Some Methods in the Madness of Marrakesh

The souks

I returned home from Marrakesh this evening and was amazed that on my walk back from Paddington, not a single motorbike tried to run me over; nor did anyone try to sell me something! I don't think it will be too hard to adjust back to London life but here are some of my tips for making the most of a stay in the red city.

Marrakesh: Atlas Leaped

Yesterday, we rose soon after the first call to prayer and headed off on our excursion into the Atlas Mountains. It was a gorgeous day and the sun was so strong that even after we passed the 2,000-metre mark, I was too hot in my jeans and t-shirt. Our route took us into the High Atlas, over the Tizi N'Tichka pass and into the Ouarzazate region, with plenty of stops en route for potential retail opportunities, photos and, in my case, leaps.

Marrakesh: Quel Gommage!

We accomplished two very Moroccan things today: haggling and a hammam. The first took place mainly in the souks and I am now the proud owner of a pretty, stripy scarf in four of my favourite colours (teal, turquoise, purple and pink) and some colourful pottery bowls, one of which is for my mum.

Marrakesh: Burn, Baby, Burn

Today was Eid al-Adha and, for a few hours at least, Marrakesh's tempo slowed down to a moderato pace. For the past few days we had seen sheep being carried around on motorbikes and today, all that remained were their heads being barbecued on street corners in the medina.

Marrakesh: The Girl Who May Have Eaten Goat

We finally made it to our riad at about 5.30 last night, where mint tea awaited. I was exhausted and a bit under the weather so it was lucky we had ordered a meal in the riad — both opting for chicken with pickled lemons. Instead, after soup and some spicy aubergines, along came a tagine with something else. Initially, I thought it was lamb but it may have been goat (in which case, goat tastes "like lamb").