Sunday, June 29, 2008

Shadow Shot Sunday



These pictures are for Shadow Shot Sunday hosted by Hey Harriet in Australia.
That's the glory of the web - we can getin touch with people from all over the world.
Anyway, this week I'm utterly cheating. The pictures are all by our daughter Claudia Schmid who is a much better photographer than I am.
The first picture is looking up from the courtyard to the sky in the little house on derb Djedid.



No need for a clothes dryer in Morocco. You just hang stuff on the roof and it's dry in about ten minutes.



A rather cool little building by the beach in Essouira.

Friday, June 27, 2008

The Virtual Teaparty Moroccan Style


Vanessa of A Fanciful Twist is hosting a virtual tea party!
So these are odd left over pictures from Morocco that fit the theme!



First mint tea - which is always poured into glasses not cups.......
Then lots of fruit and flowers to decorate the table.........


Cake!!, originally uploaded by schmidwix2.




But most of all you need CAKE.
This is a picture of a New Year's Cake found for sale on derb Dabachi.
I'm afraid it's rather over the top.
really the little tiny 'patisserie marocaine' - the ones with the nuts are nicer.
Hooray for sugar shock.
Enjoy!
Some pictures of a party tea table in New York, where I am now can be found here.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

White Walls/Essouira



I went to Cabacurl's comment and thence to the post and discovered it was "W" day........
Care of Mrs.Nesbitt's.......I will try to add a link.




and discovered these white walls from Essouira that I haven't posted before..........



So it's alliterative "white wall Wednesday"

Monday, June 23, 2008

Metal Doors


Most doors in Morocco are wooden and ancient.
More up-to-date people have gone with metal.



These can be customized and painted to suit. these first two on derb elArsa off Kennaria.


I can't remember where this one was.



This tunnel leads toward Kennaria......which leads towards the square and, eventually, to.................an airplane to



NEW YORK where we can be found looking around in this blog.
elizabeth-aboutnewyork.blogspot.com

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Cyber Park


IMG_0760.JPG, originally uploaded by schmidwix2.

Cyber Park is between the medina and the new town.
A lovely oasis of shady walks.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Even More Windows



I'm not sure why I have an obsession with the bus station..........
However, as bus stations go, this is a pretty nice one.



Note the fig tree and the hibiscus.



The villa at the Jardin Majorelle - definitely full-on BLUE.



Blue and yellow at Essouira...........



.......as is this rather alarming still life of wires. Oddly, the electricity manages to work most of the time.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Some Leftover Windows



At the Bahia Palace.
Almost all windows in Morocco have window grilles on them - both decorative and practical.



In Gueliz wonderful cool, airy rooms at the cafe which has a beer garden.



Blue shutters, dappled shadows.



The window above the door to a mosque on the road that leads from the souks to Mouassine.
These are in need of restoration.



A decorative grill on a window passed when we walked from Douar Groaur to rue riad Zitoun Djedid.



There is colored glass inside. I wonder what reflections are cast?

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Missing Pink



I miss the pink walls.
This first door off Kennaria.



The second a hotel just behind cafe France that I'm not 100% sure I would want to stay in..........



I like the tiny window with the plant in up above........

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Hats in the Hall



You need a selection of hats in Marrakech - the sun would burn the top of your head.
Here an impressive collection belonging to an elegant friend of ours.
Note the pointy toed slippers below.



A staircase decorated with that Majorelle blue and lanterns.



And light falling on the upstairs landing.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Hidden Gardens



Altogether too many street scenes and interiors.
In a city one craves green. The gardens of the Bahia Palace are both are wonderfully messy and well tended at the same time.
The outer garden, just after you come in the main gate, has wildflowers and coryopsis.......



and lots of bamboo sheltering a water cistern.......


and bananas and oleander and a giant fig tree - the biggest I have ever seen in the world.



The very furthest garden, a long way into the palace is first viewed through a metal grille..........



and tended by a group of young women who remind me of 19th Century French genre paintings. They smile and move aside for me to take photos when I really would like to take pictures of them.
There are cats in this garden, well fed and friendly. There is lots of water too.
It reminds me of a cloister garden with tile and marble paths and several fountains.
Here there are geraniums and bougenvillia and more bananas.
In early spring there was one lone narcissus.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Derb Dabachi


Derb Dabachi is rather a gritty street that leads north away from Place Djemma Elfna.
Here rather modest dress shops sit beneath satellite dishes.



Outside the dress shop on the corner of Derb Djedid, a young boy sweeps the street while the figures in the glass case seem to wait quietly with their hands folded........



This is the window of the local pharmacy where I got our prescriptions filled.
The people in the pharmacy were very friendly and charming.
I like the picture of the arteries and the veins.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Shadows



These photos are for Shadow Shot Sunday - a very good idea of Hey Harriet's from Australia. Go to her blog for more details.
The first picture is of Ollie about to go up on to the roof - except the ancient roof cat Mr.B is already there.......you can only see his shadow!



The second two pictures are from the terrace at Riad Al Madina in Essouira.



Such crisp, sharp light.



The last two are from the Jardin Majorelle where Yves St. Laurent's ashes were scattered last week.
I can't think of a more lovely place to haunt with the colors and the birds and things growing.
You can see the shadows of the bamboo on the wall.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Susie's Sitting Room



A fireplace, chess, potpourri.
A quiet oasis from the bustle of the medina.



A quirky painting of an old 'bab" - city gate.



More lovely smells in a bowl - dried leaves of the roses which are so abundant here.



Cushions all lined up just so........and the metal lights which cast pretty shadows.
Marrakech is a lot about light in all sorts of ways.



And lounging in bed reading in a quiet colored room at the Riad Villa elArsa one of the prettiest places to stay in all of Marrakech.