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MARRAKESH ou Marrakech, la VILLE ROUGE et LA VILLE des ROSES. THE PINK CITY by the Atlas Mountains, Maghreb. Predominant flower is the rose. All buildings painted pink. A world class city of over a million inhabitants, dating from the year 1062, it is bustling with life day and night. Colors, flowers, roses, people and traffic – cars, donkey carts, everything. It is mind boggling how much life is here. A treasure trove of culture with its old mosques, gardens, parks and palaces. It also has the largest open market square in the Maghreb, the Djemaa-el-Fna. [Jamaa el Fna (Arabic: ساحة جامع الفناء jâmiʻ al-fanâʼ]. And its large number of Riads – court yard mansions in its bustling Medina – walled old city with Souks and market squares. The Riads, some dating back to the 11th century, were originally family homes, now converted to guesthouses, cafes or private spas.

In March 2012 I spent one month in Marrakesh, in the 4-star hotel Dellarosa, R Moulay el Hassan. Booked through a travel agency in Europe, with return flight, and two daily meals.

Why Marrakesh ? Moi, j’aime le Maghreb et la culture Arabe. Having spent already five weeks in Tunesia in 1973, and in 2012 a return visit for one entire month in a Hammamet resort by the Golfe/Gulf of d’Hammamet, Tunisia. (s.a. LA TUNISIE – my other post).

Unfortunately, seven days into my Morocco visit I had a bad accident, I stumbled in the street and fell hard onto the beautiful pink stone sidewalk, thereby among others twisting my foot and fracture my left foot. My plans had been, to take the train for a day trip to Casablanca, and also Fez. During that first week I only made it by bus to Essaouria, the Atlantic Coast. Images below  together with the delicious Tajine I had there. Myself I cook a Maroccan tajine in my own tajine earthenware in Canada. [A tajine or tagine(Arabic: طاجين tajin from the Persian: تابه‎ tabe[1]) is a historically Berber[2] dish from North Africa that is named after the special earthenware pot in which it is cooked] – see collage below:

Trip to Essaouria, Atlantic; les tajines

Polyclinique du Sud, Centre de Radiologie du Sud, Rue Ibn Aicha, Gueliz, was my best choice for professional medical treatment. After my X-rays, I was treated by an Orthopaedic Surgeon, who taped up my foot. Nothing else could be done at this point. With taxi trips back and forth, I also got a set of crutches, and I had wheel chair service. How lucky I was, not to have broken my hip. At home in British Columbia, I would not see an Orthopaedic Surgeon, only the Emergency room in the local hospital. Well, there was my one month, spending three weeks inside the Hotel. I managed to take a taxi cab twice at least for a visit to the famous Jardin Majorelle (Yves Saint Laurent’s creation), and the Palais Bahia. [videos inserted]. And shorten my journeys, to quickly fly back to Canada for treatment of a big blood clot in my leg, result of that fracture.

There are fantastic train connections to all the larger cities, for example Casablanca only costs €20 return from Marrakesh.

Marrakech 002