Marrakech Part 2

Riad Vert.

It’s a traditional riad, which is a Moroccan house, set around a courtyard. These houses turn their faces away from the street. Outside it was MENTAL! Narrow, dusty lanes full of honking car horns and kids running and donkeys and people shouting and all kinds of furore. Once we stepped through the green door, hidden in a little alley off the narrowest street, it was a different world. A short passage brought us out into the courtyard, with palm trees growing in the middle. It was covered with a canopy, because it’s COLD in Marrakech at night in the winter. There were tables set out in the courtyard for dining, and rooms opened off it with sofas and low tables. The owner, Dominic, a rather groovy Frenchman, greeted us and we sat and had mint tea with him and some other guests, also French. I smiled and nodded and pretended to understand while Mr Fuss-Pott chatted away. I’d really been looking forward to that mint tea, and it wasn’t a disappointment (but I discovered those lovely silver teapots need some kind of holder for the handle, as the heat doesn’t know where to stop!).

Monsieur Dominic said that he had put us in a larger room, so I was a bit upset that I wouldn’t be getting the pretty drapey bed – I’d so looked forward to that. The room we were in was lovely though, and the bed was incredibly comfy. I think the room we’d originally requested was on the next floor up and perhaps they didn’t use that floor if they weren’t very full. I will say that although the bathroom LOOKED gorgeous, all terracotta plaster and marble with brass fittings, it wasn't terribly efficient. The shower was passable, I've certainly stood under more dribblesome ones, but the sink was just silly! It was a lovely brass bowl set into a tiled worktop, with a brass tap. Trouble was, the plug didn't work, the tap only trickled, and the trickle barely went into the bowl, it was mostly over the tiles! It took a fair while to get enough water in there to wash your face! There only seemed to be 3 other couples staying at the riad. A French couple who seemed a bit mad (they hired scooters one day and a car the next – totally bonkers!!!), a Polish man living in Switzerland, and his partner, I think she might have been Swiss, I’m not sure, and a very young and rather perfect-looking French couple with a lovely toddler.

After the madcap ride through the streets of Marrakech in the taxi, and having noted how far we seemed to be from anything vaguely resembling a restaurant, or even a shop, we decided we didn’t actually dare to go out of the riad in the dark, so we opted for dinner a la maison. I gather Riad Vert do wonderful meals. Dominic looked at us quite strangely when we explained (well, Mr F-P explained) that neither of us ate meat – most French people look askance at you if you tell them that! In the end we decided on a meal of omelettes, salads and strawberries. That sounded perfect. We got all our stuff sorted out (which means I forced Mr F-P to unpack – he always tries to just leave his things in the case and the case open in the middle of the floor!) and then went down for dinner.

We were served at a little table in the courtyard, under a palm tree. First we were brought a basket of bread and 2 earthenware bowls of ‘salads’, which were in fact cooked dishes. Both seemed to be aubergine based, but were quite different, and equally delicious. I did indulge in some of the bread – it was like French bread but even nicer – golden and really crusty on the outside and fluffy inside. We were also brought a big bottle of water. Then the omelettes came, one each, great big things, gorgeously cooked and oozing with fresh herbs. The waiter left the remains of the ‘salads’ so we had those with the omelettes. Mmmmmmmm! Pudding was fresh strawberries with vanilla yoghurt, and we had coffee to end. It was the most delicious meal. Later, back home, Mr F-P promised me he would email Dominic and beg for the recipes for those aubergine salads.

We went to bed quite early – you’re always knackered after travelling, aren’t you, even if you didn’t have to get up especially early or anything. Funny that. I didn’t get much sleep cos Mr F-P makes little noises in the back of his throat when he’s asleep, and I could hear him despite having cotton wool balls in my ears!