Awake around 7 am.
Ian caught two mosquitos.
9am Minibuses arrived to take us on the Marrakech tour.
First stop was the 'Jardin Majorelle'. Eve St. Laurent's Garden.
Oh, I was out of this world and could have stayed in the garden all day....and then not wanted to have left it. Took hundreds of photos but none can really capture the magical atmosphere.
It was, too soon, all over and we were back in the mini bus and on to The 'Saadian Tombs' housed in a beautiful 500 year old building. Lovely Carrara marble columns. Very poignant were the small children's tombs.
The tombs date back to the time of Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur (1578-1603 CE) but weren’t actually discovered until 1917.
Approximately sixty members of the Saadi Dynasty – who originated in the Draa River valley – lay buried here among them, interred in the mausoleum, is Ahmad al-Mansur and his family.
Outside the mausoleum are the graves of the soldiers and servants.
Back in the minibus we were off to visit the Royal Bahia Palace.
The palace was built principally by Bou Ahmed, a powerful vizier to the royal court in the 1890s.
The walls are decorated in traditional Moroccan zelije tiling, with sculpted stucco and carved cedarwood doors and ceilings. The fireplace on your left as you enter is quite impressive too. The palace includes extensive quarters that housed Bou Ahmed's four wives and twenty-four concubines.
The gardens are full of Seville Oranges, planted originally for their exceptionally sweet perfume.
Also planted for their perfume were the Brugmansias, the stamens from which, the guide informed us, is made a blood pressure reducing tea.
Then we walked...to the Cafe 'Al Badia', to the top floor and refreshed ourselves with delicious mint tea and a small cake. Quite close to us were the old town walls and turrets on which the storks had built their huge nests. Fascinating to see the storks flying around, standing on one leg, or mating.
The roof terrace where we were siting in the shade had lovely old wrought iron work around the perimeter.
Soon, we were back on the street where we walked...and walked and walked at a fairly fast pace so no time for loitering at shop windows or for stopping to shop, as we were fearful of losing the guide or the group.
Suddenly, we were into the Souk and just as I was getting seriously hot and bothered, we stopped at a Spice/Herbal Shop. "Huile de Rosa". So surprising and quite refreshing.
We were given a talk by the chemist, for want of a better name, who knew his amazing products inside out. Sample pots of oils, creams and spices were handed around and it became a case of 'must have' to the tune of 600 dirhams but no regrets. The neck and shoulder massage for just 20 dirhams was the best value ever.
Out on the street again we walked...back to the mini bus via Jemaa el Fna Square. The bus was very late and the sun very hot.
A better way to see the sights
We took in the 'Marjane' supermarket on the way back arriving at the camp simply exhausted at 4.00pm.
The intention had been to return to the Medina for the evening but..... it was all too much for one day.
A tuna omlette sufficed and an early night.
No mosquitos tonight.
