Souks to the Left of me...continued...

We continued our adventure by calling Sied's friend Abdallah. Abdallah was very handsome, and spoke PERFECT English. It seems that Sied had been trying to call him several times during our trip so Abdallah could translate for us. When he finally picked up his messages, Sied and I were just entering Aguedal Gardens.

This approx 3 mile garden contains some of the most beautiful orchards that have lemon, orange, apricot and olive trees. What makes this space extra special are the pool and pavilion named Menara Imperial. On a very clear day, you can see the snow capped peaks of the High Atlas mountains. Our day was hazy and need I repeat…hot?! I don’t think these pictures do them justice, but I did try.

After our visit, we went into town because Abdallah was hungry after a late night so we went for pizza. Let me explain, Abdallah is a movie set producer (he helped design the sets on several movies including Gladiator, Troy, and a few others I forget now), so they were finishing up a shoot that went very late last night. That’s why he didn’t retrieve his phone messages until almost 15:00 (3:00pm). While I was getting better with Sied, I was glad to have him here. Having an easier way to communicate was...great and chatted up while he ate seafood pizza. Very thin crust, and not like anything I’ve ever had before. I had a cappuccino (needed the rush) and while the boys sat and talked, I walked around and took more photos. I told you, I like a good adventure and am rarely scared to wander off and often to my own beat.

The architecture is so beautiful, and I’m drawn to the windows/doors. What am I saying? Everything is so beautiful. I am really glad I came to Marrakesh…and know that as the sun is beginning to get lower, and the breeze cooler that it will soon be time to go. Sure enough, we drop Abdallah off at his apartment and Sied and I head back to Rabat. I know the moment we get on the interstate that I will come back. Have you ever dreamed of going somewhere only when you finally get there, you are disappointed? This is not this country. There is a pull from this magical place. I’ve dreamed of Marrakesh for 4 years, and it was beyond my every dream and imagination. Believe me, I have a pretty good imagination ☺

We are about 8 miles away from the hotel when Sied gets a phone call. It’s the hotel just checking in to make sure that everything is ok. How’s that for service?? Of course it’s almost 20:30 (9:30pm) and I’ve been gone since early this morning. The concierge knew how excited I was so he was just checking to make sure there were no problems. I give the Hilton Rabat an A+ for caring about their customers.

After showing my goodies to everyone, and basking in their jealousy that I was able to go while they were in rehearsals, I grabbed a quick night snack, some tea, and off to bed for me. Today was a perfect day.