Moulay Bouzerktoun

Thinking of the mosque by the sea

and the beach

and blue boats

A New Book

There are all sorts of things I miss about Marrakesh....

the patient donkeys amongst them....

not to mention the brilliance of the colors ( here in the dyer's souk)

and the Jardin Majorelle.

Marrakesh has so much that is beautifully shabby-chic (here at the Bahia Palace).

I always like this photo taken on rue riad Zitouna Djedid of three generations....

I miss the mystery of evening coming on in the square. So I'm really looking forward to the arrival of Maryam's new book which just came out.

Maryam Montague. photo courtesy google images

I imagine a compendium of delights awaits within. Click here to see.

Cooincidences/Paula Wolfert

One of my great friends in Morocco has a farm in the verdant land heading towards the foothills of the Atlas Mountains.

Such magical countryside!

Here looking out of the enclosed garden of the house where I had the most delicious trid I have ever eaten. Anyway, in the depths of New York winter, I hear that I have missed the publication of Paula Wolfert's new book, The Food of Morocco and that Barbara's family are in it.......... gosh! (http://moroccomama.wordpress.com/)

I order it immediately.

So many happy memories and hopes for food to come!

Pink

I miss having roses all year long......

A Door in Kennaria

 A room in a friend's house beckons. The tile floor, the funny old chair with the star design, the curtain billowing so slightly in the breeze.
Next month, I think we will be there.....

Presents and a Wonderful Giveaway

Shopping in Marrakesh is always wonderful fun.'

You can pick up the little bowls with the calligraphy design in the souks. They come in lots of colors. The tiles are handmade by a craftsman whose workshop is between the rue riad Zitoune LaKadim and rue riad Zitoune djedid.

The painter Mortesi's shop is next to the mellah market.

 But since I'm in New York, I won't be able to pick up

 any of these treasures before Christmas.

Next best place for unusual and lovely presents and accessories from all round the world is  Novica's website with super women's silk scarves ( like the ones they sent me above)

and also men's accessories like cuff links and walking sticks. Leave a comment below and I'll put your name in a jar and pick a winner to receive a $100 gift certificate from Novica. Drawing next Saturday November 5th.

(Novica are also looking for people who would like to host parties featuring all their fascinating products. Go here to find out more details. 

Vanishing Marrakesh

Dusk falls over the big square which isn't square at all but sort of kite shaped.

In the early morning Djemma Elfna is almost deserted. At night it is exotic and strange.

There are snake charmers, food sellers and story tellers. Needless to say, I can't follow a tale in Deriga (the local dialect) though the rapt attention paid the teller of tales convinces me that I'm missing something wonderful. So  The Last Storytellers by Richard Hamilton came as a joy. There is a sweetness and a magic to these tales spiced with gruesomeness of Grimm and  the bawdiness of A Thousand and One Nights. The pure of heart mostly triumph as they should. Most of the stories were new to me and I gobbled the book up in one day. Highly recommended!

A blessed and joyful Ramadan to all our friends  in Marrakesh.

Traveling

When we next go to Morocco - probably next spring

we'll certainly goto Essouira --we've been there every year for the past thirteen year and it's always a wonderful blue oasis after the warmth of  Marrakesh.

The air is so clear and bright and the shadows so crisp.

Here in the Hotel Riad al Madina where we often stay

This is the corner of a friend's house in the old part of Marrakesh -such a typical chair!

And here the Jardin  Majorelle with their reflecting palms and little hidden frogs...

 and a bench to sit on in the dappled shade.  I'm counting the days.

Flights of Fancy

Reflecting recently on Marrakesh -really detailing everything a gardening

 friend needs to see -I decided that

the Jardin Majorelle comes pretty close to the top of the list

as does the Bahia Palace (jasmine in their garden)

and the delights of jumbled tile.

A lover of flowers should rush immediately to the Mellah market

 and ask for Said and fill wherever they're staying with roses. 

This last photo is from a roof garden with desert plantings

 ( like Crown of Thorns) - much more sensible really considering the climate.

Moroccan Tales/ Must Reads

Tomorrow Robert's art show opens in Chelsea, New York, which made me think back to his studio on Derb Djedid where these red people were painted -- all of them walking across Djemma Elfna.

The little house was a place where I did lots of writing --and reading too, so I'm really looking forward to reading The Last Storytellers: Tales from the Heart of Morocco,  a collection of traditional tales collected by Richard Hamilton which has just been published in England and will appear in the US in July. Update: A really terrific book. Reads just like Grimm's Fairy Tales. Wonderful stuff!

Must reads about Marrakesh include Peter Mayne's 1956 A Year in Marrakesh (Eland Press) and Leonora Peet's almost-impossible-to-track -down Women of Marrakesh which contains one of the most chilling stories I've ever read called "Couscous of the Dead".

Anyone setting out on the great adventure of owning a house in Morocco should read Tahir Shah's The Caliph's House --or read it anyway; it's stunningly good.
And if you haven't yet read The Arabian Nights, well, a treat in store.