For enthusiasts of highly summarised words and pictures, the itinerary is shown below, followed by links to the photo albums, which contain over 200 items of eye candy, such as this one:
Below is a scan of the itinerary, which we arranged through Steppes East:
Below are the two photo albums (just over 100 photos each) on Flickr:
…[until] false start when Travel Link turned up a day early to take us home!
This is a favourite travel agent cock up story of mine. There we were, having been touring rigorously for best part of two weeks, enjoying a blissful relaxing morning on our last day of holiday – looking forward to a well posh dinner I had booked for us at La Mamounia for our end of tour celebration, when an agent turned up and cajoled us poolside, “you need to leave straight away for your flight or else you’ll miss it”.
This incident was only 18 months after my own genuine flight cock up, when returning from Germany after Michael’s wedding. But surely, so soon after such an error, I couldn’t have erred by a whole day. I rushed up to the room and got our travel documents out of the safe.
This must have been the agent’s error, not ours. Phew.
The young woman was extremely apologetic and reassured us several times (including leaving a message when she got back to the office) that the error was all theirs and that they would return the next morning to collect us, as arranged.
Reverting to Plan A – a very light lunch, poolside, at Le Tichka
Dinner at La Mamounia was well posh and great fun. I think the music got a bit tedious for us after a while, but still we ate extremely well and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. An excellent way to round off a wonderful holiday.
Rose quite late. Cloudy morning, so changed plans re touring.
As part of our changing plans we delicately asked the concierge to find us a gentler guide who might take us to shops with less pushy merchants. I think the geezer listened.
Got excellent guide Moulay – went to see Ben Youssef Madrasa…
Janie & Moulay at the Ben Youssef Madrasa
…and the Saadian Tombs [see headline photo & below]…
…then back into medina proper, where we got some nice clothes for Janie at last and admired expensive antique shops.
Lunch at hotel, then restful afternoon by pool.
Super evening at restaurant Yacout – palatial surroundings and so much food and wine! Moroccan salads, chicken with olives, lamb tajine (we rejected a couscous dish) and pastilla au lait and almonds.
Rose, quite late – faffed around in morning re-changing room and spoilt films etc before lunch.
I don’t really remember the specific room-changing incident at Le Tichka, but in those days we did quite often end up changing rooms, as anything that didn’t meet Janie’s very high standards of room quality would get rejected.
The problem with film was probably film getting stuck in my old Zenith EM, which i think I largely solved by unsticking and changing the film in a changing bag, which i would always carry with me in those days. Photographer’s son blah blah.
…to Jardin Majorelle [see headline picture and below]- saw gardens and small museum …
…then on to souks a look around – photographs and protracted negotiations over beautiful tajine dishes.
Yes, we both remember that souk/shopping trip well. Janie indeed got some beautiful tajine dishes which she still cherishes, but a little bit of our souls were left behind in the Marrakesh souk. The merchants were so pushy and we sensed that our guide, Abdul Jalil II (see above) was taking us to his personal choice of pushy, high-commission merchants. Both Janie and I had a headache by the end of that shopping trip.
Then after dark [we] wandered around to Djemaa El Fna for a while.
Back to hotel for dinner (Janie – brochettes, me – pastilla pigeon.)
Set out very early for Essaouira – Janie did all the driving because I’m a cripple – via Marrakesh, where my directions were spot on, but the traffic cop didn’t want to know!
Essaouira was very pretty – we went into the craft shop area – bought some wood pieces – then went to see Villa Maroc – (stunning) and main harbour squares (Orson Welles!) Etc
Then Chez Sam at end of harbour for a fabulous seabass lunch…
…then back to Marrakesh – said goodbye to Noddy, the Renault 9.
Checked into Le Tichka & had a restful evening, including super Moroccan meal at hotel Johara restaurant (Janie had chicken tajine, me – brochettes).
Went into town quite early – fended off countless touts to be alone – bought painting.
Got a bit lost, but then found souk – I bought sandals, Janie bought the baboushes [slippers], then got bored with touts. Found ourselves a horse and carriage lad who had kept looking out for us and got him to take us round the ramparts, and then back to the souk (Berber part, then Arab part) where Janie, bought raffia.
I haggle hard & one [merchant] offered 6000 camels for Janie (previous best offer – 4000 camels).
Then home for relaxing afternoon on fab terrace.
Realised we needed extra baggage for our purchases. The result was to return to souk quickly (with tout). Naturally no touts were to be found, but shunned souk shopkeeper from earlier grabbed us and sorted out great leather holdall and more sandals & baboushes dead cheap!
Home to change and dinner at oh so snooty La Gazelle Dor (méchoui). Adam (manager, so OTT, it’s untrue). Great meal at £50 plus tip all in better than I expected.
Taroudant as seen from our original Palais Salaam room
Left early. Drove from Ouarzazate To Taroudant – uneventful drive, 300 km.
Arrived at lunchtime Palais Salam – super place. Terrace in room. [See headline photo] Took light lunch of Moroccan delights, minced lamb samosa type and liver tajine – superb.
Relaxed on Terrace and afternoon – dined on pre-arranged pigeon tajine in evening – delicious.
Tucking in to tajine (above) and sweetmeats (below)
Went to bed early to relax, but earlier “have you farted?” sulphurous smell pervaded and after several comedy sketch attempts by plumber with no sense of smell, [we] got upgraded to a magnificent suite.
Headed off quite early – visited Dadès Gorges – went in as far as car will sensibly go – attractive.
Drove through relatively hassle free villages…
The reference to “relatively hassle-free villages” was actually a throw back to the previous day, when we had encountered several instances of “little treasures” finding it amusing to throw stones and pebbles at our car as we passed through their villages on the Erfoud to Tineghir run.
…then drove out to Ouarzazate – arrived at hotel, nice and early – relaxed around pool.
Rested in room and unexceptional dinner in overflow room at Riad Salam, with monotonous music and interesting Irish journalists.
I don’t think we were wild about that hotel, with the “interesting Irish journalists” being the only highlight. We didn’t photograph the place at all.
