City Trip

MArrakeCh

Has there ever been a place where you felt immediately welcome – even though you have never been there, never experienced it before? Marrakech is that place. 

Magic is hidden behind the rust-red clay walls of this city, animated by heartwarmingly friendly people who willingly share house and possessions. To feel sincerely invited by strangers, even to feel at home, is rare. In Marrakech, it seems to be a matter of course. So also in Riad Dar Darma – our home for the next few days. 

A colourful and initially confusing bustle enlivens the small and large squares, markets and alleys of Marrakech. Merchants busily advertise their jewellery and silverware. Donkey carts, heavily loaded, make their way through the mixture. Women, who praise magnificent woven carpets and colourful basket bags. And many unknown scents and spices, whose use for home and cooking pot is not yet fully understood by us.

We become part of the turmoil and willingly let ourselves drift from one street to the next. True to the motto, "Live and let live." we also try to negotiate fair prices for vivid souvenirs. Happy about these small finds we move on to explore some of the sights of Marrakech and are grateful for the cooling shadows in the halls of the Palais de la Bahia and the gardens of the Jardin Majorelle.

Time out from the hustle and bustle of the medina. Approximately 20 minutes by car from Marrakech, the Beldi Country Club is the perfect place to enjoy doing nothing. And if at any time you feel that bathing in the sun and pool is too lazy, you can eat lunch in the club's own restaurant or stroll in the equally magnificent garden, whose paths lead you inevitably to the Country Club shops, where you can find exquisite pieces for an even more beautiful home.

A trip to the surrounding area is much more eventful. We breathe mountain air on our trip to Ouarzazate and Aït-Ben-Haddou, desert cities that grow like gigantic sandcastles out of the oasis-like green of the otherwise barren slopes of the Atlas Mountains. And even more than these spectacular buildings, it is once again the people who impress us deeply with their warmth and openness, who wave us into their little shops for tea and a chat and who make little presents out of nothing. 

All these new and fascinating impressions let us look humbly at what we own. Arriving in the Riad, we ask ourselves what we are willing to share, while Hicham friendly welcomes us back.

Morocco, September 2017. | All words and photos by The Sturgheons.