Morocco 2023: Marrakech & Essaouira
I'm torn between titles: "Better a little Morocco than no Morocco at all" or
"Making Peace with Marrakech".
If you like doors, cats, and rugs, this is the post for you!
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| Marrakech, 2023 |
Morocco is a special place to me. It was the country I visited my first time abroad. This was my third trip and I loved feeling more and more at ease with the experience of getting around. Everyone has different travel philosophies and I'm often asked about mine: "Why do you keep going back when there's so many other places in the world to see?" Do you really get to experience a place if you only go for two weeks, hit up tours and sightsee, run yourself ragged, and never go back?
The older I get, the less I want to see and the more I want to be. There is nothing more satisfying than having days with no itinerary (other than a rooftop breakfast and mint tea) and simply wandering.
the color combinations in Marrakech are dreamy
will this all fit into my luggage?
I'm fortunate because my buddy, Annie, has also fallen for frequenting Morocco and we've teamed up the past two trips. We're already talking about the next one.
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| Rooftop times in Essaouira |
Spring Break is only a week but is a great time weather-wise to go. Annie and I talked A LOT about cancelling because flights were really tough and it was such a short amount of time. Once we decided on the "Better a few days than none at all" mentality, things all fell into place.
along the walk to the Medina
The days were split between Essaouira and Marrakech. We really could spend the whole week in just one place.
Rooftop view from Penthouse Marrakech
Our crazy flights (7AM moved up to 6AM) at the end of our adventure prompted us to search for a stay in Gueliz, a newer part of Marrakech that is closer to the airport. It was a smart move and if it weren't for the crazy flights, we maybe wouldn't have ever found Faysal and Penthouse Marrakech.
the "new" 2016, I believe, Marrakech Airport is beautiful
Making Peace with Marrakech:
On my first trip to Marrakech in 2007, my head was spinning. First time abroad, everything felt like it was moving so fast because it was. Marrakech is a fast-paced place with whirling roundabouts, intense games of frogger with every crossing, scooters, cars, carts with produce in every direction...the thing is, those first time feelings were exactly the same on this trip but I arrived determined to find the joy and magic. And I did. Grateful to make new memories and will definitely go back for more someday!
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| My favorite alley |
Marrakech AirBnb: Penthouse Marrakech featuring Juliette & Amsterdam. Faysal and his team were incredible. Offering a welcome tea, gorgeous rooftop breakfasts, and directions and advice on anywhere we wanted to go. Faysal also has a team of drivers making transport from the airport a breeze.
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| Rooftop breakfast at Penthouse Marrakech |
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| Amsterdam & Juliette's afternoon nap The rooms were a great setup for two people or even two couples. Each room had its own bathroom, door to the patio, and sitting area. The common sitting area and kitchen were located in the center. There was an elevator making transporting bags a breeze. We got a kick out of Amsterdam riding the elevator with us! |
In Marrakech, Annie and I had the opportunity to tour Heritage Museum Marrakech, an antiques museum housed in a gorgeous 17th century riad. The museum is family owned and by happenstance, we met the family while rug shopping at Tairist in Essaouira in 2019. Maha and her mother are now based in Marrakech and we were thrilled to reconnect with them.
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| Heritage Museum Marrakech |
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original tile staircase at Heritage Museum Marrakech
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| Heritage Museum Marrakech Heritage Museum Marrakech provided a peaceful sanctuary from bustling medina. We learned about old farming equipment, tribal sewing techniques, jewelry and adornment, rug-making, and early ceramics and vessels. It is an impressive collection of Moroccan cultural artifacts and I highly recommend you add this museum to your list of stops when visiting Marrakech. |
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| Natalie, Annie, & Maha Another highlight was visiting LRNCE, a lifestyle brand based on Marrakech featuring handmade ceramics, textiles, home decor, clothing, and sandals.  LRNCE is located outside of the main area of Marrakech and we actually used the inDriver App (similar to Lyft) to find a driver. The app is new in Morocco but is causing conflict with the Taxi companies (heavily regulated) and inDriver (no regulation). Just like Lyft, we chose a driver with a lot of positive reviews and turns out, he was awesome. We had a great ride to LRNCE (about 25 minutes) and our driver was willing to wait for us while we shopped since the location is not in a tourist area and taxis are difficult to come by. That being said, LRNCE was definitely worth the adventure. For a brand I'd only followed online, everything was even more gorgeous in person. The visit took up part of the day so if you do decide to make the trek (and you should) give yourself enough travel time and make sure to have your driver agree on waiting for you. Marrakech: The Doors
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| first stop, orange juice |
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| these colors... |
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| The orange juice in Morocco is the best in the world. While I thought I got an early start, it wasn't quite early enough. Penthouse Marrakech was a good 30 minute walk to the medina so by the time I arrived, things were already moving. The daily commute was in full swing. My photos may appear peaceful but please know each photo was taken within seconds of me being knocked over by some sort of method of commuting!
 They call Marrakech the "Red City" because of the color of the clay used in the architecture. In the light, the entire city ranges from shades of pink to coral to orange to red. I experience shades I never knew existed. It is a dream color palette for any artist.  Our timing was off to visit some of the usual sites such as Le Jardin Majorelle. Ramadan started while we were in Marrakech and most stands and restaurants shut down early to give people time to celebrate with families. It was special to observe the anticipation of closing down early to celebrate with family. So, we'll just have to get back to Marrakech one day. On to Essaouira, our favorite seaside town... I can't forget to mention Brahmin Taxi Airport Service! We loved our drivers and Brahim was recommended to us by Youssef of Darna Design. We met Youssef at the Palm Springs Vintage Market and if you're in California, look up his festival schedule! Quick Disclaimer: Essaouira had more cats this season than I remembered. Cats everywhere. I love cats. If you don't appreciate their freedom and presence in every nook and cranny (and restaurant!!) then Essaouira may not be the place for you.  This man also loves cats - he also was thrilled we asked to take his photo!  And, it was kitten season!   Essaouira  Door to our beautiful Airbnb We loved our blue and white Essaouira AirBnb: Honey & Cinnamon Riad - absolutely beautiful and conveniently located near one of the gates of the Medina making it a breeze to get to.   Airbnb balconies and gorgeous tiled stairs Essaouira is a beautiful, laid back city and with only two full days here, we set our sights on wandering and taking in the beach at sunset. On our first wander, we encountered a lovely woman named Fatima. Fatima offered us a quick tour to all of her friend's shops and restaurants so we'd know where to go.  Fatima and Annie hanging out in a spice shop In the moment, our walk felt so natural. In retrospect, it seemed a little odd that a woman could just reroute herself on her way home to show two tourists around. In the end, she refused any sort of tip or offering. She truly seemed to want to show us the best of Essaouira and to help her friends. We walked past the shops she showed us several times and we were met with smiles and waves from the merchants. Our first evening in Essaouira was even warmer and friendlier than we remembered.  Sunset and live music  found a few treasures on the beach After spending some time at the beach taking in a gorgeous, picture perfect sunset, Annie and I wandered over to Triskala, a small, farm-to-table restaurant that is so fresh, the menus are written on chalkboards. This menu was SO fresh it even changed while we were waiting for our table. Triskala specializes in vegetarian and seafood specials making it the perfect spot in my book! Have to give Natailya of Drift Home Collection (an IG friend from Texas that has a shared love of Moroccan Rugs) a shout out for recommending Triskala and a number of other spots we enjoyed!   This pic is from the SECOND time we ate at Triskala, absolutely incredible  dinner with kitties at Adwak Our other dinner was at Restaurant Adwak, a great spot for traditional Moroccan dishes. This kitty was hoping I'd share my fish tagine. Essaouira: The Doors Looking back, I think my door obsession started sometime during my first trip to Morocco. Essaouira's doors are some of my all time favorites. The blues, the way the paint chips, the way they're worn over time, the layers, it all tells a story and I could stare at them forever.
  lots of kitty photobombs  so grand and the perfect color combo My favorite door over time
I'm not sure I've found the right words but seeing this door again and how it has faded and worn felt like the perfect symbol for the time that has passed.  so.many.doors Another amazing reason to visit Essaouira is to go rug shopping. Tairist, the shop we visited in 2019, was transforming into a gallery (we got a sneak peek!) and if you're in Essaouira, be sure to check it out! We visited Bazar Mehdi - same family as Tairist, and had a blast sipping mint tea and rug shopping. One small problem was we saved rug shopping for our last day and that made decision making difficult. I typically am good at making decisions but with rugs, I like to sleep on it. Every rug is truly a handcrafted work of art. I felt a little panicked because let's face it, you can't go home and think and measure again. It could be years before I get back! I had my sights set on finding a more traditional Beni Ourain for the living room and thought that'd be easy enough. Bazar Mehdi specializes in vintage rugs as well as new.  How do you even begin to choose?!  Aziz was a rockstar and so patient with us. We applauded as he unveiled each rug!  After much debate, Annie gave this 1960s boujad stunner a home  I was worried it was a little small but it was so fluffy and cozy, I couldn't resist  Vintage (90s) Beni Ourain from Bazar Mehdi - lines are indigo instead of black Considering layering it with a jute rug...what do you think?  And then Aziz showed me this rug...Love at first sight
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Yes, there's a great big world out there to explore but I'll always return to Morocco.
Next time, who's coming with me?
Thanks for reading,
Natalie
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