Arabian Nights - A weekend in Morocco!

Life is ticking along nicely on the island, we are enjoying our time here & making the most of it.  We have had a few busy months hosting guests and travelling.

Our friend Agota visited us from London in April - she is a keen traveller who wasn't afraid to jump on a bus and go exploring. We celebrated her birthday down south watching the sunset over Teide - the highest peak in Spain (which is on Tenerife island). We drank champagne and ate the most delicious meal we have had since we have been on the island. We visited the mountains with Ag and stayed in a lovely country air bnb, where we were delivered a huge box of freshly picked fruit and veg from a local farmer. Homemade guacamole & potato salad were whipped up for dinner, overlooking the beautiful Tejeda crater in the centre of the island. Not bad, not bad at all!

Our delicious desserts - fried & caramelised local cheese, YUM! Taste Meson, Arguineguin

Birthday cocktails in Las Palmas

Reunited: Inca Trail to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria - why not?!

Michael arrived from New York a few weeks ago much to our delight, and Brad is enjoying having someone to watch the AFL with. Someone who actually wants to watch it, I should say. My half hearted shouts of "holding the ball umpire" and "oh, who was that to?!" at random intervals just weren't cutting it, obviously. (I mean, what is even the point if Jimmy Bartel isn't playing - am I right!?)

A serious bout of Man Flu did hit the house a week or so ago, but the boys seem to have survived it... only just. 

Michael and I found some cheap flights and went for a weekend to London to catch up with Tom,  Fausta and our niece Rosie. There is nothing like a bit of family hospitality, with a cute niece thrown in as an added bonus! In London, I was asking random people questions at every opportunity, making the most of speaking the native language. What a novelty! Of course we enjoyed some Bangers & Mash and a big ol' English breakfast while we were there with great pleasure.

Rosie

Go Cats!

Last week our friends from Perth, Marty & Michelle, arrived on their first leg of a round the world trip. First stop - Canary Islands. Naturally. Their travel blog can be found riiiiight here: (http://martyfineandshelleymac.blogspot.com)

Unfortunately the weather was absolutely terrible upon their arrival. You can only wow people so much with the statement "the clouds are rolling in from Africa" to make things sound more exotic. After a while, no one cares where the weather is coming from, bad weather is bad weather. Anyway, bad weather is always a good excuse to play settlers of catan, drink way too much honey rum (the local canary island drink of choice) and most importantly: eat, eat, eat!

Talking tactics over a glass of honey rum

Las Canteras beach, Las Palmas

In the tower of Catedral Santa Ana, Las Palmas

Next we all jumped on a plane together and flew 1.25 hours (on one of the comfiest airlines I have experienced, good work Binter Canaries) to Marrakesh in Morocco!

On the tarmac ready to gooo

The big Af strikes once again - I am besotted with Morocco after only 4 days. We stayed in a traditional Riad in the Medina (the old city centre) and felt like we had stepped right onto the set of Aladdin. Yes, I am aware that there was no "set" for Aladdin, and yes, I was the only one who kept referencing Aladdin, but still..... It was very, very Arabian nights-ish. So much movement & colour. So much happening, I found it very refreshing!

The walls of the Medina (old centre) by night

A colourful Riad in the Medina

Kids playing soccer in the small alleyways of the Medina at night

Bahia Palace

Fancy rooftop dinner in Marrakesh

Two levels of our beautiful four level Riad

View from the rooftop of our Riad

Souk Shopping

We explored the city; new and old. We had dinner in the big main bustling square Djemaa el-Fna - freshly cooked kebabs & couscous. We went to a cooking class where we cooked traditional tajine and tanjia (the best meal we had the whole time we were there, if we do say so ourselves). We stood around taking in all the commotion; belly dancers, Moroccan bands, snake charmers, the call to prayer, souk vendors, the smell of spice in the air, ladies painting henna, being mistaken for Shakira and Lady Gaga etc etc. We visited the garden of Yves Saint Laurent, hiked a random waterfall at the foot of the Atlas mountains and drank plenty of the local tea.

Delicious mint tea & Moroccan pancake

Drinks at a rooftop bar in the new city as the rain rolls in

In the garden of Yves Saint Laurent

Vegetable Tajine - decorations by Bradley

Our handy work at the cooking class

The bustling Djemaa el-Fna square

Dinner at a busy food vendor's market in Djemaa el-Fna square

We loved Marrakesh, and I couldn't be happier that it is the equivalent of a flight from Melbourne to Sydney away. I have officially pronounced it our weekend getaway destination. You can't beat that hot African air/sand in your lungs. Well, it did actually exacerbate the symptoms of man flu so be careful out there guys!

Casablanca Moroccan Beer

The surprise ingredient in Michelle's cocktail - a dead fly!

Homemade stemmed wine glasses. For only the classiest of ladies.

Out in the countryside

Here's trouble....Our hike to the waterfalls

Special thanks to Michael for lending me some of his photos: michaeljwilkin.com