The Portuguese Fortess.
Essaouira through a view point in the fortress.
Healthy and freshly shaven after a rough few days.
The colours of the alleyways.
The intricate woodwork.
The mosque near our riad.
George, the Canadian doctor who gave me some medication and his wife Patty.
The fishing fleet.
The type of catch including a small moray eel.
The clock tower.
Sunday,
September 24th.
After
breakfast in the lobby we had a walking tour of Essaouira with a
local guide. He took us to the Portuguese fort and harbour area and
then through the Jewish Mellah. He also took us to a woodworking
business where we could see the handicraft and tradesmanship that
goes into making all of the wood pieces that they sell. After that he
took us to a silverworks shop where there were thousands of items for
sale, from rings, earrings, necklaces, cups, vases, etc. I bought a
small silver Fatima symbol, she is the patron of good luck and
health. I met George the doctor from Halifax there and his wife
Patty. I had a chance to thank him for the medication and to take a
photo with him.
It
is so strange to be walking around the streets of Essaouira again, 38
years later. I was last here in 1979 on my six month honeymoon. In
some ways it has changed a lot, it's bigger, the beach now has lots
of hotels along it, its far more touristy; but in other ways it
hasn't changed, its still incredibly exotic, its beautiful but very
old and dirty at the same time. The shop owners seem less bothersome
than in the past, but they still do try to get you to buy something.
At
that point the tour ended and we had free time for the afternoon. I
wandered around the medina and back down to the harbour and the fish
market. I always find it really interesting to watch the fishermen
and the sellers and to see their catch. The smells are always really
strong and vile, but it is fascinating. I went back to the riad for a
short break, met up with Wim and headed out again exploring the
alleys, markets, and shops. Then he went back and I continued
exploring and taking photos.
Back
to the riad to meet the group at dinner and then Rachid led eight of
us to a seafood restaurant on the beach boardwalk. The food was okay,
but we had a good time and Rachid told us a lot about the current
state of Morocco. After dinner, he took us to a rooftop
restaurant/bar that had some live music. The musicians were good and
they had two very rhythmic and enegertic male dancers. We stayed
until eleven and then headed back for the night.
good to see you again Joe, Happy and Healthy!!!
ReplyDeleteone of my favourite places!
ReplyDeleteHope you didn't get stuck when the tide came in this time around.
ReplyDelete