mosaic road

Fish Out of Water

A little while back I had an amazing two days in Tangier, a true port city of Morocco. It is quite a unique town and sets itself apart from the rest of Morocco. The Straits of Gibraltar teem with a variety of fish and there are many seafood cafes. One evening I came across a hastily set up street stall, randomly positioned in a back street, selling fresh off the boat seafood. Not a huge array but just caught. I am unsure what that huge prawny thing is, if anyone can help me out. Is it a langoustine ???

 

Nuts to You

Argan oil is a much sought after luxury product across the world. The argan tree bears fruit which is eaten by the goats who climb the trees or eat the dry black nuts on the ground. When the nut is excreted, it is collected and then a very labour intensive process takes place in a woman's co-op involving cracking the nut, roasting, grinding, extracting and dry pressing. It is either then used in cosmetic products or in a culinary manner.

 

Out on a Limb

 

Beside the freeway to Essaouira there are a couple of big argan trees full of goats "put" up the there as a tourist attraction. A few opportunistic men loiter and collect money from people who stand gaping, open mouthed on the side of the road. The goats seem happy and doze off high amongst the branches. They are not tied there and don't make any attempt to get down. I think in reality that goats grazing in the fields do climb argan trees of their own volition to eat the argan nut but this en masse group perched roadside so precariously is just an example, a good one, of enterprising locals.

 

"I Need a Cardigan "

This is not the first thought you want to have when you get out of the car for a day at the beach but this came into my mind last week when we arrived in Essaouira. It was a grey overcast day and the wind was almost gale force. This Moroccan seaside town on a swathe of Atlantic coast is famed for its gusty wind but hope springs eternal and I was wishing for a calm day. So to warm up or at least fortify a little we headed to a lovely rooftop cafe, Taros with its wonderful views and Mediterranean colours. Although the weather was ordinary we had a great day meandering the cobbled lanes and shopping in the souks for baskets and the local argan oil products. The pace is far less frenetic here than Marrakech and it is an easy three hour drive plus you get to see the goats in the trees on the way !!  Post on that coming soon. 

 

Basket Case

I have had a lifelong love of baskets and owned many, too many to count, in every shape and size. How fitting that I should end up living in a country where basketry is a big cottage industry. Recently I visited Essaouira, a beach town also known for its baskets ,woven from reed or palm leaves. It can take up to six hours to weave one basket and then a seamstress takes over to add patterns or sequins. Every basket is different depending on the style and taste of the lady finishing off the product. They are usually lined with a drawstring lining and have leather handles from goat or cow hide. If you want one let me know and I can post you a beautiful hand made and original souvenir from Morocco.

 

Take Time to Smell the Roses

The Beldi Country Club on the outskirts of Marrakech has enormous rose gardens, not a manicured type of garden but rambling fields of mixed colours and I do mean fields and fields . A vast jumble of bushes, even with tangled weeds, seem to spread as far as the eye can see. The only time I have ever seen anything close to this is at the Melbourne Racing Carnival that occurs in November each year. But the roses at Beldi are blowsy and faded around the edges and not for floristry. They have an old fashioned look and are for visual enjoyment. Morocco actually does have a huge rose industry but that is centred in  Kelaat Mergouna in the valleys of the Atlas mountains. Long stemmed roses are exported from here along with rose water products and precious rose oil is extracted and steamed from tonnes of petals. In my mind I find it hard to put roses and North Africa together in the same sentence as it does not "feel" quite right but it is the real deal, another legacy left behind by the French, as it was their parfumiers who started the mass cultivation .

Doors on Display

Morocco must certainly be the home of beautiful, old artisan crafted doors. Cedar, studded, ornately carved, maybe with camel bone  or wrought iron trim, panelled,  antique ..... many, many styles with a such a rich heritage. This great display lined the red walls within the Beldi Country Club. They were all huge and heavy and resurrected from old riads. Each one  handcrafted and original, no mass production here. Even the plainest homes or dwellings had or have a very fine, artisan carved door. The doors I pass on a daily basis seem to work as an invitation to cross a threshold, you just never know what lies behind. And thankfully  this hand crafting still goes on, this artisan craft has not died out . How wonderful that this sense of tradition continues unchanged when we live in a world where change seems unstoppable.

Saying Goodbye

 

 

My youngest child caught the train this morning as part of her marathon return trip to Australia. Saying goodbye is never easy but I know in ten short (but searingly hot) Moroccan weeks I will be back in Australia for a short visit. But this sort of poignant moment does make you second guess your life path choices. Should I stay or should I go type of questions are eddying around in my head. I am mentally writing lists of pros and cons. I am lucky in that I have a job I enjoy and have many travel opportunities. I am not lonely as I meet fabulous guests and have a small but lovely group of friends. But like other single expats I live alone and  that plays on my mind a bit, not just for me but for others too, as no one knows if we make it home okay at night or if we fall really ill in the wee small hours. Anyway, c'est la vie, for now !!!

Fountains Represent Paradise

 

Water is very important in the Islamic culture. The fountains that you see so often in the riads in Morocco are decorative but also honour the element of water as it believed to be a divine gift. It symbolizes many things including wisdom, purity and rebirth and as a drink that quenches the soul's thirst. Fountains originally were for the dual purposes of hygiene and symbolism and many still are today. This one was filled with an abundance of deep red rose petals and to me represented great beauty and calmness for all.

Visiting Richard

A little way out of Imlil is a resort hotel owned by Richard Branson, of Virgin fame. It is called Kasbah Tamadot which, but don't quote me,  I think means Kasbah Crazy in Berber. It has sweeping valley views and astronomically priced hotel rooms. We just dropped in to have a cool drink and a snoop. The grounds are magnificent and manicured and the public areas very lovely but not over the top in any way. We sat in the peaceful surrounds in the late afternoon happily celebrating one birthday but also acknowledging the wonderful day we had spent in the mountains and the charm and generosity of all the Moroccans we had encountered.