After our first few nights and days spent In Marrakesh

I have had to start to mellow a LOT into a culture and way of life here that for some of the locals is just a very poor existence … what a visual experience and a TOTAL assault on the senses, it’s a sensory overload! good and bad. It’s a 3^rd world country, so, so much of what we take for granted back home is just not how it is here.  

 

We are staying here at this small 500-year-old Riad (Pronounced “ree ad”) inside the old walled city, centrally located just off the roundabout and main entrance to the foods markets and it is all as far removed visually from the everyday markets world just outside of the strong timbered front door.

 

A Riad is a style of architecture for a traditionally home, it has only one main entrance via a vestibule then a second door into a central open toped courtyard with rooms for cooking and everyday activities all viewing in onto the tiled courtyard. Depending on the wealth of the original home owner the courtyard floor could be dirt or opulent stone or colourful tiles featuring so sort of water feature. It is the up one or two stories of sleeping rooms with carved doors and windows with ornate decorative metal screens all open onto a open walkway that too looks over and down into the central courtyard. Finally, to the top floor that is a open terrace that views over that local surroundings  

 

 

 Note the Moorish architecture

 

 

The opening to the courtyard is now covered with a tent to help with 21st century living, it gets very cold here in winter and in summer so hot

 

 

But in saying that it is by no means the standard of a standard hotel from other parts of the developed world. If all you are after is the creature comforts than maybe the old walled section of Marrakesh is not for you. Sandy has planed our next 3 weeks here in Morocco in a diverse array of accommodations with many cooking experiences yet to be revealed to me and then you.

Oh, the mystery of it all!

The internet here at this Riad is so slow, so a bit of a challenge to upload many pictures but will just have to see how that goes.

  The internal stairs to the roof terrace

The Riad is beautifully decorated

 

 oh ... and has a bar!