Soaked in the Souks

We woke to a wet Tuesday.  The deck was covered in flower blossoms that had blown off the vines.  We could see rain squalls out the window and it didn't look like a nice day.

A gal from Ontario had organized a tour of the souks (shops) and was looking for participants.  The couple we had dinner with the night before were going so we signed up.

Scheduled to leave at 2, we pulled out at 2:30.  Seven of us with a guide.  His first stop was the guide store where he made a large cut of the price.  Really nice stuff, REALLY expensive.  Pam found a brass light she liked for 1,800 dirhams  or $216.  They wouldn't haggle much and we escaped.

 I want this one!

Finally got to the souks and got a lot of attention from the vendors.  We found the same lamp and his starting bid was 400 dirhams.  We settled at 240.  We bought a bunch of stuff and even loaned $ to others in the group so they could stimulate Morocco's economy.

 Pam's new closet.(taking after her unnamed friend!)

Where they heat the water by wood fire for the baths.

Knife maker

My new look

Then it started to RAIN.  As in Longview rain.  Not much shelter, but we waited til it slowed down.  [funny, but the typing assistant just suggested 'drown' instead of 'down'].

RAIN

The guide.

Reflecting on the day

On the van ride home we got off the van with 5 others at a fancy hotel for a cocktail at the bar where Winston Churchill hung out, but we were turned away because we had on sport shoes.  Then the rain really came down as the van pulled away so we walked a half mile to our hotel.  We were soaked.

We were going to walk to the store to get something to eat in our room, but the phone rang and we were invited out for dinner with the host and 4 other couples.  Uh, okay we'll go.

We met our group in the lobby and 3 were on the shopping tour.  We got into a van and drove for 10 minutes to a gate in the old city then walked for 3 blocks to a doorway.  Then into an incredible palace restaurant.  Round marble pillars,  fountains, fireplaces, up a marble spiral staircase to a private room with lit wood fireplace for cocktails around a huge brass coffee table.  Live music playing and beautiful fixtures.

Pictures from Web as I didn't take my camera.

Our table with 3 fireplaces in the room

After a couple of cocktails we went back downstairs, past the pool to a room with 3 fireplaces and nine tables.  We had the big round table in the middle of everything.  They filled up the water and wine glasses and even brought me a beer (or two), then put about 20 plates of stuff in the center of the table and passed out bread.  It was olives, pumpkin, spices, jams, peppers, and who knows what to put on the bread.

I excused myself to find the restroom  and was directed to the first door on the right.  Morocco has a kind of coed restrooms where you share the sinks, but private toilets.  The first door on the right was a step up into a room with a lit fireplace and four private toilets and marble sinks.  I'm sure that room cost more than our first house and probably our second and third!

Back at the table out came two huge platters of chicken.  Not as good as my beer can chicken, but good.  The waiters deboned and served to all.  Then came two huge platters of lamb and two more of vegetables and couscous.

I sat next to a couple of ex nuclear engineers from Massachusetts who knew of the Maine Maritime Academy and Pam sat next to a young couple from NC that were on the shopping trip.  Tina and Chad.  She reminds us of Melissa and though she wasn't the financial advisor she was in charge and a hoot.

Tina, Chad and friend.

I've been to a few restaurants in my life, Masthead, Bruno's, JT's, Waddles, Ringside, and Sizzler, but this place was over the top unbelievable!!  More the experience than the food.  

We got to our room at midnight and had a great time!