Another lazy Riad breakfast on the roof terrace. The perfect way to start the day!
Today was the only day that we had any kind of agenda.
- Visit the Jardin de Majorelle and…
- to eat in the Amal Women’s Training School.
The narrow streets from the Riad were really dusty this morning and the early morning light finding it’s way through the gaps in the buildings illuminated it, making it even more visible that it was.
After a quick visit to the Hotel Ali currency exchange just to top up our Dhirum, we grabbed a taxi and headed for the Jardin de Majorelle where our driver thoughtfully dropped us at the end of the very long queue. But luckily for us we had already purchased our entrance tickets online so we skipped the long queue, gaining entry to the garden really quickly.
Busy doesn’t even come close to describing how busy the tiny garden of Yves Saint Laurent was. Ushers were keeping the crowds moving and coaxing us through all of the one-way sections to view the various displays of cacti and flowering bushes.
Initially, it was hard to actually enjoy the park, as the crowds were so dense in places, you couldn’t see what it was everyone was stopping to look at. But after managing to see most of garden, we found a quiet bench surrounded by flowering trees, so we sat, we watched the crowds jostling by and slowly we began to see the beautiful colours and started to enjoy the serenity of the garden. It was magical.
Back out on to street we headed for our lunch destination, using a series of saved screen shots of Google Maps directions we headed off towards the restaurant. We nearly found it too, before finally giving in and turning on our mobile data to finally let Google guide us.
The Amal Women’s Training School was a delight and well worth seeking out. Staffed and run entirely by women, the menu, scribbled on a chalkboard and propped up for you to read was plentiful, the food was well cooked, tasted great and the atmosphere was a delight with the outdoor dining area being cool, shaded by tall bushes and constantly draped in a cooling mist.
Pausing briefly for an afternoon tea with a selection of Moroccan cakes at a corner cafe, we thought would be a relaxing thing to do, but the corner was busy with people and scooters and the dusty air made for a slightly uncomfortable experience, so we swiftly headed back to the riad to pack our bag.
Then back out in to the medina to see the market at night and to see the sunset over the mosque.
The market was brightly lit and bustling with people and traders it was an assault on the senses! Food traders trying everything to get you to eat with them, each stall having a number, fruit and veg stalls selling all manner of produce. Really good fun.
Then back to the hotel for a dust busting final cold beer up on the roof terrace chatting with the boss about World affairs, travelling and our mutual love of good music. A lovely end to the day !!
mrandmrsyoung 