tea in essaouira . . .

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We are thinking about meandering up the coast to Essaouira this summer and thought it would be good to get some inside information - maroc-o-phile Lynn Sheppard  is lucky enough to live there, and seemed like the perfect person to ask!

If you come to Essaouira on a warm, sunny day then you’ll probably want to spend it on the beach.

 If however, you were to be here on one of its reputed breezier days, how might you spend it?

Check out local art…. Head into the Rapunzel’s turret that is the Bastion Est, managed by local artist Ahmed Harrouz. 

Climb up to the roof and admire the view over the Atlantic Ocean and the bustling port.

 It’s one of the best – but least known – viewpoints of the city.

 If art is your thing, check out the local naïve style at the gallery on rue Houmman el Fatouaki in the Mellah Kdim.

 It’s opposite La Decouverte, which is a great spot for lunch, serving daily specials of homemade dishes of locally-sourced ingredients.

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Pause for a coffee….. at Ginger, run by an Argentinian couple and serving fresh juices, smoothies and salads (Rue Ibn Rochd in the Kasbah).

 For something a bit more “local”, check out chez Bachir on the main square – his is the café nestled in against the wall and enclosed by a series of awnings. If mint tea isn’t your thing, order a nouss nouss (literally, half-half espresso and milk).

Surely by now it’s time for lunch?

Essaouira’s blue flouka fishing boats set off at sunset to chug 6 hours into the Atlantic.

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 They fish for 5 hours and arrive back at the port around midday.

  Souiris (as the locals are known) believe sardines are best eaten immediately.

 Buy them at the quayside or in the fishmarket (Souk Jdid) for around 5dh a “packet” (5-6 fish), pick up some lemon, tomato and cucumber from the veg souk, and head over to one of the many BYO restaurants on the other side of the main road to have them grilled.

 I recommend Mohammed at the Tamilalte kitchen – there’s even a little roof terrace.

If you feel the need for a postprandial stroll… Take a walk along the ever-improving seafront promenade. About half an hour out of town, you’ll find a parade of cafes and watersports schools plus some camels, quad-bikes and horses for hire. 

All the cafes are good: Beach & Friends caters to a trendy sun worshipper crowd; 

Panoramique does great coffee and fills up with locals and kite surfers; 

Ocean Vagabond is a bit more upmarket, in a lovely garden setting and great for families.

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 My favourite is Café Tamouziga. The pizzas are great and the sunloungers are free. 

If you still have the energy, it’s worth the walk on into the village of Diabat: not to visit the alleged pausing point of Jimi Hendrix but rather the beautiful ruins of the Sultan’s Palace, slowly being reclaimed by the dunes. It’s a fabulous setting for sunset, but you’ll need a torch to find the road again and you might not easily get a taxi back into town.

For an out-of-the-ordinary souvenir…. Try the Sunday flea market (joutiya) for second hand carpets, crafts and other items.

 Check out the Mashi Mushki shop on Rue Chbanate for gifts with a social conscience – it’s run by the same people as the Dar 91 rental property and they encourage you to “leave your wardrobe in Morocco” so they can sell your unwanted clothes in their Project 91 shop.

Sunsets over the Atlantic are the best…. And best enjoyed with a beer in hand.

Try the vantage point of the Barcelona bar beside Chalet de la Plage – it’s cheap, cheerful and filled with a mix of locals and backpackers. For a different perspective (and budget), Il Mare overlooks the medina fortifications (skala) and has an early evening 2-for-1 deal on drinks.

The best setting for dinner is…. Elizir. It’s well-reviewed and often full – book in advance. If Sophia Loren was your granny, this would be her front room (Rue Agadir).

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 Teeny tiny and less well known (so far) is Vague Bleue off Souk Waka (Rue Mohammed el Quory), which serves excellent Italian food at extremely fair prices for lunch or dinner, with appetisers and fresh smoothies thrown in. Both restaurants offer plenty of alternatives to tajine!

Surely you’re tired by now? New kid on the block, Dar Mouna Mogador, is rapidly embodying the Souiri artistic vibe and is run by travel industry veteran and general font of all local knowledge, Jane Folliott. Double rooms are priced at 600dh for a double including breakfast on the roof terrace.

 If you fancy treating your other half to a romantic getaway, check out the roof-top Suite Chbanate at Riad Chbanate with nigh-on 360° views, including from the bath!

Lynn Sheppard

www.maroc-o-phile.com

info@maroc-o-phile.com

FB/marocophile

a little vintage glamour in morocco

There are some wonderful vintage images taken in Morocco.

Photographers like Irving Penn, George Dambier, Cecil Beaton . . . 

they all took photographs there.

 Some iconic, 

others simply everyday pictures images of friends and colleagues.

Below are some of my favourites.

Truman Capote by Cecil Beaton in Tangiers

Talitha Getty for Vogue in 1971

 My favourite image of Yves St Laurent working at his desk in Morocco.  

 I wish I was sitting at a desk under an arch overlooking my garden in morocco right now!

 Georges Dambier photographed Suzy Parker for Elle in 1953

I love the prickly pear cactus in the background of this image - always reminds me of the moroccan countryside.

This photograph was taken by Irving Penn of his wife Lisa Fonssagrives in 1951 

So many beautiful elements in this composition!

And of course this selection would be incomplete 

without the somewhat incongruous image 

taken in Morocco in  1958 by William Klein

don't forget to click across to my facebook page if you have a minute to spare

Seriously Seeking some advice . . .

From Pinterest to Print!

Over the past few months I have been posting these pinterest collages

 on facebook

 and on this blog

 I have had such a good response that I thought I would choose a few to print as cards. 

It would be great if you had a look again and let me know which ones are your favourites.

I'm finding it hard to make a choice!

 

you can see them all together on PINTEREST

or . . .

HERE on tea-in-tangiers

Thanks for your time

x

Pauline

Home on the Straits

A bright and eclectic family home in Tangiers

"The visual artist Yto Barrada grew up in Tangier, in a house nestled in a large park along the cliffs overlooking the Strait of Gibrltar. She then moved to New York, Paris, Jerusalem, finally returning to her childhood home with her husband Sean and their daughter Vega"

(source: Milk  )

source: Milk 

original text: Marie Mersier

photographs: Julie Ansiau

The Boucherouite

the slightly more bohemian cousin of the Beni Ourain . . .?

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I was going through some photographs yesterday - the ones still sitting on my camera  . . .      

    (yes, organising images is yet another thing to add to an ever-growing 'to do' list)

 when I saw these pictures I took last year of some Boucherouite rugs on the medina wall of Assilah.

 The wall is an extension of my friend Omar's carpet shop, 

 a place where I have spent many an hour wading through his seemingly endless collection of carpets!

A far cry from the trendsetting heavyweight of Moroccan rugs, the Beni Ourain,

 but a bit more fun possibly?Now  I must confess to initially having been a little unsure of the often crazy designs, the wildly tangential colours, not to mention the whole rag thing . . . 

 But I am now a convert, and in no small measure I would suspect this is as a result of seeing them transformed when taken out of the medina and placed in less cluttered and more contemporary environments.

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I think they are perfect for childrens rooms  - the bright patterns, the rags, can all take a bit of wear and tear and even the odd spatter of fingerpaint without a family crisis ensuing . . .

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if you want one for your own home
 have a look  and shop here

If you want to know a little more about the history and production of these particular rugs,

 have a look here 

This website www.berber-arts.com 

is a great reference site for these and other Moroccan carpets

for links and credits, as well as more images

 have a look at our Pinterest board Moroccan Style and Design

or pop across to SF Girl by Bay 

and read her post : You Say Rug, I Say Boucherouite

The Food of Morocco

A cook book by  Paula Wolfert,
although so much more than a cookbook,

 and one of my favourites.

This is a cookbook that has not been relegated to the shelf in the kitchen along with our other dog eared, coffee stained {but much loved} cookery tomes - no, it has pride of place on our coffee table in the lounge!

 1: because it is beautiful to look at, and

 2: for ease of access, because we both like to page through it on occasion just to look at the pictures!

 This book is a journey through Morocco, 

 explaining the regions, their geography and their cuisine 

from the rif mountains to the seaside villages.
It is full of inspiring photography, interesting quotes,
and of course a plethora of recipes.

Beautiful images followed by regional recipes,
 with a few well known local haunts mentioned along the way.

Fried Sardines, Tangier - Style

The art of picking Saffron

a few store cupboard essentials like Preserved Lemons

(which reminds me, we are running low!)

&

Harissa Paste

and of course concluding with clear instructions on how to make a good tea 

 whether in Tangier or anywhere else you might find yourself

so sit back and enjoy the read

 the cooking can come later

because - like Claudia Roden says on the cover . . . 

The Food of Morocco by Paula Wolfert

Photographs by Quentin Bacon

Published by Bloomsbury

2014 . . . and time for those resolutions

My 2014 new years resolutions may appear a little frivolous on the surface,

 but I am working on the premise that world peace,

 health and happiness for my children and family are a given, 

and that this little wish list below is something I can work on to add that little bit extra,

 that bit of fairy dust,

 to this new year of ours.

#1: to re-discover my inner domestic goddess and take the time and make the effort to create a truly beautiful cake (or 2)

#2 : to take control of all of my 'bright ideas' and make them happen instead of just talking about them.

#3 : in the 'about me' page on this blog I talk about shifting the balance, about where we want to spend more time, and about making a home - the reason behind the blog really - a big one but going to try really hard on this resolution!

#4: on a slightly more light hearted note  . . .  to make sure I occasionally create the necessity to wear {faux} fur and consider unnecessary details like frozen cranberries in a flute of champagne

#5 : to try and work towards some memorable gatherings with both family and friends

#6 : and no more excuses . . . definitely the year to work on my french!

and so to you all

bonne année 

xx