Isabel's Book

For my birthday, Isabel made a book using images from this blog.

It must have taken her hours.

When I look at the pictures everything comes flooding back.

Such complicated patterns.

And chickens to boot.

Bahia Palace

DSCN3343, originally uploaded by schmidwix2.

Missing Marrakesh.

Fishing Boats/Moulay Bouzerktoun

Fishing Boats/Moulay Bouzerktoun, originally uploaded by schmidwix2.

Wish we were here instead of in the middle of a snow storm in New York

Blue Wall/Jardin Majorelle

Blue Wall/Jardin Majorelle, originally uploaded by schmidwix2.

Happy New Year.
Wishing you peace, happiness and prosperity
in 2009

Season's Greetings

Half a Christmas tree drawn in the sand at Essouira by the retreating tide.

A magical forest  -- also in the sand.

The fountain dressed up for the season.

Also my study window...........

ARGAN

Two more splendid images from Judy Sidonie Tillinger. Go to her blog magpie'sbeads.blogspot.com and click on all her wonderful Moroccan pictures. 

Argan trees, whose nuts give a most wonderful oil, grow on the coast of Morocco and almost nowhere else.  The oil is used both for cooking and as a beauty aid.

Here a woman sits with a traditional basket of argan nuts.

The argan tree is rather dull and unprepossessing -- a little bit like an olive to look at but not so pretty. Goats climb the trees, eat the nuts.........they pass through the goats.........

and voila!

Magic oil. 

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.

Judy Tillinger

The photographer, Judy Tillinger, contacted me when she read I was missing Marrakesh.

She sent me links to her astounding pictures. (Go to www.magpiesbeads.blogspot.com) and look on the right hand column.  There are lots of pictures there - Maryam has shown you some of them already.



I have chosen pictures of the south which is utterly beautiful. Here traditional drummers.

And camels - am spending today drawing camels for our Christmas card.......I can use this picture as a jumping off point......

Here a woman goes shopping in Marrakesh..........

Judy should make a book, a calander, anything.

I could look at her pictures for hours.

Memory

The pictures came out in the wrong order.

The first was meant to be last and so forth.

This is the problem with memories  -- we can't keep them in order.

Here is the tomb of the holy man at Moulay Bouzerktoun.

Another picture of the same.

Here is the 'big square' at night.

And a fountain in the Bahia Palace with colors reflected on it from lofty windows.

And here is derb Djedid, an alley leading deep into the heart of the medina.

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.