Recommande par le guide Lonely Planet

Posted Wednesday, April 04, 2007, 7:10 PM by Lonely Planet

Dov gets up close to tanjines, markets and all things Marrakesh...

Sitting comfortably cross-legged among piles of cushions at a restaurant in the Medina, the waiter walked slowly toward our low table, smiling as he placed a covered dish in front of my wide eyes and empty stomach. In a cloud of steam, he removed the cone shaped lid, revealing a pungent mix of chicken, olives, preserved lemons and other vegetables. This is the tajine, the most common and traditional of Moroccan dishes. The tajine is a mixture of meats, vegetables and spices, cooked slowly in an earthenware pot, and kept covered until served at the table. Hidden from the sight of the customer until it is ready to be tasted, the tajine is as representative of Moroccan cuisine as it is of Marrakesh as a whole.

Flying into Marrakesh, the landscape was filled with thousands of low pink buildings with the occasional minaret or tall palm tree poking through for some more air. However, as I wandered about on my first morning in Marrakesh I became completely lost in a maze of alleys and souqs, and it took me a full hour to find my way out of and back to our hotel. This is the hidden Marrakesh. Invisible from the air, the narrow streets and alleys teem with energy and life.

But even as I wandered through that maze of markets and alleys in the old city, another hidden layer of Marrakesh stood right behind those high pink walls: beautiful homes and hotels, or riads. With spacious central courtyards and relatively quiet rooftops, these houses and riads act as an escape from the hectic pace of daily life in the streets.

On our third day in Marrakesh, we were treated to yet another hidden side of this perpetually mysterious city. Spread throughout the city are lush green-walled gardens, and like the one we visited today, the Jardin Marjorelle, many of them once acted as inspiration for European artists. A calming trip to a garden allows those worn down by the chaos of Marrakesh to stroll or sit among palm trees and colourful flowers, and recharge the spirit by connecting with nature, right in the middle of the city.



Like the tajines, markets, riads or gardens, much of what comprises the experience of Marrakesh is hidden from view. On our way home today we passed a sandwich shop with a sign in French reading: Recommended by the Guide Lonely Planet. As I have learned on this trip so far, the job of a Lonely Planet author is more than just recommending a place to find a good kebab. The job of a Lonely Planet author is to spur the curiosity of the reader, so that they can have their own unique experiences and adventures. No place is this more evident than in Marrakesh, where much of the splendour off the city is ever so slightly hidden, only to be revealed to the senses of the curious traveller.

Labels: Africa, Bluelist Winners 2007

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