I was in Marrakech last week. Partly for work, but extended to have a couple of days R&R. Since it was organised in a rush and at the last minute, I failed to realise that it was the feast of Eid. This celebrates the occasion in the Old Testament when God told Abraham to sacrifice his son, before allowing him to sacrifice a sheep instead. It’s of great significance to those of Islamic faith, and every family gathers together from all over the country (similar to Thanksgiving in the USA) before killing a sheep. One third is eaten, one third is preserved and one third is given away to those less fortunate. In Islam, Eid is to sheep what Christmas and Thanksgiving is to turkeys in the Christian and western world!

There were two consequences for me. Firstly, Marrakech was largely closed – the photo below would not normally have been possible, as the crowds in the souk would have been several times as dense!

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The second was that when I met my friend Habib, he insisted on inviting me around to his apartment for dinner. (To be honest, Habib is so hospitable that he would probably have invited me anyway. But he had a fridge full of sheep and his mother staying and cooking for him…..) His apartment is full of amazing rugs and fabrics, and his latest addition is the jacket pictured below. It seems that an artist in Essaouira decided to turn his paint splattered jacket into an amazing work of art!

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The work aspect was a friend’s riad, whose brochure and web site I look after. Since it opened three years ago the Riad Porte Royale has changed enough for it to require a new set of photographs. I just love sitting on the terrace at sunset, and this picture sums up the atmosphere:

I even love the TV aerials and satellite dishes! Marrakech is very definitely NOT in the third world. It’s a medieval city with all the trappings of the 21st century. If you can, you must visit – whatever you do, it will be a new and unique experience!

Tags: Destination | Marrakech | Morocco | travel