Porto Santo, Madeiran Archipelago. 18th November 2010

We arrived at the Marina early afternoon ready for a nice cup of tea.  After mooring we checked in with the customs and marina office then settled into clearing away after the trip.  Sonia at the office had recommended a local restaurant who would also provide transport to & from our evening meal.  Such hospitality was accepted and we set a time of 7.30.  The chap who drove was also the proprietor and chef and he did us proud. Tired bunnies we then crashed out for the night.
  Early on Thursday we walked the 3 km into town and had a coffee on the way. Next stop the tourist office from where we got the local map and sights to see. We decided to do some shopping at Pingo Doce  and then get a taxi for a tour of the Island.  The groceries loaded we set off for a very pleasant couple of hours with a semi happy older taxi driver (Eric) who pointed out all the main highlights.
   Porto Santo is the smallest of the inhabited islands of the Madeiran Archipelago just under 500 miles from Rabat, Morocco.  It was first discovered  in 1418 by Portuguese fishermen.  The Island boasts 9 km of fine golden sandy beaches and crystalline waters.  The calciferous seawater is a pull for health freaks and a selling point for health holidays.  As our driver told us most of the new housing in evidence is in fact holiday homes for  people from Madeira who see the benefit of a private Island as a weekend getaway in the height of the tourist season.  Madeira it seems has no sandy beaches of its own.
   Our first sight was the Discovery Monument better known as the Soap Log.  An impressive four square  edifice with each of its sides showing scenes alluding to the discoveries made during the life of Prince Henry.
    The taxi tour began with a climb over the mountainous ridge heading roughly north towards Pico Castelo  We stopped frequently to admire the barren landscape and tremendous vistas

 We were constantly spotting birds of prey soaring above us.  There are only two farmers left on the island so it seems that the birds have a free ‘run’ of rabbits and other small mammals. Next a yellow outcrop of clay smeared the mountainside, but, sadly there are no potters nor artisans to use it.
   Winding our way to the west from Camacha, we journeyed to Pico de Castilo , where, a small fort  was built during the 16th Century.  Mainly to ward off French attacks and Algerian pirates.  Today the belvedere forms an outstanding view of  Porto Santo.  It has a well landscaped picnic area too. Onwards and down to the  Fonte da Areia - natural freshwater springs .  Once a spouting flow of water came through, however, nowadays it is but a small trickle.  Of course it had stories of both medicinal and holy nature attached.  More eye-catching were the sand blown cliffs through which it percolated.
We continued past the modern airport back towards the immense beach and up again to Pico das Flores another view  of the island and out to westwards a glimpse of Desertas and Madeira Islands.
We retraced our track back to the main road and continued to the most southerly point overlooking Ilhéu de Baixo ou da Cal , an even more remote island with its only inhabitants –the birds.  This was almost the end of our tour, save for the return though Cidade Vila Baleira with Eric (our driver) pointing out all the holiday homes, including that of the President who shares the road to the Marina with fuel storage tanks for the airport and a modern power station, he of course has prime real estate facing the beach and sea!
   By now we were very hungry so, after paying and thanking Eric we ate our picnic lunch in comfort ‘al fresco’ aboard Piano …...with a cool beer!
 

Ourika Valley Day 3

First a walk to the meeting place where the Grand Taxi could navigate the tiny alleys-then we were off through thick rush hour traffic and onto the open road to the Ourika Valley. Just 60 km or so but the second 30 km were along country lanes and so the speed was much less since the taxi driver was trying to keep it in good condition.  We stopped a couple of times to take pictures but each time we were accosted by hawkers selling jewellery etc which would have meant bartering (and we are not into that ).Included in the itinerary was a stop at a working mill. It was run by diverting water in a very simple fashion and produced sufficient for the local population who brought there own grain and had it ground to whichever grade they wanted (from powder to couscous) . The miller spoke good English and showed us the living accommodation adjoining the mill. Here his wife and baby daughter were sitting by the fire .  We also saw the well stocked larder  bedrooms and a small garden looking out onto the land he farms with all his crops. I guess he was self sufficient he certainly looked a happy chappy.
  By complete contrast we next stopped at Co-operative Feminine Tiguemine Argan. They ran a small industry from the harvest of Arcan trees.  These are ancient trees with nuts rather similar to Acorns. The tree is specially adapted to dry desert soils found in the North of Morocco.  When the harvest comes in the ladies crack the outer shell with a stone (by hand) the seed gets broken to almond like flakes husks are used as animal feed. The flakes are then ground to a paste again by hand and the liquor drained off. It is then mixed with water when the oil separates and can be poured off and the remaining mash used for making soap.  In short nothing is wasted!  The various parts are then the raw materials for production of an impressive line of goods.  We tasted Arcan oil (30E /300 ml) Arcan mixed with honey (jam) and Arcan with oranges (marmalade). The oil has a delicate flavour when compared to Olive oil and no wonder it is so expensive when it takes 60 Kg of nuts to make 1L of oil BY HAND!  Other products are soap hand cream shampoo etc etc the list is extensive.  Well out of our price range but we did buy a token bottle of oil for Salad dressings.
Finally we arrived at our destination the Setti Fatma.  Here the going was especially slow due to all the tourists arriving in Taxis and mini vans. The area was flooded in 1995 and is presently being rebuilt so you can imagine the chaos.  No matter we were introduced to our guide Mascan who also spoke fair English.  He then led us up a trail into the mountain to reach a waterfall.  Here the towns co-operative have the monopoly on all goods.  Wherever there is space there is a ‘shop’. One owner told us that all the items are made in the town and are therefore much cheaper than in Marrakech (Ha?).  We continued quite a strenuous climb upward.  Mascan had said my sandals were suitable but I would rather have been wearing my walking boots! He always gave me a helping hand on the more tricky parts which was sweet of him.  Once at the waterfall we had a rest and our picture taken since that was what everybody else was doing and we didn’t want to disappoint our guide. We began our descent and stopped for goodies .It was a feelgood factor to purchase from this gentle co-operative where ,yes there was sales pressure but not the same kind as in the Marrakech souks.  We had certainly paid over the odds because once we had paid the shop owner offered me a free bracelet ! After the climb down our guide asked us if we wanted to see the rest of the village we said maybe after lunch.
  Lunch was down by the waterside and very tasty.   Served in a Tajine  I had tiny meatballs in a spicy rich tomato sauce.  Malcolm had a Tajine of Lemon chicken (he left the olives).   By the time we were replete we realized that after the drive back to town we would only just make the train home.  We gave the village a miss.
 
The train was waiting at the station and left on time.  Unfortunately we had a few unlisted stops but generally made up the missed time. Arrived back aboard ‘Piano’ who had been well behaved while we were away and was pleased to see us again.

As I write we have been waiting for a slot to make passage for Madeira, Malcolm is not happy about the big swell which is forecast as we arrive so we look to be here for some time yet...

Marrakech Day 2

After an early Moroccan breakfast (French continental) we walked to the Majorelle Gardens  named after the creator James Majorelle. These are 12 acres of superb
botanical gardens. They were subsequently owned by Y St Laurent so didn’t have the same volume of visitors as now. This I think is why it is all in such spectacular condition.  There are already signs of ‘wear’ which are evident in other Tourist hotspots around.  Anyway , the light was not conducive to my poor photography techniques so I hope you get the flavour.
  We then took a petit taxi to the Menara Gardens this is more a public open space. To be enjoyed by Moroccans at the weekend for picnics etc. A wide Boulevard led to the entrance, where there were a few token Camels available for rides. We did have to pay entrance to see the poolside minzah.  The gardens are mostly laid to olive trees and a few roses.
Taxi to Bahia (Brilliant) Palace. Most outstanding were the cedar wood painted ceilings, zellij fireplaces, stucco friezes and stained glass windows.  There were plenty of rooms not all restored and others for use on Royal visits not open to the public. It reminded me of the Royal Palace in Seville probably due to the historical connection.
 Just round the corner (figuratively speaking) was the smaller Dar Si Said a smaller version of the Bahia Palace.  This has the Moroccan Museum of Arts on the second floor so we spent some time perusing the artefacts.  Once again the woodwork was ‘IMPRESSIVE’ my pictures don’t do it justice.  No photography allowed here - a shame since it has the oldest relic in Morocco –a large rectangular basin dating from 1005. Amazing that it has survived all the wars and sackings over the years !  It ought to have better publicity and position.
  Quite tired out we had tea above the Square and thought about the missed lunch. Decided to eat early at Jemaa square.
Managed to catch Hassan when we got back and arranged to do the Ourika Valley tomorrow.

Marrakech 30th October. Day 1

While we have been in Rabat we have met numerous people who have given mixed views of Marrakech. So after returning from the UK for Mums 80th birthday party we decided to make a trip to see for ourselves.
An early start for the 07.40 train (which was 20 minutes late!) and it was raining quite hard.  We arrived to blue skies and dry warmth.  The guide book put petit taxis between 10 & 15 dh depending on distance. We never paid less than 20 dh!  That said we did manage to find the Riad where we were staying. I’m always pleasantly surprised when I find a jewel amid general mayhem. We checked into a warm welcome from the manager Hassan (who also provided us with mint tea a street map and ideas for sights to see) and set off for a wander.  The map was helpful for streets (sic) but fell short for the hundreds of Dars– alleyways. The first task was to exit the Mouassine area to the first main road. This was quite a feat in that even the smallest alley took motor cycles, larger ones had hundreds of shops (a souk area) which meant wares on show outside which slowed the traffic down. Here amidst the pedestrians were donkeys pulling cement carts, hand carts over laden, bicycles, cars, taxis, and the frequent beggar sitting in any space available.  We were so concerned about not getting lost we failed miserably to take snaps of these areas. Jemaa el Fna square above looks quite empty by comparison.
  We did manage to find La Koutoubia 70m high.  It is interesting that it is the oldest of the three Almohad towers built. The others being the Giralda in Seville, and the Hassan Tower here in Rabat. All have been visited on our travels.
  Next stop via another souk and the crowded bus station was the Saadian Tombs.  This was the burial site for the dynasty of the same name, who, ruled Morocco from 1554-1669.  They lay unforgotten until the French did an aerial survey in 1917 and were then restored for viewing. The site is quite small and we had to queue to see the interior tombs .
The El Badi (Incomparable)  Palace It is mostly ruins now but in its heyday must have been astounding.  The shear size parallels places like Dover castle but was far more than defensive.  Rooms for receiving foreign diplomats with sunken pools, summer pavilions and a large central pool with fountain.  Around the ramparts storks now nest.  We didn’t have time to do it justice having been misled by the guide book which said it was open ’til 17.45 when it actually closed at 17.00!

We wandered back to the Riad through Jemaa el Fna Square to see snake charmers and monkey handlers foot painters and food stalls.
Dinner that night was a typical Moroccan meal at the Riad and quit delicious!
Images are in Picasa.

Casablanca 8th October

Decided on a day out of town and so took the train to Casablanca with a picnic lunch.  Rather a lot of bustle when we arrived but we managed to find our way to the old town (Medina) and walked through the souk towards the Hassan II Mosque.  Building began in 1980 and it was inaugurated in 1993.  It is absolutely colossal second only to Mecca!  St Peter’s in Rome could easily fit inside it. With it being Friday we weren’t able to take a tour inside and better descriptions are found elsewhere so just help your selves to our snaps.  We meandered back through the souk and along Art Deco Streets past the Law Courts and French Consul in the modern part of town to the Park de la Ligue Arabe where we “snaffed” lunch.
  During the afternoon we took a petit Taxi to the  Habous Quarter which is a New Town area being built in the 1930’s.  This was by far the most European style seen so far with neat but haphazard streets and exceedingly clean souk.   We stopped for afternoon tea overlooking the village green. Ever the opportunists Malcolm was asked at least 3 times if he wanted his shoes cleaned by itinerant workers.  He did succumb so everyone was happy.
Apart from a non eventful train ride home that completes the Casablanca day out. If we had another day or two I’m sure we could have filled it.
  Images are in Picasa.- maybe not today as this looks as though it's corrupted and the wifi is poor