I enjoyed very much this journey in Marrakech : beautiful landscapes and nice encounters.
Some words about the water in Marrakech: we visit the Garden of Agdal with its reservoir built in the 12th century (the water comes from the Atlas mountains by underground canals):Abdelhadi Fedal explains the importance of the water for the irrigation and the water supply of the town in the past. Now less water is arriving at Marrakech and the governement has made rules for the hotels and boarding houses: the number of golf grounds has increased and Nicolas Barraud of the Al Maaden Golf exlains that they use water coming from sewage treatment.
I enjoyed the zoom about the Moroccan women: the Al Fassia restaurant which was the first restaurant of Marrakech to employ only women, the female cooks who prepare lamb meat have got new incomes ar more independent: besides Saida Chab and Myra Chab manage an boarding house (riad) next to the second restaurant Al Fassia.
Women of Taroudant are singing in a little cafe of the medina and get so new incomes.
Besides Sara Hawileh who has studied abroad works as receptionist at the Namaskar Palace and is proud to receive tourists and to show them the nice places of her country.
Now some words about the Jema al fna square: in the early morning the first people who arrive are the water-carriers and the troubadours; then arrive the diners (in French gargotte) and the vendors: Ahmed Bendich is proud to maintain the culinary tradition of his family. In the nightlife there are also many diners managed by young people.
In a spice market we meet Abdelrrazaak Benchaabane, a former gardener in the Villa Majorelle: one day Yves Saint-Laurent asked him to create a perfume with the plants of the garden: since then he creates perfumes combining spices and herbs and organizes once a week a workshop for the children of the neighborhood teaching them how to create perfumes.
The highest summit in the Haut-Atlas is the Mount Toubkal (4.167 meters above sea level): the mountain guide Moulay Fadili explains that the people need two days to climb the mountain: at the end of the first day they reach the Toubkal refuge (3.207 meters above) and in the early morning the climbers begin the ascent (it's dark) and can reach the summit some hours later.
At Essaouira Boujmaa Guilloul, the windsurf champion speaks about the "Wind City", a good place for windsurf and kite surfing and about the charm of this town who attract tourists and visitors who later decide to stay in the place. Besides Mina El Mghari tells about the history of the town (the Portuguese period, the ramparts) with its synagogue, mosque and Christian church. Finally we meeet Omar Elhayat , a master of the Gnawa music (there is a famous music festival each year).
I enjoyed the encounters of Jérôme with Saïd Marghadi (the guide and photographer), with Valérie Barkowski (the boarding house, the linen shop, the beautiful gardens), with Youssef Jellab, the chief gardener at the Majorelle Garden (where Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berger lived for some years), with Abdou Ouzbair in the desert of Agafay, ,with Ahmed Handour , the chef in Essaouira (the lobster carpaccio), with the farmer Abdelkrim Moumen and his family (the argan fruit harvest, the argan oil making), with Jean-Louis Raynaud (the decorator) and Philippe Casenave the consul of France at the French Consulate: very nice encounters with very kind Moroccan men and women.
Some words about the water in Marrakech: we visit the Garden of Agdal with its reservoir built in the 12th century (the water comes from the Atlas mountains by underground canals):Abdelhadi Fedal explains the importance of the water for the irrigation and the water supply of the town in the past. Now less water is arriving at Marrakech and the governement has made rules for the hotels and boarding houses: the number of golf grounds has increased and Nicolas Barraud of the Al Maaden Golf exlains that they use water coming from sewage treatment.
I enjoyed the zoom about the Moroccan women: the Al Fassia restaurant which was the first restaurant of Marrakech to employ only women, the female cooks who prepare lamb meat have got new incomes ar more independent: besides Saida Chab and Myra Chab manage an boarding house (riad) next to the second restaurant Al Fassia.
Women of Taroudant are singing in a little cafe of the medina and get so new incomes.
Besides Sara Hawileh who has studied abroad works as receptionist at the Namaskar Palace and is proud to receive tourists and to show them the nice places of her country.
Now some words about the Jema al fna square: in the early morning the first people who arrive are the water-carriers and the troubadours; then arrive the diners (in French gargotte) and the vendors: Ahmed Bendich is proud to maintain the culinary tradition of his family. In the nightlife there are also many diners managed by young people.
In a spice market we meet Abdelrrazaak Benchaabane, a former gardener in the Villa Majorelle: one day Yves Saint-Laurent asked him to create a perfume with the plants of the garden: since then he creates perfumes combining spices and herbs and organizes once a week a workshop for the children of the neighborhood teaching them how to create perfumes.
The highest summit in the Haut-Atlas is the Mount Toubkal (4.167 meters above sea level): the mountain guide Moulay Fadili explains that the people need two days to climb the mountain: at the end of the first day they reach the Toubkal refuge (3.207 meters above) and in the early morning the climbers begin the ascent (it's dark) and can reach the summit some hours later.
At Essaouira Boujmaa Guilloul, the windsurf champion speaks about the "Wind City", a good place for windsurf and kite surfing and about the charm of this town who attract tourists and visitors who later decide to stay in the place. Besides Mina El Mghari tells about the history of the town (the Portuguese period, the ramparts) with its synagogue, mosque and Christian church. Finally we meeet Omar Elhayat , a master of the Gnawa music (there is a famous music festival each year).
I enjoyed the encounters of Jérôme with Saïd Marghadi (the guide and photographer), with Valérie Barkowski (the boarding house, the linen shop, the beautiful gardens), with Youssef Jellab, the chief gardener at the Majorelle Garden (where Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berger lived for some years), with Abdou Ouzbair in the desert of Agafay, ,with Ahmed Handour , the chef in Essaouira (the lobster carpaccio), with the farmer Abdelkrim Moumen and his family (the argan fruit harvest, the argan oil making), with Jean-Louis Raynaud (the decorator) and Philippe Casenave the consul of France at the French Consulate: very nice encounters with very kind Moroccan men and women.