After a lovely breakfast served by the jovial Zahira, we were off on foot for sightseeing. We headed back across the Djemaa and through the souks to find the Marrakech Museum, housed in Dar Mnebbi. Built in the early 20th century, it had fallen to neglect after Moroccan independence in 1956. It was restored in 1997 and is now home to some exhibits and a massive lamp in the main courtyard of the old hammam.
Around the corner we visited Ben Youssef Medersa a spectacular koranic school. We spent quite a bit of time reveling in the space, it’s architecture and design elements. Off of the main courtyard were two wings of dormitories. One of the rooms had some pieces set up to resemble what would have been there for the students when the school was active.
We wandered around a less touristy area for a while afterwards, taking in a more traditional Marrakech market street. Lots of vegetables on carts and clothing in piles on the side of the roadway.
We happened on a little cafe that had a misting system over the curbside seating. It was a welcome respite from the heat. We had a couscous and kefta dish that was good. Duygu enjoyed a french toddler named Alexander whose family sat down in front of us.
After lunch we tried to track down the Ensemble Artisenal, a state run school for traditional arts and crafts. We spent and increasingly maddening time following signs out of the souk. After getting turned around several times, we found someone who said it was close and was happy to take us to it. This turned out to a large shop named Ensemble Artisenal de Dar Es Salaam. Definitely not what we were looking for. We finally came across someone who understood what we were after and some kids nearby to help us find it. We bought them some cold Fanta along the way and they seemed happy. The Ensemble was super low key and welcome relief from the aggressiveness in the souk. Duygu looked a several jewelry shops but did not find anything that suited her.
We then trekked to the Majorelle Garden to catch it before closing. Originally the home of painter Jacques Majorelle, the house and grounds had been purchased by Yves Saint Laurent. His foundation now maintains the grounds and his personal collection of Berber textiles and jewelry is on exhibit in the house. The presentation and the materials on display were fantastic. A side room with jewelry was in subdued lighting and projection system that made a faux starry night sky on the mirrored walls.
The garden grounds were a nice and cool break from our hiking around. We stayed until just before closing. Duygu was hungry after we exited the gardens so we stopped at a little cafe nearby, Kaowa. It was an upscale place with a gallery and concept store attached. We enjoyed gazpacho, and watermelon and some coffee before they too closed for the evening.
We hiked back to the riad in the gathering dusk. On the way back we passed another riad with a sign for excursions out on the street. We spoke to a gentleman about getting to Telouet, an old ruin southeast of Marrakech. He explained some options and we told him we would think about it while we freshened up. After mulling over the options of a bus ride, shared taxi ride, or a private car, we decided a private car would be a good bet. We could go where we wanted for the day at our own pace, stopping wherever we liked to take photos along the way. We went back and organized the trip with Hassan, who promised that he would join us if he was not able to find an English speaking driver. We put down a deposit and arranged to meet at 7AM near the gate to our area of the Medina.
We then headed on to the Djemaa for another round of khoudenjal, the hot spiced drink.
