Having completed our pre-adventure regime in Brighton, UK, we were ready to embark on our Moroccon meanderings.
Settling in to a roof top room in a very comfortable Riad located within the Medina in Marrakech, we were well prepared for whatever came our way.

Day 1 and it was off on a slow paced walking tour of the Marrakech Medina with our guide. Early morning (9:00am) and the temp was quite mild, mid 20s which was a very pleasant surprise. Interspersed with a visit to a spice shop where they were grinding Argan seeds to make Moroccan oil, a hands on lesson for Jean in making a Berber carpet and a blissful interlude in the Secret Garden, we negotiated the endless lanes and passageways of the souks with ease, save for the endless procession of kamikaze motorbike riders, donkey carts and barrows, all of whom make Italian drivers look sedate.
By 1:00 the temp was now around 35C, so it was back to our hotel for a lunch and a siesta.
With nothing left to do other than eat, we did just that at a wonderful restaurant called La Maison Arabe. As the sun set, the air was filled
with the Adhan, (the call to prayer) and the heat of the day gaves way to a cool breeze, making eating all the more enjoyable. I’ll let the accompanying photos tell the rest of the story.

Day 2 and we set off into the Medina on our own, that is to say without a guide. We were certainly not alone although it was far from crowded. We negotiated the souks to the central square which was filled with snake charmers, monkeys and an assortment of tourist photo opportunities, all for a price of course. Another relaxing lunch in a restaurant overlooking the square and it was back to the hotel for a rest before dinner.

Marrakech has been an eye opener. The people incredibly polite and softly spoken, not at all hassling all seemingly going in every direction all at once. Even my schoolboy French seemed to surface without too much trouble.
Tomorrow it’s off to Essaouira, a smaller town on the coast, and no doubt, a little cooler.