Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Courtyard/Dining Room from Above


Painted doors, window grilles, cut plaster work..........








We often used to eat in the courtyard which was open to the sky. Our dining room furniture was all made locally. The table was inlaid with all sorts of little natural pieces of tile in basically pinks with little tinges of green.
Another picture of the courtyard with traditional tile and the chairs which were made down the road on derb Dabachi. 

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Collage/ Memory



Such fun making this collage:

Top Row. Left to Right: A painting by Motisi whose little shop is up by the Mellah Market, an urn at the Jardin Majorelle, hats in an Englishman's Hall, wall of the villa at the Jardin Majorelle

2nd Row. Left to Right: fishing boats at Moulay Boukerktoun, pavilion and bamboo at the Jardin Majorelle, gray door in the medina, our fountain in the courtyard

3rd Row. L to R: Donkey in derb djedid, the barrage outside Marrakesh, getting on the bus at djemma elfna, the beach at Moulay Boukerktoun

4th Row L to R: pomegranates on the roof, more Jardin Majorelle, kittens sleeping rue riad zitoune l'kadim, Ismail's mom's chicken and olive tagine.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

More Essouira


Thursday, June 17, 2010

A Snack for the Birds




Before we had Mimi and all the cats, Robert used to feed
the little birds on the roof.........
note the really traditional color of the paint.


Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Pavillion/Jardin Majorelle



Such amazing shadows cast by the bamboo on this little pavilion in the Jardin Majorelle.



Thursday, May 27, 2010

A Peaceful Nap




How wonderfully color coordinated these friends are!



And here are Blinky, Ollie, Mondo -- and their mother's tail.
Nothing so much fun as jumping in and out of a basket!

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Blue Doors/Essouira




Moulay Bouzerktoun is a small village about 25km north of Essouira.
Unlike in Marrakesh where the walls are pinkish, on the coast here the houses
are mostly white and the doors are blue. 



 In Essouira itself.


More of the same......


and even more....

Monday, May 10, 2010

Jamie Oliver and the Famous Butcher


I was recently staying with my daughter who often visited us in Marrakesh.
She said I must watch the English chef  Jamie Oliver's programme on Channel 4
"Jamie Oliver does Marrakesh"  (April 10th 2010)
There, lo and behold, was our friendly butcher from the Mellah market.
It was such fun seeing such a cheery and upbeat program celebrating Moroccan food.
Do watch it if you can and if you enjoy eating...........

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Madrassa Ben Youseff




     photo by Robert Schmid
The central courtyard seen from two different angles.
What a wonderful place this must have been to study and meditate.











Saturday, May 1, 2010

Just outside our Door




Musicians often wander playing music in the derb.  Here is one right outside our house.


His music is haunting and lovely.


This shot was taken very early in the morning when few people are about. 
I think this man is on his way to the mosque.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Afternoon on Derb Djedid




Such warm and lovely colors in the women's clothes.

Friday, April 23, 2010

A Very Blue Sky





Looking up from the courtyard...........you can just see the very smallest part of the olive tree on the roof.


On a much cloudier day looking upwards........... 


and a view from the roof itself. So much time spent studying the sky and enjoying the light.
In the evenings the swifts would circle eating mosquitos and then later the bats would swoop down--then one would know it was supper time.


Sunday, April 18, 2010

The Beach at Diabat



Dunes and the Atlantic Ocean just south of Essouira.


A good place for surfing and a camel ride on the sand.

A good place for sandcastles and pondering mortality.
Jimi Hendrix supposedly wrote "Castles in the Sand" here.


Our little castle is swirled away by the tide.....

Monday, April 12, 2010

In the Souks/Suqs




A suq/souk is really just a shop. In Marrakesh there is a whole area
where lots of little shops are all clustered together.
In fact it's a sort of labyrinth of delights.


Many of the little lanes have wood slats in the roof to prevent the sun shining too brightly
and creating wonderful shadows.


So very many different things to see and buy! Jewels and pottery
and metalwork and tea glasses and scarves and baskets......


...but best of all leather slippers that Alladin or Princess Jasmine would envy
in every color and design under the sun......

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Buying Food




Larkspur and roses early in the morning at the covered market near the metalworkers' square.


The butcher was happy to pose in his shop. His turkey sausages are delicious.



My favorite place to buy fruit and vegetables.
It's all astoundingly fresh and plentiful.


You can buy chickens there too and rabbits and fish.


Lots of the stalls have hand-painted signs.


Here the light shines through the slats onto the workers' bikes and mopeds. 

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Light at the Jardin Majorelle



You should go to the Jardin Majorelle early in the morning before the crowds get there....



The gardeners will have just washed the paths



and the reflections are amazingly beautiful.
There are little frogs in the ponds  who may pop out onto lily pads.




The colors never cease to amaze me.




Everywhere you looks is magical.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Spring Rabbits




Rabbits are a symbol of spring.
These ones in the Moroccan countryside seem pretty happy
eating marigolds.

Below are Lilies in the hall in front of the camel bone mirror.




Thursday, April 1, 2010

In the Bahia Palace




The courtyard garden is reflected in the window glass.
Inside the room are more painted doors.
Magic.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Light Falling on Marble




How prettily the light falls through the colored glass
on the marble bowl
and the inlaid tile at the Bahia Palace.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Getting on the Bus





This family must be off to some family party because the little boy is wearing a very smart tarboosh (hat).
The bus stop is beside Djemma ElFna and incredibly busy.