Djemma ElFna at Night

At night Djemma ElFna, the big square --  which isn't really square at all -- is turned into a giant barbecue where you can eat meat and fish and eggs and vegetables and buy dried fruit and drink orange juice.

The air is filled with smoke and the delicious smells of cooking.

When you have eaten, you can see all the entertainers and magicians and snake charmers. 

How empty the square is in the morning when the pavement is newly washed and few people are up.

Such a difference between night and day!

Ismail's Mom's Chicken and Olive Tagine

A tagine is an absolutely delicious sort of Moroccan stew.
This one was made by Ismail's mother. The base is chicken breast to which all sorts of fresh vegetables like zucchini and potato are added.
Then spices and olives.....yum.
Cooked almost all day, very slowly, on a very low heat.
To be served with flat bread and salad.
This tagine was made in our neighborhood and each tagine is a little different.
For excellent Moroccan recipes go here. 

Moulay Bouzerktoun

In Moulay Bouzerktoun some 25 k. north of Essouira,

the mosque overlooks the beach and the Atlantic.

High on the cliff, there is a little cafe where you can watch the tide encroaching and retreating...

and see the traditional fishing boats. The amazing blue  is used on the boats and also many of the doors and window frames in this part of Morocco. I don't think it has a particular name but someone may well correct me.
One of my favorite Atlantic beaches in the world.

Mimi on the Landing

It's difficult to try to explain the house to anyone not familiar to Morocco. Unlike most houses in Europe and the US, there are few, if any, exterior windows --everything opens on to a courtyard.
This is Mimi on the landing outside our bedroom by the fragrant jasmine bush.

This is outside Robert's studio looking down into the courtyard.

Pomegranates on the roof. The colors of the fruits are lovely against the traditional tiles.

This is the little 'salon,' or sitting room, downstairs. The chair was made by a man on Derb Dabachi, the cushion covers up by the Mellah market. The rug is very old and from the Middle Atlas. It is hard to find black and white rugs --most often the rugs are much more brightly colored.
The tiles are new since the old ones were quite worn out.
The room is looking pretty neat, so Ghizlain must have tidied it up. There are no windows at all.

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.

The Studio

Robert's studio on the second floor. You can see the very traditional, hand painted doors and the old tiles. The chair was made just a few hundred yards up the street.

The painting on the wall is of people walking across Djemma Elfna.

The railing goes round the courtyard and the little plant struggles in the heat.

Blue Wall in the Jardin Majorelle

The light casts wonderful shadows on the wall of the blue-painted villa.
For lots more pictures and details of this magic garden go here .

Donkeys

The donkey waits patiently in the derb. He will eat anything given the chance. His harness made up of all sorts of things.
When I asked what the donkey's name was I was told just donkey --not Neddy or Fleur or anything - because he has a job rather than being a pet.
Robert made a full size painting of a donkey we saw in Djemma Elfna.

Fountain in Derb Djedid

Fountain in Derb Djedid, originally uploaded by schmidwix2.

This little fountain in the courtyard is always decorated with flowers.
The ivy climbs well and clings on to the tadelakt.
Above the fountain is a Berber tent peg that Ira gave us.

Three Generations

Three Generations, originally uploaded by schmidwix2.

Taken on rue riad zitoune
djedid. One of the more charming back streets where I walked almost every day on my way to the fruit market. 

The old men are watching the world go by.

The young man is working, and the little boy is in a great hurry.

Anyone interested in everyday life in Marrakesh should scroll around on the blog and even go back in time.

My friend Maryam has a much more wonderful, glamorous and exciting Marrakech blog here