Morocco has fascinated me for years. Movies and magazines romanced me, showing bold rich colors and describing exotic earthy flavors. The idea of it was so intriguing. I wondered, what is it like there? Is it a blend of Africa and the Mediterranean? It certainly is geographically. But what about the culture? Is there a distinctly Moroccan culture that I’d be able to feel, smell, taste? I felt an innate desire to know.

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to visit Morocco, Marrakesh specifically. My husband and I try to take one trip a year, just the two of us. We traveled there from Italy in February, right after Valentine’s Day. The trip felt like a Valentine’s Day present and it was also an excellent time to visit the country, weather-wise. We stayed at Le Méridien N’Fis, which is in a great location, situated about halfway between the ancient markets and the modern retail center “M Avenue”. It was a fun and useful location between the ancient and the brand sparkly new. 

I especially loved the hotel’s lush interior gardens. The gardens were perfectly manicured, with tall palm trees reaching to the sky, sculpted trees and lanterns anchoring the paths. Stepping out into the courtyard in the evening gave me a little shiver of excitement when I felt the thrilling feeling of being somewhere new. 

On our first night in Marrakesh, we met up with some old friends who just happened to be visiting at the same time. What a rush it was to discover they were also in the same city we were. We started by meeting at our hotel and then we walked to a restaurant about a mile away. We ate at Baba Turc in M Avenue. It had a colorful and vibrant interior, but we asked to eat outside. Everyone, it seemed, wanted to eat outside. So we waited about ten minutes and then joined the buzzing crowd seated at patio tables. The dinner was everything my mouth had been watering for. We ordered a huge selection of mezze to share. A very generous serving of grilled chicken, lamb, and beef arrived, served piping hot over onions and tomatoes. We also enjoyed a selection of dips – hummus, baba ganoush and muhammara. We finished dinner about 10:00 pm and walked back to our hotel to sleep, exhausted but happy after a long travel day and catching up with old friends. 

We woke up to a video message from our daughter. We were practically melting at the sweet message and it really got our day started on the best foot. We headed down to one of the most fun parts of staying in a hotel – a luxurious buffet breakfast. I particularly enjoyed the pinto beans cooked and then topped with finely chopped onions and bell peppers of all colors. I also had an omelet, cheese with fennel seeds, hummus, fresh veggies, and a tomato stuffed with eggs and cheese. And also, the best dried figs I’ve ever tasted. I was obsessed with this breakfast. There were also a lot of other foods on offer, including a homemade local crepe station, which my husband took full advantage of. 

After breakfast, we walked over to the souks, or markets, and even the walk was full of beautiful sights. We started wandering the meandering streets of the souks and got a little overwhelmed. We decided to retreat to a very cute cafe for lunch, where we were able to sit, relax, re-group and research a couple of specific sellers that we wanted to visit, and aim to shop at their stores. It gave us a simple plan to follow, a little structure, and made the whole process of exploring less stressful. The markets, in general, sell spices, shoes, leather, silver, and wood goods. We made our way to Herboriste La Sagesse and bought curry powder and skin care oil. I also bought a pair of bright salmon colored slippers. We went back and forth on purchasing a carved wood sphere and ultimately decided not to buy it. Walking away, the seller offered 50% off of the sphere, which made me think I had overpaid for the skin care. Overall, I’m not sure shopping had as much of an impact on me as the wandering did. The markets are extremely large and sprawling and do have some beautiful things, but it was more of experiencing something new that was the draw for me. 

On the way home, we walked through a gorgeous local park and happened to spot an inviting  rooftop restaurant. It turned out to be the restaurant on top of the Nobu Hotel, but we were able to have drinks and appetizers without a reservation. We saw gorgeous views of the old city as the sun was setting. We relaxed on the rooftop patio and I went down to their spa to make an appointment for later in the week. We walked back to the hotel, and by 9pm we were tucked into bed streaming Love Is Blind. 

After another delicious hotel breakfast, shoutout to those dressed-up pinto beans and egg-filled tomatoes, we made our way to Jardin Majorelle, a botanical garden with an impressive and shockingly vibrant blue villa. Earlier that morning, I bought two tickets online for a specific time slot. The ticket retrieving process was a little complicated and I ended up having to connect my phone to the staff wifi to retrieve our tickets. But overall, it worked out and we were soon on our way to walking slowly through serene gardens. Jardin Majorelle was created in 1932 by French artist Jacques Majorelle and was restored in the 1980s by French fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent. It was so peaceful walking among the  trees, cacti, streams and ponds. We finally reached the villa and it really is breathtaking. It is painted in the most striking deep blue color and is constructed in the cubist style. While we were there, there was plenty of time to stop and take creative photos against its impressive interior. We saw families with children, people dressed casually as well as fashionistas all lining up to take some snaps. Afterwards, we sat on a bench for a little while to just chill and look at the incredible surroundings. The trees and shade made the area nice and cool. It was a relaxing way to spend the afternoon. 

We walked across the street, browsed some boutiques, and started the walk back to our hotel. On the way, we stopped at Pestana CR7 Marrakech, a hotel owned by renowned soccer player Christiano Ronaldo. We had a drink in the lobby bar, which came with really tasty almonds to nibble on. I walked around the lobby, admiring the almost life-size portraits of the player himself and took the opportunity to use a very pristine bathroom. We enjoyed people watching and made our way back to our hotel to get ready for dinner. 

My husband made reservations for us at Babu. We had heard good things about it and the restaurant really delivered. The experience was a feast for the senses. The dining chairs were made of rich velvet and dark pomegranate or gold in color. The ambiance was dark and the music was thumping. Belly dancers perched impressively on narrow ledges and the fruity smoky smell of hookah hung in the air. The atmosphere was electric and the food was absolutely incredible. We were eager to try almost everything and we ordered and devoured many small plates of food. The evening was a lot of fun and even though Babu is open until much later, after dinner we were ready to retire to the hotel. My feet were so tired from walking all over the city the past few days that we hopped in a taxi for a short ride back. 

The next day after breakfast (more pinto beans, more egg-filled tomatoes, more homemade crepes) we enjoyed a massage at the Nobu hotel spa and then went for a swim in their indoor pool. I picked up charcoal soap and lavender shampoo as gifts for our babysitter and suggested we stop at the lobby bar on our way out. I was entranced by the space, which is anchored by a massive indoor tree encircled by bench seating. On our walk home, we stopped by a grocery store, Les Domaines Boutique, and I purchased some consumable souvenirs –  rose petals, honey almond butter and a clay mask. Our flight home the next morning was at 5:30am, so we went to bed early. 

Marrakesh in real life was just as romantic and vibrant as it had been in my imagination for years. I would love to go back and explore more cities and enjoy the unique culture and incredible food again.