The Epicurious Wanderers!

This morning we travelled to the nearby town of Tahanaout to enjoy a hands-on cooking class with a celebrated local chef, or his assistant. We also had a hospital stop first as Helen was still unwell. I must say the Moroccan medical system was top notch. With Adil’s help Helen was treated and back on the bus withing 30 minutes, we do think they were giving us preferential treatment as we are tourists. Amazingly has well it was all free. It’s great to have my travel buddy back on deck as she has suffered for the past few days. After the cooking session before we enjoyed our lunch we explored the amazing organic kitchen garden surrounded by beautiful olive groves and orchards set in a traditional Berber douar. They harvest ingredients fresh from the garden as they are are needed, everything is used. After a splendid feast, we boarded our mobile home away from home and continued on to Marrakech.

As we arrived in Marrakech we made a very special detour to the home of our guide Adil, where we had the enormous privilege of having tea and meeting his amazing family. On arrival at our new home we checked in, grabbed our bathers and headed to the roof for a swim and take in the views. Later as evening fell we headed to the great square of Djemaa el-Fna, one of the largest public spaces in the world, guided by Adil who as usual knew everybody we past. As night fell it transformed into a hive of activity. We went to one of the myriad of roof tops cafes for a drink and a spot of people watching.

After breakfast today, we met with a local guide who brought the magic of Marrakech to life as we set off on a morning tour of the old medina, through the bustling souks that are the lifeblood of the city. We explored the tranquil courtyards filled with the scent of orange blossom and the many salons and chambers that make up Bahia Palace. We wandered by the Koutoubia Mosque; the inside is for Muslims only, but the famous minaret is a sight to behold. We strolled back through the streets of the old medina to Djemaa el-Fna, stopping off to taste some of the marvellous freshly squeezed orange juice from a local stall – this is sure to be one of the most delicious glasses of orange juice you ever have. Having tasted it we all agreed the claim is pretty valid, it was so good. The rest of the day was ours to explore whatever we felt like doing. Mmm, so many options, what do now. After much discussion with other members of our group the winner was the hotel pool for a relaxing dip and a cold beer.

Tonight we have our sort of farewell dinner, most of the group leave tomorrow as ours was a combination tour. Only four of us are carrying on to Essaouria. We also farewell Adil who has guided us so well over the past 14 days. It’s been so good to learn from him and see his passion for his country. Last night we had also said goodbye to Samir who had driven us all around this magical country.

Tomorrow dawns a new day and a new group, let the adventure continue.