Essaouira, Morocco

Essaouira lies on the Atlantic coast of Morocco north of Agadir.

The main attractions lie in the Medina and the old fishing port

Inside the room someone was preparing food and every so often threw a piece to the cat.

Shopping in Essouira was a real pleasure after the suq in Marrakech. We were able to brouse quietly along the streets of the Medina.

We bought a fish in the market. We had it gutted and then took it to a grill where it was cooked and served with salad and chips, so good!

The High Atlas Mountains, Morocco

The High Atlas Mountains of Southern Morocco 

The beautiful Majorelle Gardens of Marrakech

The gardens were designed by a French artist, Jacques Majorelles after purchasing the land in 1924.

The gardens were first opened to the public in 1947.

In 1980 Yves St Laurent and Pierre Bergé acquired the gardens and restored them.

They are held in trust to ensure they survive and are one of the most popular attractions in Marrakech.

Memorial to Yves St Laurent

After his death his ashes were scattered in the gardens and this memorial was erected.

Argan Oil

This is a precious comodity and an important product of Morocco 

Supposedly in the past goats were fed the argon nuts. They would digest the outer layer and the nut would be collected for processing . The nuts are cracked and the inner kernal is used to create the oil.

These ladies are demonstrating how the oil was produced. 

Many women's co-operatives have developed specifically for tourism where one can see the traditional methods of preparing the nuts. The oil is used in cosmetics and when toasted it is used in cooking.

Argan trees only grow in south-west Morocco and they are now protected a UNESCO biosphere reserve

Goats stunt the trees and are no longer used to digest the outer layer but are fed this once it has been removed.  As one drives along there are goats in a few trees on the road side, but this is simply a photo oportunity for tourists. One that really cannot be resisited!