This morning we organise a local tour guide to show us some of the sights of Marrakesh for a few hoursA traditional water-carrier of MarrakeshA lone storkWe visit the Saadian Tombs66 members of the Saadian dynasty who ruled over Marrakesh between 1524 and 1668 are buried hereRic with our tour guide, Abdul admiring the zellij tile work of the building that houses some of the tombsOn foot we explore some of the busy streets nearbyThe local butcher selling camel meatPiles of fresh herbs for saleWe pass a fish market in a small squareAnyone for bananas or pears?
A great supply of spicesAll our favourite fresh vegetables sold here!!Ric and our friendly guide AbdulOur next stop is visiting the busy Palais BahiaWonderful wood and zellij tile work can be seen throughout the rooms of the palace with this room belonging to one of the Sultan’s favourite mistressesThe Palace has wonderful gardens and internal courtyardsRic & Helve at the Palais BahiaPreparations were being done at Palais Bahia for the coming G20 conference being held in Marrakesh in mid NovemberAbdul takes us to a local bakeryLocal families and restaurants deliver their prepared bread dough in baskets or on trays which are then baked in the oven by the bakers for a feeWe arrive in the the large main square, Place Jemaa El-FnaNearby is a the well known Souk Smarine with it’s narrow covered pathwaysThousands of shops selling all types of goods from Morrocan slippers to hardware goods can be found in the many Souks in MoroccoAbdul takes us to visit a Moroccan local who has a hot oven and appears to be cooking some dishes in covered potsWe continue on through some interesting backs streetsMore popular herbs and spicesIt is lunch time and the local children are being collected from school by their parents and relatives
We arrive at the ‘Maison de la Photographie’We enjoyed viewing the amazing portrait photography displayed in several rooms over two floorsOn the rooftop of the gallery was a small quaint Moroccan restaurantThe view over the city with it’s minarets, roof tops, palms and sea of sattelite dishes was spectacularAbdul orders some local dishes for us to try for lunchWe sampled delicious meat balls with cheese and spicy sauce and fabulous eggplant and tomato saladsOur next destination was a visit to the Medersa Ben YoussefMedersa Ben Youssef was one of the largest and finest Koranic schools which had capacity for up to 900 studentsThe tiled entrance hall behind the spectacular bronze door to the well respected Islamic college that was founded in the mid 14th century and closed in 1960We continue further with our guide Abdul along more paths and interesting alleywaysWe pass food vendors……baskets and lanterns…….pretty archwaysWe make our way back to a taxi rank near one of the main squaresAfter several interesting hours of exploring some of the wonderful Moroccan sights with Abdul, together with a lot of walking, we are on our way back to our hotelWe arrive at the attractive entrance to the Hotel Dar RhizlaneRose petals cover the water in all the attractive tiled ponds throughout the gardens of the hotelFor a swim and some relaxation we unwind on one of the double lounges around the hotel poolA wonderful view lying back looking at the attractive setting around us!!In the evening we enjoy a little cocktail in one of the outdoor sitting areasWe decide that we will once again have dinner in the lovely restaurant in the hotel. Restaurant dar Rhizlane which is a very popular, is often full with so many locals and patrons from other hotels making bookingsMoroccan lamb puff triangles are brought to the table as an appetizerRic orders beef with mushroomsSeafood ravioli was my choice tonightWe finish a wonderful dinner sharing a delicious Moroccan dessert
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