After our cooking class, I met up with Jewel and Tahar and headed back to the wonderful shop Amazonite: Antiquités Objets d'Arts. The owners sister Sabah had agreed to specially open her shop for us. What we had thought would be a relatively short (30 minutes or so) stop, turned into several hours as Jewel and I looked and tried on earrings, necklaces, bracelets as well as at a few more exquisite rugs. For my part, I helped keep the Moroccan economy and Amazonite's payroll strong by purchasing an incredible necklace from the tribe of southern Berbers and an Tuareg amulet (medicine) bag. Jewel also did her part . . . So long we'd been, Tehar was fast asleep, napping in the heat of the afternoon!
Stopping at Le Maison Arabe to pick up Gypsy, Tehar dropped us off at La Mamounia Hotel to tour the gardens, which were originally on the site of a residence that belonged to the son of the Alaouite sultan Sidi Mohammed in the 18th century. Many famous people have stayed here, including Alfred Hitchcock who wrote "The Birds" during his visit . . . in fact, the story was inspired by our next destination (Essaouira). While at LaMamounia we photographed, ate gelatos, and enjoyed refreshing cocktails in a piano bar. While the hotel is lovely — a blending of Art Deco and Moorish styles — and the grounds beautifully manicured, the staff while immaculately and gorgeously attired are impersonal. Over refreshing cocktails, we three agreed that the lovely intimacy and friendliness of the staff at La Maison Arabe was much more to our liking. For me, being greeted warmly each morning by the staff and welcomed at the end of the day by the bartender with a non-alcoholic concoction and asking what we did, how we enjoyed our day in Marrakech, and offering to make us a special cocktail tailored to how we are feeling . . . enhances my experience.
Stopping at Le Maison Arabe to pick up Gypsy, Tehar dropped us off at La Mamounia Hotel to tour the gardens, which were originally on the site of a residence that belonged to the son of the Alaouite sultan Sidi Mohammed in the 18th century. Many famous people have stayed here, including Alfred Hitchcock who wrote "The Birds" during his visit . . . in fact, the story was inspired by our next destination (Essaouira). While at LaMamounia we photographed, ate gelatos, and enjoyed refreshing cocktails in a piano bar. While the hotel is lovely — a blending of Art Deco and Moorish styles — and the grounds beautifully manicured, the staff while immaculately and gorgeously attired are impersonal. Over refreshing cocktails, we three agreed that the lovely intimacy and friendliness of the staff at La Maison Arabe was much more to our liking. For me, being greeted warmly each morning by the staff and welcomed at the end of the day by the bartender with a non-alcoholic concoction and asking what we did, how we enjoyed our day in Marrakech, and offering to make us a special cocktail tailored to how we are feeling . . . enhances my experience.
Afterwards, indulging Jewel's desire to experience the snake charmers, trained monkeys and crowds, Tehar took us to the main plaza in the medina. I must admit, my first impression of the plaza two-days ago did not change. It has a contrived, pseudo-authentic feel as hustlers working with the snake charmers, magicians, water carriers, etc. block your sight unless you pay up. Instead, I found interest and amusement in people-watching. Spying three good looking European men with an odd contraption — a long pole with eight SLR cameras taped to it — Gypsy and I went over to ask what they were doing. Why, taking 360-degree photos of the plaza. And then there were the guys who carried large plastic tarps that they opened in a relatively open space in the plaza to reveal clothes — scores of women descended upon them to check them out and make their purchases. There was also a woman and her young on selling several dozen rolls.
Having made the plaza "rounds," we were ready to head back to La Maison Arabe — but how? In our "democracy" the voice of "one" rules, and as Jewel was really keen on taking one of the horse drawn carriages back to our Riad, Gypsy and I agreed to go along so long as one with a "healthy" horse with a caring driver could be found. Easily, we each achieved our 10,000 steps that day as we circled around and around, and around and around the horse drawn carriages — saying "no thank you" to each driver that did his best to entice us into his carriage. In more than the time it would have taken us to walk back to our Riad, Jewel and Gypsy found us a suitable carriage . . . away we went. As the three of us piled into the carriage, I suggested to Jewel that she ride beside the driver to get the "full effect" — with delight, she did.
Back at La Maison Arabe, we enjoy our last dinner in the piano bar listening to ballad standards, sipping our favorite cocktails, and sharing a dinner of soup, tagine, meat, and dessert. Before heading off to pack and bed, our beloved bartender suggests a few photographs to remember our stay . . . see why I love La Maison Arabe?!?
Back at La Maison Arabe, we enjoy our last dinner in the piano bar listening to ballad standards, sipping our favorite cocktails, and sharing a dinner of soup, tagine, meat, and dessert. Before heading off to pack and bed, our beloved bartender suggests a few photographs to remember our stay . . . see why I love La Maison Arabe?!?