The 4 hr drive down to Essaouria from Marrakech was through county that went from seemingly barren and rocky fields to acres of olives, grapes, wheat and melons. The contrast was amazing. The Moroccan oil, Agran, is a speciality and is used in cooking and when scented, for cosmetics and medicinal purposes. More on this in a few days. One of the additives is eucalyptus oil and it was surprising to see plantations of gum trees. Essaouria is a layback beachside t...

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...