In 2014, I packed up my 5D Mark III and a selection of lenses and headed off to Marrakech to see this ancient North African city of bazaars, mosques and modernity.

Sights & Culture

Ali Ben-Youssef Madrasa

Following the exploration of the museum, I stopped in on the Ali Ben-Youssef Madrasa; a centre for Islamic learning, and like all locations for studying theology it seems, it is beautifully crafted.

Place du 16 Novembre

It became obvious how exhausted I had been due to the hours I had been working when I slept for 11 hours straight through.

I totally missed breakfast and there was only an hour and a half left on lunch at the hotel!

I camped out by the pool in the shade with my guidebooks to try and decide what to do for the rest of the holiday whilst I had some food and a soft drink. The hotel, it turned out, was dry, as is not uncommon in this Muslim country.

Having had some food, and made some decisions on where I wanted to head off to, I left the hotel with my bag slung over my shoulder.

One thing I noticed very quickly was that there was often rubbish stuffed into the nooks and crannies of trees. It’s very peculiar.

Not far from my hotel, I found a large square full of modern shops and restaurants, which I later found out is “place du 16 Novembre” which is one of the main shopping points of Marrakesh's New Town, where I was staying. I stopped, hoping for a cold beer against the hot weather, but the café only served sorbet. Not a bad compromise really.

I continued to explore, finding a ubiquitous Starbucks and having a bit of an explore of a large shopping mall on the main street. Taxis were helpful to the point of obnoxiousness, as they keep slowing down, beeping, asking if I needed directions, a lift or help. Tourists walking seems to be an unusual situation.

Marrakesh has cats everywhere. I'd not call them wild, as they are quite tame, but I'm not convinced that they are really domestic either.

It is not hard to find a mosque in Marrakesh, they are almost everywhere, but I did find the mosque Hassan II, near the central square.

Koutoubia Mosque

I headed down to the Koutoubia Mosque, one of the most famous buildings in Marrakesh.

Having seen the sights, I found a little bar overlooking the mosque which did not feel the need to hide the drinking of alcohol and settled in there for a drink.

Djemaa el-Fna

Exiting the Souk into Djemaa El-Fna Square, I saw the storytellers, pipe players and monkey keeping abusers starting to gather for the evening’s business in the central square between the Koutoubia Mosque and the Souks.

I also saw one of the Berbers and managed to capture him without him seeing me, as they insist on payment if they even think you've taken their photo.

Having been walking around in the hot sun for a few hours by this point, I stopped in a café on the square for a local Mint Tea.

Mint tea is taken very seriously in Morocco; generally served in a silver teapot, there is a ritual to its preparation that will be covered in later chapters. The cups are small and glass and generally the tea is taken heavily sweetened by rough cut clumps of sugar. Despite the heat of the beverage, it is a refreshing choice and a relaxing one.

Bahia palace

From one palais to another, I headed to the Bahia palace; set back in a grove of orange trees, it is the work of master craftsmen.

The inlays and ceilings are amazing, but through it all, there is an unfortunate sense of decay, as if it is not receiving the care it really needs.

A location preserved for tourists rather than something preserved because of a recognition of its intrinsic cultural value.

Badi Palais

I then headed into the Badi Palais, a ruin, used for concerts, and housing the MMPT, the Moroccan Museum of Photography's overspill gallery.

The palais itself has the remnants of faded glory.

It also has storks. Lots of them.

Saadian Tombs

I then moved on to the Saadian Tombs, which were something of a disappointment. Though at 10 MD to get in, a cheap one.

Spoilt perhaps by the ancient chambers of Luxor, or the deep caves of Malta, a small garden with some gold inlaid rooms was a letdown.

I also query if it can truly be a tomb if it is both above ground and open to the world. It is surely a graveyard at that point?

Souks

I then decided to brave the Souks for the first time on this holiday, with my intent to work my way through them to the Museé du Marrakesh.

I ended up having to give a boy 20 MD after he 'showed' me the final two streets I needed to take to get to the museum, despite telling him I wasn't interested.

I was later 'assisted' quickly, but a gentleman named Abdul, who was not, he said immediately a guide.

He was a shop owner and did I want to see his shop?

As soon as it was clear to him that I did not want to see his shop, especially as I did not slow down each time he stopped to point at how good a particular vendor was, he gave up and pointed me generally in the correct direction for the square.

I, however, had other ideas when I spotted the sign for Café des Epices, which is known for its views over the Medina and of the potion sellers hawking their wares in the market below called Rahba Kedima. These 'apothecaries' sell homoeopathic 'medicine' and spells to gullible locals and tourists alike.

After having another mint tea, a habit I seemed to be developing at this point, I headed back into the Souks.

Museums & Galleries

Museé du Marrakesh

The museé is in an impressive setting, though the collection itself is quite limited.

The light in the central courtyard is haunting, however.

Parks & Gardens

Cyberpark

After food, I headed straight down to the 16 Novembre plaza and carried on walking. I intended to visit the CyberPark, but chose the wrong route, and so ended up walking all around the outside of its walls.

Having become a little bored with the unrelieved terracotta walls as a view, I decided to cut through what appeared to be a hotel. Once again, I found that confidence makes all the difference as I strode through the gate and past the security guard and into what appeared to be a small park, but was in fact Royal accommodation.

It goes to show, don't look like you are unsure and you can walk through the equivalent of Sandringham Palace gardens with a big backpack...

After looping through the Royal residence, I found the famous Cyberpark. Where locals use kiosks in the gardens to access the Internet. The park itself isn’t as impressive as you'd expect, partly due to the climate. The main focus has been the dichotomy between the plants and the technology, rather than really creating a beautiful space.

Whilst sitting, I ended up speaking to a random man, who, due to my beard, called me Ali Baba all the time. When pressed for more personal details, I gave the name of James and lied about my hotel location and name.

It started well, he recommended parks and other interesting locations but ended sordidly when he told me to go to McDonald’s after 9 pm to pick up a prostitute and tell me the hotel I had done it so I didn't get robbed...

Depressing, but a strangely apt location, treating people as a fast disposable commodity.

Majorelle Gardens

I walked down to the Majorelle Gardens, stopping just outside at the Red Inn for a Moroccan influenced Chicken Panini.

From there, it was a simple walk to the Majorelle Gardens, once owned by famed painter Jaques Majorelle, before being bought by Yves St. Lauren.

The garden is a masterwork of light and shade. Greens and browns are punctuated by bright flowers and brighter structures.

There is also a central reflection pool, though not everyone is reflecting.

In a shaded courtyard, a café serving mint tea is a wonderful, though expensive, place to unwind.

Restaurants & Bars

Grande Café de la Poste

From there, I kept walking until I found the famous Grande Café de la Poste. It has a very colonial feel, with wicker outdoor furniture in an enclosed seating area, with cool water mist sprayed from the ceiling. It was here I was finally able to have the beer I'd been craving since lunchtime.

An interesting fact, it is discouraged from drinking, or from serving alcohol if you are in the line of sight of a mosque. Naturally, in a city as heavily dotted by mosques as Marrakesh, this could cause issues, if not for the enterprising nature of man when it comes to getting drunk.

The Grande Café de la Poste solved this particular social constraint by having thick blinds on the edge of the outside seating area blocking the view in that direction and hiding the mosque. Ingenious!

BISTRO

Feeling hungry, I headed to a Bistro for a trio of small tenderloin steaks each with their own sauce, a heavenly cheese board and a rather good local wine.

I ended the evening with a few draft beers by the pint.

Starbucks

Scatted throughout the city you’ll find Starbucks. Much the same as a Starbucks anywhere.

Ice Cream in Place du 16 Novembre

A small cafe in Place du 16 Novembre offers a lovely sorbet on a hot day.

Cheese Me

A restaurant focusing on varieties of cheese and wine.

Sports & Activities

l'maison d'Arab

I headed back out to some of the side streets to find one of the earliest Ryadds, l'maison d'Arab.

It is one of the most famous hotels in Marrakesh and was one of the first independent Moroccan restaurants.

I found it finally after passing by Marrakesh's own Apple Store.

I booked in at l'maison d'Arab for one of their world-famous cooking lessons and then carried on walking through the side streets before leaving the old town by one of the Rampart Gates.

The following day, we were taken by minibus to a country club where the Moroccan cooking lessons were taught.

First we were shown how to bake bread.

We then partook in Mint Tea. You add the leaves and gunpowder tea to the pot and save the first glass.

The second is discarded and the first added back into the pot. This enhances the flavour of the tea. It is then served, often with ritual and a great distance between the cup and the pot.

After our tea, we went to the amazing cooking stations, complete with video monitors showing close-ups of what the chef was preparing.

Our instructors were, Wafa, the Maitre'd and translator. Dada the chef and Fatima the assistant.

We were taken through the process of how to cook a Chicken & Preserved Lemon Tagine with two kinds of salad.

I was told by quite a few people on the course that I'd obviously spent a lot of time cooking. I chose to take it as a compliment rather than them calling me fat....

The location for the course is lovely, with the garden decorated primarily by homegrown herbs. Including wormwood.

After they finished cooking, we ate our prepared meals and were awarded our own tagine and diploma. As the day was only just beginning, finding a way to transport the tagine without having to return to the hotel was a challenge, but I finally fit it in my bag, with the assumption I'd be carrying my camera all day...

We initially returned to l'maison d'Arab and though it was only 3pm at this point I retired to the colonial and cosy Jazz Bar for a very nice Single Malt.

Marrakech