I’m a bit messed up on my days. The previous blog was a merging of Thursday and Friday. It doesn’t really matter, the essence is all there and so this is more merging of Friday breakfast and then Saturday. Any Gemini can follow this – right?
Friday (and each subsequent morning) morning we had gone down for breakfast in the courtyard where to Frank’s delight, we were served loads of BREADS. At least that is what my mind saw. First we were served some type of bubbly little crepe that was more like a very flat pancake with a firmness that might indicate there was some corn flour or masa in it. I couldn’t tell, but ate it anyway with a drizzle of honey from a platter that also contained a variety of jams, marmalades and some other type of fruit compote. Next came a basket of slices of an entire baguette, a plate of some type of biscuit and also a couple of pain du chocolat. (Chocolate croissant to Texans). Thankfully, we were also given some diced melon, fresh yogurt and a boiled egg. While Frank was rolling around in pastry Heaven I was really enjoying the delicious French Moroccan coffee. I did manage to snap a photo of part of our breakfast but it felt rude, so I didn’t capture everything as it was served in waves.
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| first round of breakfast before the coffee was even served |
We then went for a stroll to the suq to shop for what I call Turkish towels for the boat. I also wanted to return to the Mellah to buy some of the aromatic spices from there rather than from the main suq. The main suq was a bit frenzied for our taste, with vendors constantly beckoning, motorbikes buzzing up from behind us in the narrow passageways nearly running us down and the flies that gathered in cloudy masses around the pastry and spice stalls. I remarked to Frank that I’d rather buy the pure spice, not the ones containing the additional flavor of motorbike fumes, fly larvae and sweaty palm essence from the guy hand-scooping the products. Yep, that’s no exaggeration. So, we found our way to the wonderful little “Herboristerie Caravanserail” Chez Reda. In short, a young man named Reda ran this very clean and delightful spice market within a larger stall in the Mellah. I would recommend him to anyone shopping for fresh herbs and spices in Marrakech. He even mixed up his special version of Moroccan coffee beans for us. I also picked up some specially ordered goods for my friend Laura Pitt (Sabbatical III). We left very happy and then dove back into the main suq to source those towels. My shoppers ADD was really on overdrive in the main suq, so much that I could not focus on any one thing but Frank managed to channel me back from time to time. Mission accomplished, good prices negotiated, we returned to the riad to deposit our bounty with time to spare before our 1 PM Hammam appointment. It had felt good to walk off that 4,000-caloried breakfast.
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| Coming out of the Mellah |
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| main suq |
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| main suq |
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| sampling of hand made shoes |
The Heritage Spa was one of those highly recommended Hammams that was also referred to us by our riad. We were scheduled for a 2 ½ hour couples “Heritage Romance” package that included a 45 minute Hammam Detox (definitely need that!), a 1 hour massage followed by a facial for me and a foot massage for Frank. (I can just hear my friend Jerilyn guffawing and knee slapping over that!) I normally wouldn’t go into detail about something like this but for those who haven’t had a Hammam experience this is good information. My only previous had been in Kas, Turkey a few years ago – a girl’s day with sailing friends Laura and Jane. Our Turkish hammam was a bit different and a little cozier.
For the Moroccan experience, Frank and I started out relaxing in the comfy salon where we were served tea while a hostess described our service then asked us to choose our oils, scents and soap preferences. Following that we were moved to a dressing room where we stripped except for a little something to cover the nether regions and donned fluffy robes and white slippers and then directed to a dark, blue tiled room where we removed our robes and were told to each climb up onto a wet, very hot and very uncomfortable flat tiled L-shaped surface, feet touching from right angles. Frank got there first and promptly let out a WHOOP!, then jumped down, saying, “That’s HOT!” the two attendants sort of giggled but sprayed cooling water over the tiles until we could lie down without leaving scorched bits of skin stuck to the surface. Next we were lathered up with Argan oil mixed with another wonderful smelling component then scrubbed from head to toe with rough mitts. I was reminded of scaling a fish. When the first layer of skin was completely scrubbed off our fronts, we were unceremoniously flipped over to have the backsides removed. Painful indeed but we were told that we were being detoxed and our skin made fresh. Next came the power wash on both sides, flip flop again, that felt like sandblasting, before we were slathered in black gunk, flip flop again and left with a bottle of water each, lying on our backs to sweat. We lay there for a very long time until I literally thought I would pass out from the heat. I asked Frank if he was alive, and he said, “I think so. I wonder why the ceiling has that dome shape”. Was he going into delirium? I peered up and said that maybe it catches the heat and cycles it back down. We were beginning to think they had forgotten us. So far, we were struggling to find the romance in this. After another long while, I slithered down to the floor to try to pry the door open but it was very slippery. Eventually it came ajar enough that cool air began to seep into the room. When we both seriously thought our poor bodies could take no more of the heat and the painful slab, the door opened and a new assault began as the black gunk was power scrubbed off , our hair washed and we were rinsed like fish in the market. Finally, we were wrapped in the fluffy robes and led into a small lounge area laid with big cushions and pillows along the floor, and then served HOT Moroccan mint tea and sweets. We drank the tea, ate the sweets and then asked for water. After a short rest we were led away separately for our massages and subsequent treatments. Both of us reported back to each other afterward that those massages were sheer bliss, and not just because they followed the torture treatment of the hammam. I would return to this spa just for the massage in a heartbeat. It was better than any I’ve had in years. Frank said the same about his and also his foot massage. My facial was so relaxing I nearly fell asleep. The kicker to all of this is that the entire package for both of us cost 1700 DH. That’s $179.00!
We were so relaxed after the Hammam experience that we were really grateful we had booked dinner at the riad that night. We were the only guests for dinner. Because there is no restaurant here booking a day in advance is required. It felt so nice to enjoy a beautifully prepared meal in a quiet and lovely setting. We had no idea what was for dinner and were very pleased to be served a homemade chicken tagine accompanied by perfectly cooked fresh mixed vegetables, followed by a delicious homemade dessert that I cannot identify and of course, Moroccan mint tea.
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