Somewhere in there, we stopped for some traditional British grub for lunch at Sherlock Holmes'.
To top off the day, before heading to the airport, we had tea, of course.
That's it for our 2019 Moroccan Voyage (+a day in London)!
London, England
All the walking in the Old Towns of Morocco prepared us for our whirlwind tour of London today. I think we did a pretty good job of cramming in as much as possible in our brief stopover. We saw a lot of the highlights: Paddington Station, Kings Cross, London Bridge, Tower Bridge, Borough Market, The Eye, Big Ben (under restoration), Berry Brothers & Rudd, Trafalgar Square, Fortnum & Mason, and, not to be missed, Buckingham Palace, including The Canada Gate.
Somewhere in there, we stopped for some traditional British grub for lunch at Sherlock Holmes'.
To top off the day, before heading to the airport, we had tea, of course.
That's it for our 2019 Moroccan Voyage (+a day in London)!
Somewhere in there, we stopped for some traditional British grub for lunch at Sherlock Holmes'.
To top off the day, before heading to the airport, we had tea, of course.
That's it for our 2019 Moroccan Voyage (+a day in London)!
Last Day in Morocco
Our flight out of Morocco wasn't until the evening, so we headed back to the Big Square to wander through the souks in the Old Town.
After lunch, we went to The Secret Garden. It is a recreation of a garden that existed 150 years ago. The original hydraulic system, a thousand year old technique utilizing underground canals and gravity to distribute water and feed the garden still exists today. The exquisitely handcrafted replicas of the decorations enhance the beauty and peacefulness of this oasis hidden in the middle of the city.
We're almost finished our summer adventure, but first: one stop in London, UK.
After lunch, we went to The Secret Garden. It is a recreation of a garden that existed 150 years ago. The original hydraulic system, a thousand year old technique utilizing underground canals and gravity to distribute water and feed the garden still exists today. The exquisitely handcrafted replicas of the decorations enhance the beauty and peacefulness of this oasis hidden in the middle of the city.
We're almost finished our summer adventure, but first: one stop in London, UK.
Yves Saint Laurent
Today we visited two museums and a garden.
The Yves Saint Laurent Museum displays a timeline of the designer's career and accomplishments and exhibits some of his pieces and accessories.
Next to the museum is the Jardin Majorelle. Initially created by the artist Jaques Majorelle, but purchased and revived by YSL and Pierre Bergé after it had been abandoned years following the artist's death. The garden is a composition of palms, succulents, and bamboo, with ponds and planters of vivid hues.
Within this garden is another museum; this one dedicated to the Berber culture. It is located in the former painting studio of Jaques Majorelle. It contains over 600 Berber artifacts and the building itself is a vivid "Mojorelle" blue accent in the garden.
For our last dinner in Morocco, we went back into the Old Town and found a little hole in the wall (literally, sort of).
It was fabulous.
The Yves Saint Laurent Museum displays a timeline of the designer's career and accomplishments and exhibits some of his pieces and accessories.
Next to the museum is the Jardin Majorelle. Initially created by the artist Jaques Majorelle, but purchased and revived by YSL and Pierre Bergé after it had been abandoned years following the artist's death. The garden is a composition of palms, succulents, and bamboo, with ponds and planters of vivid hues.
Within this garden is another museum; this one dedicated to the Berber culture. It is located in the former painting studio of Jaques Majorelle. It contains over 600 Berber artifacts and the building itself is a vivid "Mojorelle" blue accent in the garden.
For our last dinner in Morocco, we went back into the Old Town and found a little hole in the wall (literally, sort of).
It was fabulous.
A Mosque, Two Palaces and Two Museums
We started our walking tour, again led by Jasmin, at the Koutoubia mosque. It is a large 12th century mosque, still in use today.
Next we visited the El Badii Palace which was quite large, but very much in ruins. The sunken garden containing orange groves, however, still flourishes. It was built in the16th century and although it was a palace, part of the underground rooms that housed the servants, also served as a prison.
The second palace of the day, Bahia Palace, was smaller (only 160 rooms and courtyards and 8 acres of gardens) and newer (19th century). It was also much better preserved. Everywhere we wandered, we admired the intricately detailed mosaics, carvings, ceilings, courtyards, fountains, garden... there was no end of allure.
Our first museum was the Museum of Tiskiwin. A small museum of Berber history and artifacts. It was quite interesting.
Dar Si Said, the final museum of the day, was a museum of Moroccan carpets. Videos and tools explained and demonstrated the carpet making process from shearing the sheep to weaving the final product. The patterns, colours, and weaving styles vary from region to region, making the origin of a carpet easier to identify. It was pretty cool.
Next we visited the El Badii Palace which was quite large, but very much in ruins. The sunken garden containing orange groves, however, still flourishes. It was built in the16th century and although it was a palace, part of the underground rooms that housed the servants, also served as a prison.
The second palace of the day, Bahia Palace, was smaller (only 160 rooms and courtyards and 8 acres of gardens) and newer (19th century). It was also much better preserved. Everywhere we wandered, we admired the intricately detailed mosaics, carvings, ceilings, courtyards, fountains, garden... there was no end of allure.
Our first museum was the Museum of Tiskiwin. A small museum of Berber history and artifacts. It was quite interesting.
Dar Si Said, the final museum of the day, was a museum of Moroccan carpets. Videos and tools explained and demonstrated the carpet making process from shearing the sheep to weaving the final product. The patterns, colours, and weaving styles vary from region to region, making the origin of a carpet easier to identify. It was pretty cool.
Pool Day
Today we split up for a bit. Some went to the Photography Museum, while others stayed at the riad.
The museum goers rode in a tuk-tuk that took them the "scenic route" to the museum.
The rest of the day was spent hanging by the pool. (It was open!)
The museum goers rode in a tuk-tuk that took them the "scenic route" to the museum.
The rest of the day was spent hanging by the pool. (It was open!)
Exploring Marrakesh
Today we started a walking tour to explore Marrakech, led by Jasmin. It started with our first stop closed for renovations (a common theme during this trip), but that didn't deter us. We moved on to the Marrakesh museum which was a combination historical and modern art exhibits. An artist on site painted the girl's name for them in Arabic calligraphy.
Afterwards we wandered through the alleys of the souk that opened on to a big main square with spices, and produce, and...snakes!
We wanted to end the day in the pool, but it was closed. Friday. We'll try again tomorrow.
We wanted to end the day in the pool, but it was closed. Friday. We'll try again tomorrow.
Road to Marrakesh
Our drive out of the desert took us through the City of Roses. Here they grow and harvest roses to make rose water and rose oil products. One kilo of rose petals produces 1L of rose water. Four tons are needed to make 1L of oil!
Along the way, in the distance, we could see the tower and reflections coming off the world's largest solar array situated in the desert.
We made a quick stop in at the Atlas Studios and glimpsed some old sets and props from their various movies.
Further down the road we stopped at Ait Benhaddou and climbed to the top. It's a 17th century ksar (fort) built in the foothills that was used in the filming of Gladiators and Game of Thrones.
Our last stop before descending through the Atlas mountains was to see an Argan oil demonstration. Argan trees are almond or peanut-type trees that are native only to Morocco. The nuts are harvested to make cosmetic hair and skin products, cooking oil, and edible butter.
The road through the mountains was a little harrowing as most of the winding route was under construction and Moroccans have a different style of driving than we do. The majestic views, however, were amazing.
Reaching Marrakesh, the end of our desert trek, our driver dropped us off at our new temporary home. A riad (with a pool!) just outside the Old Town.
Along the way, in the distance, we could see the tower and reflections coming off the world's largest solar array situated in the desert.
We made a quick stop in at the Atlas Studios and glimpsed some old sets and props from their various movies.
Further down the road we stopped at Ait Benhaddou and climbed to the top. It's a 17th century ksar (fort) built in the foothills that was used in the filming of Gladiators and Game of Thrones.
Our last stop before descending through the Atlas mountains was to see an Argan oil demonstration. Argan trees are almond or peanut-type trees that are native only to Morocco. The nuts are harvested to make cosmetic hair and skin products, cooking oil, and edible butter.
The road through the mountains was a little harrowing as most of the winding route was under construction and Moroccans have a different style of driving than we do. The majestic views, however, were amazing.
Reaching Marrakesh, the end of our desert trek, our driver dropped us off at our new temporary home. A riad (with a pool!) just outside the Old Town.
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