ORIENTAL LIFE IN MARRAKESH

                Discover oriental life, flavour and colours of Marrakesh.
If you decide to travel to Marrakesh, you will experience traditional oriental
life as it might have been in past centuries.    It is still warm in October and November.  In fact, we were told that winter is the best time to visit; few tourists and cooler temperatures, but still warm enough to sit outside.

The old part of Marrakesh is designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.   All buildings are painted in orange/red or blue, just as they were in the Middle Ages.  The souks (very narrow market streets with hundreds of small shops) are so large that tourists will get lost, and we had to hire a local guide to help us find our way out again.   Most people within the old town still wear the traditional long clothing.  There is an overwhelming variety of typical Moroccan handicrafts such as the typical lanterns, teapots, glasses and beautiful jewelry that are sold in the souks.   Architecture is in the Moroccan/Islamic style with beautiful tiles and calligraphy.  However, after a day or two you will long to escape from the noise, smells and crowds.  We recommend a trip to the Atlas Mountains, which are very beautiful with Berber villages set in the high mountains, or to the Atlantic, about a 2 1/2-hour drive from Marrakesh.

 

Le Jardin Majorelle is the lovely house and gardens where French designer Yves Saint Laurent lived until he died.  The garden is very famous for the blue/green colors.

Typical traditional Islamic architecture and design on wall, tiles, etc.

Food stalls in the streets.

Spices in one of the many special spice shops.

Palm trees with dates.

A Berber village in the Atlas Mountains, 1 1/2 hours from Marrakesh.

Our grandson, who accompanied us on the trip, found himself with a monkey on his head placed there by someone in the market.  It is very common to do this to tourists  with monkeys . . . or snakes!