Sunday, February 24, 2008

Escape



However fascinating Marrakech is, sometimes it drives you quite crazy and you have to get out.
The possibilities are the mountains, the desert or the sea - pretty good choices really.
The mountains are about an hour away.
The desert pretty much a whole day's journey.
The Atlantic isn't too far..........



Driving directly east through the stony desert, the landscape isn't much to look at though the skies are often spectacular. The road is a little alarming because it's two lanes so you have to take great care overtaking.



When you see this high outcrop of rock, you know you are halfway there.
The journey takes about two and a half hours, depending whether you drive or go on the bus - the bus stops for half an hour so you can get a snack etc.



These last two photos are of Essouira from the docks- one taken in the evening and one in the morning. Late in the afternoon the whole town is bathed in golden light reflected from the setting sun.........



Essouiria, as anyone who has ever been there will insist on telling you - often repeatedly - is an amazingly pretty town.
It has battlements used by Orson Welles when he filmed Othello.
It has a Breton crepe place with the best crepes in the world
And Dar Baba, a restaurant run by an Italian woman who moved to Essoiura in the 70's with food exactly like in Italy..

No mopeds or bicycles are allowed in the center of town - this is a pretty significant and glorious difference from Marrakech.
More photos tomorrow..........beaches.

10 comments:

My Castle in Spain said...

Hi Elizabeth !,
It's so nice to be back in the blogosphere and see your invite to an escape to Essaouira...I was absolutely delighted to see the 1st photo...Clear blue sky and the anticipation of what lies ahead..
I wonder if you're still in New York.
All the best. Lala

(I'll start posting again tomorrow. Paris was a little bit exhausting)

An Aesthete's Lament said...

Essaouria is utterly blissful. Except for that damned wind!

Elizabeth said...

Too, too true about the wind.
Once, at Sidi Kaouki, we thought our faces were being sandblasted.......had to give up altogether.
This year oddly, much less wind -or just lucky.

Tracy said...

Fantastic landscapes there...with so much open space though, I imagine the wind can be very fierce! Happy Days ((HUGS))

Unknown said...

What an evocative blog. I'd love to visit Morocco one day, the colours one sees in photographs always strike me as so enticing.

virtual nexus said...

You've really conjured up the feel of the trip to the sea with these shots;
not a part of the world that I know; but can imagine the light effects would be pretty fantastic.

virtual nexus said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
virtual nexus said...
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virtual nexus said...

Sorry about that - blogger on the blink!

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