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Showing posts from January, 2008

The Berber Trail - Marrakech Riding

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The fabulous Jenni from Sweden has opened a superb stables about 25k out of Marrakech on the Route de Fez. Its a little way out but really worth it for the fabulous scenery. There are a number of different rides, some around amazing mud villages. Jenni picked up perfect Moroccan dialect arabic in a year of being here. The trick, she only spoke to Moroccans originally during the initial build of the club. Her horses are top notch and impeccably trained, even though they are mainly stallions, nice as you don't ever get that out of control feeling, sometimes associated with stallions. Jenni drove the first horses all the way from Sweden with her father. They got stopped at customs with the horses for 10 days! Jayne and i ride with Jenni every Friday morning. At the moment it's very civilised riding as the weather is so wonderful. We drop the kids at school and head off down the Fez Road to her stables. In the summer you have to ride very early morning or late afternoon. A la

L'Heure Bleue - Essaouira

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I thought i'd share with you some photos i took of L'Heure Bleue a Relais and Chateaux Riad in Essaouira Medina. It has a wonderful roof terrace with pool. If i'm correct, the only guesthouse riad in Essaouira which does. What i think is truly fabulous is the little beach in a corner of the terrace where little people can make sandcastles while you sunbathe. What a fantastic idea, a woman after my own heart must have devised this. It even comes with minature table and chairs. Guesthouses are all about making life as easy as possible for the guest, this idea is a little gem. My photos are a bit misty because of the salty sea air on my lense. If you can't afford to stay at LHB, go for a lovely lunch instead as i did. You will not be disapointed. Looking down on the patio of this vaste riad you get a little idea of its proportions. It has been decorated in a colonial African style and is very charming. The bedrooms are very comfortable and elegant although a little more

A trip to Villa Maroc - Essaouira

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Beautiful sunset out of our bedroom window. Bar area for drinks. Off we went to Essaouira to have a look at the place with my folks, who were still thinking that a place by the sea for winter sun was a good idea. I really thought it was going to be cold as it can be very windy, so i made sure everyone took lots of jumpers. We were booked into Villa Maroc , just for 2 nights. I had heard a lot about the place over a number of years mainly from people i bumped into in London, after all it was one of the first, if not the first riad guesthouse in Essaouira Medina. The drive was great, blue skies , mountain ranges. We followed the snowy atlas the whole journey, they really are spectacular as i keep mentioning. I will never get tired of them. We arrived over the customary hill top and started our decent to the beach with shouts of 'i can see the sea' reminding me of my childhood all over again. This time though enjoying hearing the shouts of my daughter. Villa Maroc was really

Electronic Village: Our Alkebulan Journey: Morocco

Electronic Village: Our Alkebulan Journey: Morocco

Happy New Year Everyone

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Happy New Year to you all! thank you so much for reading my blog and sending me messages of encouragement. I hope 2008 is a year of good health and hapiness. Well we really did the celebration in style, champage and oysters from Oualidia. Oualidia is only 2.5 hours away and is a wonderful little bay where most importantly some excellent oyster beds are cultivated. Ostrea II drive their oysters all over Morocco so luckily we bought ours from the local cash and carry. We had to buy in bulk though which meant having them twice, a real hardship i can tell you. The first time natural the second time baked with cream and parmasan. Can you believe Marcus didn't eat oysters before he met me. He is now the fastest shucker in the west!! Our final spread before we really got going. Hope you all had a scrumptious meal too.

Oukaimenden - Skiing in Morocco

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I just thought i would share one of the most exciting experiences i have had in Morocco so far. If you love skiing like i do then you will understand the amazing revelation that from Marrakech in 1.5hours you can be gliding down a slope on virgin powder. The drive up to Oukaimenden is spectacular, every hairpin bend you take reveals a more breathtaking mountain scape . You are probably wondering where the photos of the ski resort with slopes are? well i'm sorry i have to tell you, when we arrived and i saw these boots, skis, lifts and beautiful snow i was off and that was the end of my photos for the day. At the end my mother said was that good? 'i said god i love Morocco, fancy living in a place where you can sunbathe in winter and then decide to go the next day for a ski and a really good lunch in a little snow lodge?? It was actually quite surreal. The journey back is equally spectacular passing pretty berber villages balancing on the side of mountains made out of