It has been a fairly uneventful week here in Morocco as we begin to settle in once again to our home. However, it is good to be back after just 5 weeks and to see the changes in the surrounding nature as well as to experience once again the lifestyle that beckons here. Wherever you look, there is greenery; the trees are laden with leaves, the fields are a vivid green (instead of parched as they were when we left in March), the crops are growing nicely and all around are signs of fertility. Whilst we endured 3 weeks of rain in the UK, Morocco's prayers for rain were answered and they too had torrential downpours, much to the farmers' delight! Now they will be able to earn a living from their abundant crops.
The sun is hot - an understatement! This past week we have experienced Moroccan summer temperatures, between 38 and 40 degrees centigrade/100 and 104 degrees fahrenheit. Locals say this is unseasonable weather - let's just hope the summer temperatures don't rise in proportion! Fortunately, we have bought 2 floor-standing fans which at least give us some refreshment with their recycled warm air...and in the evenings we sit on the deckchairs on the patio admiring the starry night sky, bats flying all around us, with the occasional glass of Domaine de Sahari gris in hand...well, it's got to be done, just too hot to sit indoors!
On Tuesday Said went to the market and brought us back some eggs - white ones, said to be the best eggs you can buy. They didn't arrive in a little cardboard box though as we would purchase them in the UK, these arrived in a small sack nestling on a bed of straw, which only served to add to their appeal. And indeed they taste as good as described!
Sitting reading my book on the patio on Thursday (as you do), I suddenly heard a great thud. So did the dogs. I hurried towards where the sound came from, dogs at my heels, only to find a large bird had banged into one of the glass windows and had bounced off, landing in the grass stunned. Chunky saw him at the same time as me and was keen to 'play' with this new object that dared to be in his garden. Fending him off, we allowed the bird some space to recuperate in the hope that it would just fly off...but half an hour later it was still there. Scooping it up in our hands gave the bird the shock/momentum it needed to get off the ground...and soon it was flying and landing in the nearest tree. Then it began to sing...and we realised that it is the cuckoo who has been charming us with its song over the last few days. Now it is singing to us again.
Found a lovely restaurant during the week called 'le jardin'. The clue is in the name - this is a restaurant located in the beautiful leafy garden of a seventeenth century house, which itself is located in the heart of the working medina. There are patios and private terraces where one can enjoy a meal overlooked only by huge shrubs and trees - and, joy of joys, escape the heat of the medina of Marrakech. And I can certainly recommend the salmon and spinach tart - beautiful!
Sunday morning we got up early to go to church in Marrakech as per usual, but this was to be no usual Sunday morning. Mart had his shower and whilst I had mine he took his towel into the courtyard to dry it in the sun on the airer. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a movement in the fountain which had long since been switched off. As he watched, a snake, at least 2 metres in length, slithered out of the fountain and hid behind the nearest plant pot. His day was made - ever since we got here he has wanted to see more wildlife, especially snakes and scorpions (yuk!) so now he proceeded to tear the plant apart to get a closer look. The snake dipped and dived but realised it had to get away from this madman who was chasing it with camera poised, so off it slithered...towards our bedroom door! Mart knew it was more than his life is worth to allow the snake into our bedroom when I am just stepping out of the shower...'Time to call Said,' he thought...very wisely! Said turned up, terror on his face, 'It's okay, Mr Martin, I will kill it' he shouted, whilst retreating. I had no idea what was going on, trying to dress myself hurriedly in the bedroom with all this commotion going on outside the door. After much banging, shouting, scurrying and splashing of water, Martin emerged to tell me the snake was dead. Said had kindly asked if Mrs Kathy wanted to see the slaughtered snake..er, I think not, thank you very much!
NB: Dreams/nightmares since then of snakes in my bedroom have been very vivid and the slightest noise wakes me up...shudder, shudder....
The sun is hot - an understatement! This past week we have experienced Moroccan summer temperatures, between 38 and 40 degrees centigrade/100 and 104 degrees fahrenheit. Locals say this is unseasonable weather - let's just hope the summer temperatures don't rise in proportion! Fortunately, we have bought 2 floor-standing fans which at least give us some refreshment with their recycled warm air...and in the evenings we sit on the deckchairs on the patio admiring the starry night sky, bats flying all around us, with the occasional glass of Domaine de Sahari gris in hand...well, it's got to be done, just too hot to sit indoors!
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| Mother and son come inside to escape the intense heat |
On Tuesday Said went to the market and brought us back some eggs - white ones, said to be the best eggs you can buy. They didn't arrive in a little cardboard box though as we would purchase them in the UK, these arrived in a small sack nestling on a bed of straw, which only served to add to their appeal. And indeed they taste as good as described!
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| Beautifully displayed white eggs |
Sitting reading my book on the patio on Thursday (as you do), I suddenly heard a great thud. So did the dogs. I hurried towards where the sound came from, dogs at my heels, only to find a large bird had banged into one of the glass windows and had bounced off, landing in the grass stunned. Chunky saw him at the same time as me and was keen to 'play' with this new object that dared to be in his garden. Fending him off, we allowed the bird some space to recuperate in the hope that it would just fly off...but half an hour later it was still there. Scooping it up in our hands gave the bird the shock/momentum it needed to get off the ground...and soon it was flying and landing in the nearest tree. Then it began to sing...and we realised that it is the cuckoo who has been charming us with its song over the last few days. Now it is singing to us again.
Found a lovely restaurant during the week called 'le jardin'. The clue is in the name - this is a restaurant located in the beautiful leafy garden of a seventeenth century house, which itself is located in the heart of the working medina. There are patios and private terraces where one can enjoy a meal overlooked only by huge shrubs and trees - and, joy of joys, escape the heat of the medina of Marrakech. And I can certainly recommend the salmon and spinach tart - beautiful!
Sunday morning we got up early to go to church in Marrakech as per usual, but this was to be no usual Sunday morning. Mart had his shower and whilst I had mine he took his towel into the courtyard to dry it in the sun on the airer. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a movement in the fountain which had long since been switched off. As he watched, a snake, at least 2 metres in length, slithered out of the fountain and hid behind the nearest plant pot. His day was made - ever since we got here he has wanted to see more wildlife, especially snakes and scorpions (yuk!) so now he proceeded to tear the plant apart to get a closer look. The snake dipped and dived but realised it had to get away from this madman who was chasing it with camera poised, so off it slithered...towards our bedroom door! Mart knew it was more than his life is worth to allow the snake into our bedroom when I am just stepping out of the shower...'Time to call Said,' he thought...very wisely! Said turned up, terror on his face, 'It's okay, Mr Martin, I will kill it' he shouted, whilst retreating. I had no idea what was going on, trying to dress myself hurriedly in the bedroom with all this commotion going on outside the door. After much banging, shouting, scurrying and splashing of water, Martin emerged to tell me the snake was dead. Said had kindly asked if Mrs Kathy wanted to see the slaughtered snake..er, I think not, thank you very much!
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| The slithering snake |
NB: Dreams/nightmares since then of snakes in my bedroom have been very vivid and the slightest noise wakes me up...shudder, shudder....
OMG! What more can I say Kathy? Sleep well!! Les.xx
ReplyDeleteSo I can't persuade you to visit us then, Les? :D
ReplyDelete