Cats/Part II

On the whole, Moroccan cats are pretty fortunate.

They get to wander around at will and get petted by everyone.

They tend to be both handsome -- and noisy. They call out to catch your attention.

They assume they are welcome in shops --here a blanket seller in Essouira.

and kittens outside a ceramics shop in the same town.

How nicely the white cat contrasts with the blue door!

A sensible choice of venue: underneath a fishing boat.....

At the rug seller's again.

In the inner garden of the Bahia Palace......

and little kitties just hanging out in Essouira.

Most of these photos were taken in Essouira one of the places you
must visit while on your Moroccan holidays!

Cats/ Morocco Edition Part I

Sindibad, the monarch of all he surveys, now lives a very pampered life

 but was born in the vegetable market in Djemma El Fna.

This elegant young lady is our Mimi reincarnated -- the same multicolored fur and up-slanted eyes.

Taking a nap in Gueliz in a planter with bamboo.

Taking a nap in the old part of town in a nice cardboard box.

Waiting for her babies to arrive in a nice sunny spot in Essouira.....

This mother-to-be was photographed in exactly the same meat market where Sindibad

 (in the top picure) was born. May her kittens be just as handsome.

A Marrakshi Cat

Photo courtesy of a good friend who also makes Marrakshi cat calendars.

This looks a pretty typical kitty who likes to keep abreast of world events.

Some Creatures I Miss

When I think back to Marrakesh, I miss our animals terribly.
Here Mimi and Ollie take a nap.



Before Eid el Kabir (the big holiday) a ram goes for a ride in a cart.



A handsome donkey right by our house on derb Djedid




Camels on the beach at Essouria.



Ollie in awe of the shadow of Mr.B king of the roof cats.

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.

Dar Mimoun/ Lucky House

Dar Mimoun is just off rue riad Zitoune LaKadime.
We often take people who are visiting there.
The menu has stayed pretty much the same for a long time.
I didn't put in what we ate when I first made this post, but since several people asked, I have added it in a comment below!



We have been going there for the last ten years, during which time there have been continual 'improvements' - lots of new decorations and so forth.



This opulent gold fountain is very special indeed.
Luckily there have been no structural changes.
It is a wonderful house set round a courtyard full of fruit trees.
A guinea fowl sometimes wanders there - and skinny cats always do.



These white curtains to one of the salons are new.
I'm not sure who the portrait is of - it looks a little like Simon Bolivar - but it couldn't possible be him, could it?
George V graces another room.



The decorative lights outlining the door add a touch of.............



I like the light shining through the colored glass.
I'm not sure where this room leads to.

Updates on various things.
1. The Post Office renovations proceed slowly.
2. They have painted the tree cages in the little park by the bus stop a tasteful, unobtrusive dark green. They were more fun light green.
3. The taxi drivers have been sent on some sort of course. They now ALL have meters. And use them. They are all being amazingly polite!
In the past only some were wonderful...
4. Ghislan laughed when she saw the cats. She said the mother wasn't as pretty as Mimi.
She said the kittens weren't as pretty as Mimi's and locked them in the downstairs lavatory while she cleaned up.

The Looking Glass

People tend to be kind to the cats and often put down food for them. Good pickings today in the metal workers' square.



The fish bones here almost look like cartoon ones - if you can see them clearly enough.

DSCN1758, originally uploaded by schmidwix2.

In the square of the metal workers, where they cut glass to suit - and where all the bits of glass for above the doorways came from -my attention was caught by this large mirror with palm tree motifs.

There are always lots of kittens here - as well as lots of bits of metal and slivers of glass. I worry that the kittens will cut their paws but somehow they don't seem to.

The Great Cat Food Shortage of '08 and Problems with Clocks

We were up in Gueliz doing errands - searching for cat food and an alarm clock that could be relied upon..
Most Moroccans feed their cats scraps and they seem to do fine. Our pampered beasts have acquired a taste for Whiskas but the supply seems to have run out.
It is not to be had anywhere. Not at Marjane or Acima ( the supermarkets outside the medina). People are emailing and telephoning each other in search of Whiskas sightings. Things often run out here - mustard, for example, and no one is quite sure when they will reappear.
You just have to buy a lot of something if you like it because you never know.......
So, the cats will have to get used to bit of left over chicken - with the bones removed.



These next two pictures have nothing to do with anything particularly, except it's odd to see European snow scenes in Morocco.



I think these were done some time ago. They look a little sad and tired.
We liked the sign for the "Expert" below.



Gueliz is full of quirky things ........but it was not full of alarm clocks. The first shop we asked had one shaped like a football.
Then we found and bought a digital one at the stationary store that we can't work out how to set. (It woke me up at 1:30 am).
Perhaps the "Expert" would know where to find another alarm clock since none were to be had at the supermarket.



Eventually, we found a small, old, clock shop. The one Robert liked best was center top shelf. Halloween colors black and orange. However, when the batteries were put in, it didn't work. Neither did its red and yellow twin - both made in China, I think. So we had to settle for a tame little blue one. The shop owned returned the orange and black clock to the window.
There were lots of old watches in cases and antique cuckoo clocks on the walls.
The reason we bought two alarm clocks is we have to get up at 4:30 am to go on a trip soon and we can't trust the batteries or the clocks. I haven't the least idea if you can get a wake-up call from Maroc Telecom - you probably can but I'm not sure how to ask for it..
Ismail, who has a cell phone, will have to be relied upon in the end.