Morocco

I am back from my travelling adventures half way across the world.  San Francisco to Paris to Marrakech to Fez and all the way back home.  My bags are overflowing and my brain is on overload with the visuals.  All I could think about while turning each corner: how was it that I had not been to Morocco sooner in my life?  And just how soon could I start planning a return trip?

Morocco had always been one of the top places on my travel list.   The trip finally came to due to the Design Leadership Network, which holds an annual conference in which design professionals meet to discuss the state of the design industry.  So when Marrakech was announced as the location for this three-day conference, I had my tickets booked in seconds.   Since I was going to already be in Marrakech, I figured it would be just a perfect opportunity to plan an extended holiday and invited some friends to join in the fun.

The people of Morocco couldn’t have been any nicer on the whole trip.  So welcoming and hospitable.  Sharing their stories and culture with me, making me feel like I was one of the family.  Moroccan tiles, colors, foods and culture are forever in my memory. 

Some of the highlights included a traditional Moroccan spa therapy (a hamman - a wonderful bathing and steaming experience- where you lay on a hot marble slab and are scrubbed down (and I mean scrubbed) with warm soapy suds, orange water, and massaged with rose oil.)  I saw some of the most memorable sights just walking down the maze of alleys (with no street signs!), getting completely lost (part of the adventure, right?), where the most beautiful tile work could be around the next corner.  and there was every smell you could imagine –some wonderful, and some the most horrific, unsavory smells imaginable!  Endless haggling with the colorful vendors, trying to score a bargain over a cup of the sweetest mint tea.  The call to prayer, Arabic mixed with French, dried apricots, beautiful lanterns. Senses are heightened, every twist and turn makes you want to savor each moment and take it all in. 

In the next weeks, I am going to be sharing some of my experiences. from the riad (a private house containing a central courtyard) that I rented, to Moroccan cooking (and my newfound love of the Moroccan tagine, which will be on the dinner party list for the upcoming months for sure), pounds of herbs and spices packed in my suitcases, stunning monuments and hotels, my shopping adventures including 16 (yes 16!) rugs, and naturally a few shots of door knockers. 

Hang on for the ride, Definitely the trip of a lifetime.