Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Laundry





Laundry in Morocco may be picturesque --see the photos by our daughter Claudia Schmid -- but it is also boring and time consuming.


Since we don't have a washing machine I have a trusty blue bucket instead, and a wooden paddle to stir things with. I soak things in the bucket, scrub the grubby bits, rinse things a lot – since the water is so full of minerals it’s hard to get the scum out, then wring the wretched things by hand and carry them up two long flights of stairs. Dryers exist here, but most people, like us, merely haul everything up to the roof. To be honest, I don’t attempt loads of sheets – we take them to the laundry proper.





Pegs seem to be considered rather a frill -- how much easier it is to just throw things on the wall, where everything, including blue jeans, dries almost at once.


Of course, sometimes things float off into one's neighbor's courtyard and they may or may not reappear.



All in all, washing machines are very good inventions.

37 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm in love with your blog.

I was just talking to my hubby about out 10 years goal to buy a house in Marroco...

beautiful pictures...

www.natassialeas.com

NC17 said...

Nice color juxtaposition.

Green Stone said...

Great pictures! At least things dry quickly, eh?

Hazel Nut said...

I love the the photos you have here, beautiful!

Beth said...

Wow, no washing machine...I can never complain about doing laundry anymore.

Nice photos, thanks for sharing.

One Woman's Thoughts said...

I understand that laundry day at your home is quite an undertaking. The photos are lovely. It reminds me of doing laundry with my mother years ago with a wringer washer that always broke doen and hanging the clothes out to dry. They were wrinkled stiff and smelled wonderful. Thank you for stirring a memory.

ISmail Ali said...

That is the natural way to dry clothes, hahah, but i think Marrakesh has great weather. Did you like the way the clothes displayed

Plum Pretty Sugar said...

Stunning!

Go ahead Please said...

Do they like blue a lot?

Is their any reason?

Blue is a beautiful color

Deep blue is moroccan color?

Thank you

Ola said...

This is beautiful because the sky has an amazing color!

SAM said...

gosh those laundry pictures reminds me of my summers in morocco, lucky you! you're in the best country in the world right now.
I love your blog, makes me feel like I'm in morocco.
keep it up!

Velva said...

The photos are stunning. What a great blog that you have here. Thanks for sharing.

Merisi said...

Doing all laundry by hand is a heavy chore, poor you!
I do love hanging clothes outside to dry, though. Unfortunately not possible here in the city.

precious said...

nice shots

Mers said...

I wondered how laundry was done in the Moroccan cities after seeing the laundry set up of interconnected concrete basins in Chefchaouen but didn't see anything like it anywhere else.

The photos are lovely. :)

the "L" spot said...

wow that really makes me value my washer and dryer!!!

Barrie said...

I can see an interesting story in the line about laundry blowing over to the neighbors and only sometimes finding its way home. very fun post!

Léia A. M. Pierucci said...

I liked all the pictures of the clothes understood and could feel the wind on them ...

ViewStream said...

Wow Very Nice Picture, I would like to visit this place.

Shop my closet 365 said...

Your photos are a visual feast!

Anonymous said...

When my daughter was a baby, we didn't have a washing machine. She also wore cloth diapers. (I was young and so so idealistic). We soon caved and got one though, and I've never looked back.

Lilly said...

Amazing photos. The colours are incredible. And so is living without a washing machine.

pilgrimchick said...

I completely hear the "boring and time consuming" thing on the laundry.

Soul said...

It's not very diferent from the laundry in the country in Portugal, long ropes full of clothing with all the colors, it's very beautiful.

Irish Cream said...

i love the beautiful pictures!!! very nice colours... ^^

Anonymous said...

the pictures of laundry are absolutely beautiful.

Huero's World said...

Wow!!! your laundry blog and pictures gave me a flashback of my country Guatemala. Clothing hanging all day on washing days. No washing machine only a stone built bucket and a piece of hard soap to rub on the pieces. My hands used to get blisters and bleed after jeans washing. I lived in a small house that had 3 floors to get to the roof and it was kind of embarrasing that your cloth could be seen by other neighboors. It look like a multicolor flag. When winter time. You will hear people yelling... is rainning!!!! and without warming up, you had to be ready to go up around 30 steps up to the roof and without hesitation grab all cloth your arms could hold in a 30 second competition. What a memory.

Ultirian said...

Hay nice bright vivid coulors very good use of light :) Do you think you could take pictures of food stuffs?

tispio help said...

very nice photography you have done.
I am taken away by the place that you are.
It's just amazing!

Anonymous said...

I'm in love with your blog.

I was just talking to my hubby about out 10 years goal to buy a house in Marroco...

beautiful pictures...

Professora Lu said...

I loved this photografie... I love this culture...
Lu

Professora Lu said...

I loved this photografie... I love this culture...
Lu

Carly said...

I loved these pics of the laundry hanging. I know it's probably a hassle, but there is something so nostalgic about it... reminds me of helping my grandma when I was little!

Jocy said...

Gorgeous.

Unknown said...

the cat photos are some of the best cat photos I ever saw. Totally beautiful.

adina löf said...

really liked the picture about laundry =) beautiful colours.

Holly Rainey said...

hello there, thanks for sharing about your life in Marrakesh. It is always interesting to hear other people's story. My daughter and I are coming to Marrakesh in June to meet up with my older daughter who is doing work in a village in the Atlas'. I have been thinking about the best way for me to have some laundry done while we are there, or a way to do our own. We are staying at a hotel, but those prices are usually so rediculous. I saw you reference taking sheets out for laundry. Could you help direct me a bit? Thanks again for your great blog!
Holly R