Angelina Jolie??
Whaaat?
Those of you who know Ben well, know that he is rather enamored of Angelina Jolie. Always was. Not only for her beauty, but also her life’s work as an ambassador for refugees as UN Goodwill Ambassador. So how did it come to be that we got an Angelina Jolie look alike to share our home exchange in Marrakech?
Angeline Jolie, exhibit #1
Exhibit #2, Andrea
Those of you who know me (Peta) well, know that I talk to strangers. Often. Strangers are just people I don’t know yet.
Standing in a long line, waiting to board our flight from Madrid in Spain, to Marrakech, Morroco, Andrea and I start chatting. Andrea (an interesting combination of Portuguese, Chinese descent) lives in Pamplona, Spain (where she works as a teacher), and before that lived in the Galapagos islands in Ecuador.
Andrea is a fellow global nomad and we have much to talk about… We invite her to stay with us at our large Marrakech home exchange (with 3 bedrooms) and she happily accepts. (Her philosophy of life and travel is to say “yes” to opportunities which come her way.)
Fouiza, the house keeper at the home exchange house greets us at midnight with hot tea and warm smiles of welcome.
Moroccan hospitality is well known – Fouiza treats us to a Moroccan specialty a few nights after our arrival – Lemon chicken w olives.
Our exchange is a restored 800 year old home in the heart of the Medina, built in the traditional style of rooms around a courtyard, (on 3 levels), with walls of stone about 3-4 feet thick giving it the feeling of being cavernous, in a good way.
The entrance to our home exchange on a narrow street in the Medina. Peta, ready for a Marrakesh adventure.
Central courtyard.
Sitting room directly outside the main bedroom. Cosy Moroccan carpets line the stone floors.
Breakfast is served! on the upstairs terrace in the morning sun. Moroccan crepes!
What a fun time the 3 of us have, exploring the soukh of Marrakech! For Ben and I this is not the first time, having been here many years ago, but for Andrea it is a first discovery of Morocco.
Yoga creates an instant bond of connectivity and peaceful vibes…
This thick walled house must be great and cool in summer, but now in winter it’s icy cold. Thankfully there is a huge bathtub and very hot water and a space heater to take the edge off. The weather here is not actually THAT cold (its about 50 degrees), yet for us after over seven years in a tropical climate, we sure feel the cold!
Duvets and local knitted hats help to keep us warm until the sun rays hit the terrace.
Walking and getting lost in the maze of the streets of the Medina is our entertainment, enjoying the grand architecture and the commotion of daily life.
Salmon and dusky pink walls are the trademarks of Marrakech.
Thick wooden doors hide the Riads (multi story family homes) of the Medina.
Veils cover faces on the streets of Marrakech. Both men and women wear full length jellabas in winter and summer.
Ahhh the smell of fresh coconut macaroons draws us into this small neighborhood oven on our street.
Trays of polka dot macaroon dough all ready for the wood fire oven nearby to bring them to their full potential.
Mouth watering, fresh, crispy and chewy at the same time. The BEST macaroons ever! Did we get addicted to these? You betcha!
We supplement our macaroon daily diet with fresh tangerines, oranges, avocados and pomegranates from fruit vendors.
Olives olives olives ~ one of Morocco’s featured foods often piled high into towers of green, black and orange ovals.
Freshly ground spices and dried flowers for tea brewing.
Marrakesh, after India and Sri Lanka, feels a bit pushy and touristy. Yet, Marrakesh’s soukh remains fascinating, with lots of beautiful craft ~ thick cushion covers, leather goods, woolen hats, tea glasses, carpets of course…
Large copper vessels and trays for sale under classic arched doorways.
The ubiquitous Moroccan rugs. We love the range of designs and colors (way more than Turkish rugs), but sadly they do not fit into the nomadic lifestyle…
Hot tea poured into glasses is a Moroccan classic. A small shop has its walls lined with a variety of glasses, some colored, some with silver decorations and handles.
Smelling of eucalyptus oil (used for many health benefits) and selecting alum rock crystals for an all natural deodorant.
Bright colorful cones of paprika, ginger, turmeric and cumin brighten the small streets and alleyways.
A vegetarian bastilla (flaky pastry with filling and flavored with cinnamon.) Delicious!
Tagine ceramic cooking “plates” with lids. A popular colorful item in the soukh.
Large clay tagine pots filled and ready to be cooked. Tagine usually has an assortment of vegetables such as potatoes, peas, carrots and then either chicken, meat or fish added to the slow cooking pot on the fire.
A ready and cooked tagging on the right and a new one just starting out, on the left. A slow stewing process whereby the flavors of the spices are slowly absorbed by the ingredients.
These were a great find! $1-2 for a homemade brightly colored cotton or wool winter cap. I am still wearing these every day!
Peta and Angelina, I mean Andrea, in matching blue and orange knitted hats.
Around the corner from our Medina house is a superb palace, with amazing painted ceilings and exquisite wooden inlay doors and windows…
Painted wooden ceiling, one of many exquisite works.
Central panel of a painted wooden ceiling, with adjoining side panels of equal beauty.
Yet another intricately painted ceiling with geometric designs.
Painted design on a wooden door.
Stone carvings demonstrating the skills of Moroccan craftsmen.
Gorgeous painted wooden panel of a door.
After a few days in Marrakesh, we decide to take the bus to Eassouira, a place which has a special place in both our memories and hearts.
Will Essaouria be the same as we remember it, or will it have changed and feel and look totally different?
Congrats on the new blog format. Glad you managed to transfer the archives. Would be great if you could add a search box to search for key words etc The photos don’t seem to look as good (resolution-wise) as in the previous blog but maybe I am imagining that? Morocco sure looks like a colorful place to visit!
Thanks Nicole. We are working to try to fix the resolution on the photos, which for some? reason are not as crisp as they were before. Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated. Morocco is very colorful, just wait till you see the next upcoming entry on Essaouira!
Few notes: The macaroons are enough of a reason to travel there. I have a feeling you are going to regret not getting a rug!!! Glad you have pomegranets back in your lives:)
When I read this blog I could actually feel morocco. Thank you for taking me with you through your travels with each photo and glimpse of reality…how to meet strangers:)
Ben, you will never forget this trip to Morocco! 😉
Finally, I get extremely excited to press the ‘green global trek’ button but simultaneously anxious that I am going to have heavy desires to be where you are this month, thus making it difficult to live in the present:)
Love and Namaste- KEEP EM COMING
Brook, lovely to read you!
Yup I could always carry the rug along with the sheepskin Portuguese indulgence booties I just bought. We try to keep it light.. Although I keep thinking of all the goodies that improve life on the road that you manage to squish into your backpack while you travel! It is all about prioritizing, and the rug for now is not at the top of the priority must have list.
Thanks for the great feedback. If you could feel Morocco by reading the blog, then we did a good job 🙂
At the same time, am thinking of you right on the coast in Puerto Rico with your gorgeous view etc etc… Touche.
I do agree with Nicole about the photos..
Yes something seems to have happened to the resolution on the photos since we switched to this new format for our blog. Working to resolve it.. not easy for two non computer literate people!
Sensational !! Thanks for sharing more wonderous visuals and descriptions of unique places and encounters!!
So glad you are enjoying our photographs and stories of our Green Global Trek, as it unfolds! Always great to read your feedback. Thanks!
The Granada home may be the best thing you’ve ever done!! The home exchange program looks like it’s paying off in a huge way. What an awesome way to see the world. Love how friendly you two are, Angelina seems like a lovely woman. Thanks for the inspiration, per usual!
Home exchange is really an amazing way to travel as you get to stay in real neighborhoods, rather than touristy ones. You save a ton of money and the homes are usually really nice, often even spectacular. (See our posts on Ubud, Bali in Indonesia.) The Granada home has enriched our lives in so many different ways over the years and continues to do so. Andrea was/is indeed a delightful new friend and we hope to visit her in Spain. Good to hear from you Ella and get your nice feedback!
It does look like great shopping. I would have wanted some of everything. I would love the biggest tagine available, and a rug, but you made a wise choice investing in hats– squishable, unbreakable, and immediately useful. Feel free to ship yourself a rug to your future self via me.
Amazing shopping indeed, and Essaouira, post upcoming, even better, as it is smaller and more manageable. Such a great variety of crafts such as gorgeous plates, handmade shoes, bags, clothes, jewelry. Quite incredible! thanks for the offer 🙂
Im in the blog! Im so honored. Wonderful writing and pictures to match. You guys made my trip. Besos Angelina
YES you are the star of this entry, no doubt about that! How do you like the exhibit photos of you and Angelina Jolie. Same sweater, glasses, look. Look forward to meeting up with you again, hopefully in Spain.
Intéressant merci pour ton article