Marrakesh Express
By Steve Sharp
One for the bucket list.
‘Coloured cottons hang in the air. Charming cobras in the square. Striped djellabas we can wear…’
A description of Marrakesh by Crosby, Stills, and Nash written in 1969 and just as true today.
I have been to Marrakesh three times before, but always on business, so presented with the opportunity to spend a couple of days there to have a proper look around, we jumped at the chance.
The last time I came was probably fifteen years ago and it seems little has changed except the names on the back of fake football shirts. Messi, Hakimi, Haaland and Mbappe.
Marrakesh is bustling, bordering manic in the crowded square and the labyrinthian souks, with tourists competing for space with motor scooters, bikes, three-wheeler delivery trucks, porter’s barrows, and donkey carts. It’s full-on but never feels unfriendly or threatening.
The sole purpose of the whole city is to unashamedly arrange the transfer of as much money as possible from the visitors to the local population. That’s not to say that value for money is not given in exchange. Of course, there is tourist tat for sale, but many of the goods offered are of interesting design and great quality, much of it made by talented local artisans. Leather, ceramics, metalwork, and fabrics offer the best value.
The process of buying anything though, can be quite exhausting, as the inevitable haggling seems to be viewed by the tradesmen as a national sport.
There is also a wide selection of great food available, from snails in the main square to top-quality restaurants, including Al Fassia, run entirely by very talented women.
A starter of tiny salads at Al Fassia.
At the same time as Crosby, Stills, and Nash were literally singing the praises of the place, other luminaries such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones beat a path there.
But Marrakesh’s most famous resident became fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent.
He bought a house and garden which had been created by French artist Jacques Majorelle but had fallen into a state of disrepair. Together with his partner, Pierre Berge, Yves restored the house and gardens to their former splendour.
Having spent much of his early career designing for Dior, famous for its monotone style, Yves Saint Laurent said that Morocco taught him about colour, and he was influenced by the pigments, dyes, fabrics and spices all around him. None more so than the famous Majorelle Blue adorning the buildings and planter pots of the Majorelle gardens, which you can visit and enjoy today.
Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, it is an extraordinary oasis of calm and sophistication.
Like every visitor to Marrakesh, we took home some souvenirs, but we also bought some of that bright, patented, Majorelle Blue paint……and covered a wall in our house!
A bold semi-permanent reminder of a short but very sweet trip.
Steve