As Night Falls

We make our way through the crowds, past the snake charmers and give them a VERY WIDE birth, I don't want one of those suckers around my neck with the only way to remove it is to pay a lot of money ... true. 

 

 

Then its onto another roof terrace, safe snake free area! to look over the Place Jemaa El Fna open air food markets below and to suck in the buzz ... it is just amazing.

 

Raid WOW

 

Stumbled on to this modern Riad as we were wandering the streets and well WOW.

 

 

 The views are amazing and being up in the roof tops is so far removed from the hustle and bustle of the streets below. A great place to escape the noise and grab a drink or 3.

 

 

even the loo ... brass WOW.

 

 

  Sandy's colours ...almost reminds me of home!

 

 

 

the central courtyard is Moroccan stunning

 

 

 A bit of life sized art depicting Morocco's smoking culture

 

 

 

Love all the added extras when you get a drink, there is always a nibble to go with it. But here at WOW it was very generous

 

 

So as we had 3 drinks we had 3 lots of nibbles, no need for much dinner tonight!

 

 

 Playing with our food to see what is inside

Yum Mushroom pate, carrot and zucchini and a potato mash. 

 

 

Sucking in the atmosphere as well as getting some ideas.

 

 

 Always love at chair that doubles as the lighting ... sooo versatile

 

 

 

 

 

A Man & His Ladder

Not something that you see a lot in the busy traffic but it Morocco all things are possible. ...as they say "as you like"
Hey at least he was wearing a helmet.

 

 

Into Riad Jona

Had a great 3 hour trip back to Marra from Essa ... a bit hip with the abbreviations Pete!!

Stoped for a $100.00 ice-cream on the way, freezers in the rocky desert must cost a lot to run or maybe its the cost of the very long extension cords.

 

 Also stoped as their was a Arabian horse event happing so our driver wanted us to have the real desert town experience, the people and the horse everywhere and the sound deafening.

They ran from one end of the field to the other.  

 

 

 

Stood up at the halfway point and presented arms,

at the other end of the field to finish with a 21 cannon blasting

Cool to be able to be a fly on a palm tree for 15mins.

 

 

Then back into Marrakesh into our room at Riad Jona for our last 5 nights in Magical Morocco and it's just a few doors away from our last Marrakesh Riad so we will have some more time to experience and explore the old Medina.

Just out from our room in the central courtyard. 

 

 

Looks like we will have some time to smell the

 

before tomorrows cooking class on Moroccan Pastries

Here is a sneak peak of tomorrows efforts ...

 

 

Our room while not the whole Essa Arabic/Moreish/Oriental Style is more of a tradition Riad and a tad more compact.

 

 

 

A bit of African road kill to adorn our in rooms ottoman.

 

   a map so we remember that Morocco is actually in Africa.

More Moroccan mood lighting

And after todays close encounter with the real Arabic horsemen some art depicting them ... but so much quieter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Modern Art of Ess A E I O U

 

Heading back to

Marrakesh after 11 amazing days in Essaouira.

A luck man having a truly amazing life experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visual Confrontation

makes you think deeper as to how your actions can affect and or help others. 

It is very confronting when you travel to see so many street people who their biggest crime in life is the geographic of where they are born or that they have been displaced from their own countries because of wars etc.

One can not help all but one can help someone ... it's who do you pick as you wander the streets enjoying their country from the safety of our own tourist wealth bubble.
 

Every morning I have been going out with food parcels leftover from our breakfast and finding someone who is grateful for a meal.

From a distance I watch and if they eat what I have given them I go back and give them some $ also, if they eat the food I then know that they are doing this to survive.

Its not just another street scammer "well if a dumb tourist wants to give me money because I put on a old suit put out my hand wandering the streets well that his problem".
 

Yesterday I gave some food to a lady in a wheel chair and this morning when I was back around near her again she quickly put away her new I Phone and stuck out her hand again.

I smiled and carried my food parcel on to someone else.
 

It makes you syndical but it makes you look a bit harder for the real people in need.

 

 

   I sat next to (he didn't sit next to me) a 39 year old man down by the beach and I started to talk to him and he told me of his displacement from his homeland of Syria.

His travels down through Europe into Africa with his 2 children, mother and sister with basically the clothes on their backs. The rest of what he told me is in my heart and just to graphic to write.
His words will affect me for the rest of my life and in a away that only my heart will have to deal with as we talked about todays cruel world. He and I hugged and cried together on the beach as we both looked out into the distance ocean and prayed to our own gods for a peaceful safe world.
I could tell he was just such a broken man that he needed to talk and just to hug someone that didn't judging him. He was just like me only younger but displaced from his land that he loved, did have a home and a job.
We all need to make a difference for someone. I helped him for the day with some $ and a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen.
 I hope and pray that I have made just a little difference to his life.
 He is one of the genuine people that we all need to look out and find.
Please don't comment to this post ... just think how your own actions will help someone else who's current life is not as wonderful as your own.

 

 

  

 

 

Sand Drifts

The wind blows so much sand around that there is always men sweeping and shovelling it back to the ocean.

 

 

When you sit for a meal outside the taste of salt and grit is a bit off putting but this is the real Morocco and sand is a way of life here and we are the intruders.

 

 

But the bigger problem is the wind as will blow over ones glass of vino right off the table!! and as vino is hard to get here in Morocco that would be a right wasteful shame.

Solution

For us its a window seat overlooking the view and eating the food as the chef would like it served ...

with a glass of local Moroccan vino.

 and without the extra salt and sand.

 

The smoked salmon here is to die for.

 

 

 

Big Holes

Walking is quite dangerous at the best of time as the footpaths have loads of undulating and trip hazards but today this little old tourist could have ended up in China,

or worst still back in Aussie via Medivac

 

 

 

Insert Recipes

Insert Recipes

Insert Recipes

We Learnt So Much in Ess A E I O U

Amazing family dinner and as you can see on the table a feast and several other dishes were also learnt.

Interesting lighting for food a lovely blue hue

 

 from the overhead lighting that changed colour all through dinner we had many lovely lighting affect. 

Another one of Sandy's cookbooks to Morocco
and more new cooking friends to add to her growing list.


 

 

 

 

Can't teach old dogs new tricks

Me

 

 

  and my teacher

 and lets just say the noise I made would be as good as my singing

The whole cooking in a locals home was just such an amazing experience, it was more than just cooking, you got to be part of  family life and as we were there on several occasions the experience was even better as you could dig a little deeper.
Our hosts are activist for world peace through human interaction of all cultures to try and break down some of the stereotypical typecasting that so many of us westerners believe.
This was a truly lovely Muslim family. We were blessed to have had the chance to meet and see behind the scenes into their family life.




 

Lamb Tagine with prunes and preserved pineapple

Such a yummy meaty and sweet dish, but sweet in a good sweet in fruity way

 The master, baby and apprentice all at work.

 

The prunes are cooked for 20 or so minutes then add the pineapple and saffron, as I said was hmmmm "preserved" as it had a slight salty taste, with the texture of glace fruit and the smell of fermentation. Still to get the total info on how it was done so a bit of Google now needed, all I have to do is try to remember the taste, texture and smell.

The smell once the lid was lifted hmmmmm

food coma coming

 

 

Finished dish stunning

 

 

School's In Dish 1 Harira

So tonight we cooked Harira which is another celebration dish ... always lots of reasons to celebrate in Morocco. 

So this is the dish that breaks your fast everyday during Ramada.

A hearty soup of lamb, lentils and chic peas cooked in a spicy tomato stock.
A nob of the Smen butter. These lentils were smaller than the other night all cooked in a pot on the stove. 

The spices used



Also made some Batbout to soak up all those wonderful flavours
This time with a dry yeast, we will have to experiment with all the recipes that we have leant over the past 2 weeks as they are all quite different, some good, some not so good.
Tonight's was a much dryer and heaver bread, it didn't have the separation like previous one's. When they were cooking they kept turning and flattening them, maybe this is not the best method but that's what we are here to learn and not just believe that one method is gospel.
 2.5 teaspoon dry yeast (good as we can get this back home)
1 teaspoon salt (it tasted good so a big tick there)
1/2 kg semolina (so very heavy)
400 water



 Always flipping! good if you are after a solid bread!

Tasted good, not a yeasty flavour, went well with the dish so perhaps I'm just being a bit too much of food critic.

  

Was a great dish, hearty winter dish somewhere by the fire.
Maybe on a cold winters night in Tasmania in our old age when we are too old to travel the world.

 

 

 

On Our Way To A E I O U Cooking School

It's back to school, cooking school that is ...

 Again it's at our local family's home. We had such a great night before and looking forward to a different menu again tonight.

Last time I wanted to take some pictures of the walk to the burb's but as the I Pad was our navigator and me being a boy I could only do onething at a time I didn't want to risk loosing the map by taking a picture.

This afternoon all over that and can remember the route so let the walking pictures flow.

Past the open air butcher at the far end of the Old Medina

road way now starting to get less touristy.

 

 

Stoped to buy our Essaeiou souvenir.

A cotton wrap for making Moroccan breads at The Retreat.

 

 

Got a Moroccan tax receipt.

 

 

Oooded & Arred at the preserved lemon display

 

 

and the huge selection of olives

loving the harrisa and cumin blends

 

 

Heading through another set of triple arched gates of the Old Medina past the onion sellers and the cart parking area.

These carts you see the men using all around and in the old medina as it is a old city and no cars allowed.

 

 

Now out of the Old Medina past the local taxi rank.

  

 Into the local markets and streets

Stopping to buy some more souvenirs  ... Hmmmmm maybe not!!

The local markets this end of town are a mix of
Shanty meets Shabby Chic 
This is the real end of town.

Star pupil ... ready for roll call