Morocco, Day Two. Plopped out of my little bed this morning and looked out the window and, lo and behold, the Atlantic Ocean was still there, sigh.
Had a leisurely breakfast in the courtyard of the Dar Nes. Fresh rolls, croissants, home made yogurt, orange juice, coffee and a lovely little crepe-like pancake called baghrir, served warm.
Met Mustapha at noon and he drove us to meet our tour guide. One block away. We could have freaking walked there but Mustapha insisted. Our tour guide was Essaid, pronounced Sigh-eed. Very lovely man, very knowledgeable, very patient and very proud of his native city. He explained that the city was established in the late 1700’s. Essaouira means “a well designed city” Fitting as the sultan at the time gathered architects from Europe and Morocco to design it from the ground up. He wanted the city to have an International flavor and be a welcoming place. Medina (the city inside the walls) was designed by local Moroccans and everything outside the city was designed by French, Spanish and Italian architects. The city was originally known as Mogador, which means little fortress. Mogador now applies to a group of islands off the coast of Essaouira, once upon a time a prison like Alcatraz and, during epidemics, also a place to quarantine. It is currently a nature preserve and off limits to visitors. The city and environs are protected by UNESCO.
Essaid took us around the medina, the port, the harbor, and marketplace pointing out the many ways the shared history of the Jewish, Muslim and Christian cultures were integrated in the buildings and the food. It is very much an International city. Arabic, French, Spanish and English are spoken here. The people are warm, friendly and have a great sense of humor.
He picked out fish at the fish market and then took us to a place where they cooked it to order. Served it with chopped tomato salad, cucumbers, and a colorful variety of olives with harissa dressing. Best sole and sardines I ever had. And I don’t even like sardines. He showed us that the most efficient way to eat fish is with our hands and then wash them at the sink by the entrance before we headed out. Later he took us to a restaurant for a plate of cooked squid. So… yes… technically we had two lunches. Also delicious, very tender and flavorful. He wanted us to try the local pastries but we just couldn’t eat anymore. He took us to the spice store, the high end jewelry and rug shops. We will go back tomorrow for some serious shopping as it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the endless number of shops here. One in particular, Galerie Jama, was perhaps the most beautiful shop I have ever seen, actually more museum than shop. The owner, a charming old world gentleman named Mustapha, has an amazing collection of Moroccan artifacts. All three floors, were chock full of the most beautiful antiques and rugs I have ever seen. I asked him if he needed anyone to live in the building for him. For free, of course. He laughed and laughed.
We said good-bye to Essaid around 6, about three hours after his tour was officially supposed to end. I hope he enjoyed our company as much as we enjoyed his. He made our day truly unforgettable.
And oh yes, I walked 11,490 steps today.