carved up, but left on the bone, and sold by the 1/2 or full kilo. This was another memorable meal as it was our group’s first meal from a street vendor, and seeing the demonstration from start to finish was an amazing experience.
This part of the market was busy with food vendors preparing their stalls for the day. There were herb and olive vendors, preserved lemon vendors, and so on. Each vendor specialised in a particular product and was proudly displaying their offerings.
Another day we visited the beautiful Beldi Country Club where Geoff presented a cooking class, preparing dishes inspired by Morocco followed by a delicious lunch. Here we were welcomed with Moroccan mint tea and friendly hospitality.
An early morning start was rewarded by a peaceful and reflective visit to Yves Saint Laurent’s garden, Jardin Marjorelle. Yves restored this rambling artist’s retreat into a colourful oasis in the centre of Marrakesh. Cactus feature heavily, alongside a tranquil pond with a bridge (channeling Monet perhaps?). Now open to the public to enjoy there is an educational and philanthropic leaning to this project. With an amazing museum showcasing traditional tools, jewellery and clothing you will learn a lot about Berber traditions and culture. The project employs local people and the money it generates is reinvested back into Moroccan projects. This beautiful garden and museum are definitely worth a visit.
Our last day in Marrakesh is spent at an organic garden/cooking school about an hour’s drive from the city. Here we prepare tagines and salads in the open air and learn the delicate art of spice blending. This was another of my favourite experiences in Morocco.
So, if this story has inspired you to travel to Morocco I would love to share the journey with you. As I mentioned earlier I was so taken with Morocco that I have put together my own culinary tour of Morocco, with the help of Carol from By Prior Arrangement. This tour will take in the amazing cities of Rabat, Fez, Marrakesh, and Essaouira, along with a side trip into the desert. There will be cooking classes, visits to restaurants and markets, and of course visits to many of the incredible cultural sights that Morocco is famous for. Our group will be intimate with a maximum of 12 guests, which allows us to stay in traditional accommodations, many of which we will have for our exclusive use, and makes for a more spontaneous and flexible itinerary. Come along and share the magic of Morocco with me. For more information about upcoming tours please send me an email.
Happy travels x
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