by 5 people |
La Vie en Maroc!
This lens is part pre-trip research on the country of Morocco: What is the weather like in Morocco? The food? The culture? What is there to do? How are Americans perceived? These are all things that I have explored, and I share my findings with you here.
And part post-trip advice on things like: What was cool about it? What wasn't? How was the shopping? The food? The people?Â
Come along with me and explore Morocco 2007! Â
Morocco: The Basics
Language: Official language: Arabic (official), Derija (Moroccan Arabic), several Berber dialects. As a second language: Spanish in the north, French in the southern region.Climate: Just about all the extremes you can imagine, from the seaside, to snow in the high Atlas Mountains, to the Sahara Desert!
Cultural makeup:
Religion: 98% muslim
New terms to know
- medina: the ancient section of many north African cities
- riyad, riad: typical home in the medina, or old section, built around a center courtyard. Often deceptively modest on the exterior.
- hammam: bath house
- souk, souq: the marketplace in an Arab city
Morocco on Wikipedia
Morocco ( al-Ma?rib), officially the Kingdom of MoroccoConventional long form: Kingdom of Morocco - Conventional short form: Morocco - Local long form: al-Mamlakah al-Ma?ribiyya - Local short form: al-Ma?rib - CIA World Factbook (), is a country located in North Africa with a population of nearly 32 million and an area just under . Its capital is Rabat, and its largest city is Casablanca. Morocco has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by Algeria to the east, Spain to the north (a water border through the Strait and land borders with two small Spanish autonomous cities, Ceuta and Melilla), and Mauritania to the south via its Western Saharan territories.Pending resolution of the Western Sahara conflict.
Morocco is the only country in Africa that is not currently a member of the African Union and it has shown no interest in joining. However, it is a member of the Arab League, Arab Maghreb Union, Francophonie, Organisation of the Islamic Conference, Mediterranean Dialogue group, and Group of 77. It is also a major non-NATO ally of the United States.
Guidebooks
Morocco (Country Guide)
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Morocco (Eyewitness Travel Guides)
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Fodor's Morocco, 3rd Edition (Fodor's Gold Guides)
Release Date: 02/06/2007
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The Rough Guide to Morocco 7 (Rough Guide Travel Guides)
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Morocco - Culture Smart!: the essential guide to customs & culture
Release Date: 11/14/2006
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Dragging along a reluctant husband? Can you say "golf"?
Yes, thank god, there is golf in Morocco! The former king was a big golfer, and built several beautiful courses. More are being built currently. (Somewhat controversial in a land with water shortages....)
- Golf Marrakech!
- Here's a link to some of the beautiful courses in the area of Marrakech.
- Golf in Morocco / Marrakech
- And more info. (On the theory "Give them golf courses, they will come.")
Morocco Links
Fascinating bits and pieces about the country
- Art and Culture in Morocco | Morocco
- Understanding local customs and arts in Morocco on Morocco.com/ Interesting little bit on cultural dos and don'ts.
Video of Morocco
Various YouTube entries from around the country
Moroccan Cookbooks
Cooking at the Kasbah: Recipes from My Moroccan Kitchen
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Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco
Release Date: 02/18/1987
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Food of Morocco: Authentic Recipes from the North African Coast (Food of the World Cookbooks)
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Authentic Recipes from Morocco (Authentic Recipes Series)
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A Taste of Morocco: From Harira Soup to Chicken Kdra (The Small Book of Good Taste Series)
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Cook with Tagine
(In case you forgot to pick one up when you were there....)
Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Moroccan Tagine, 1-3/4 Qt.
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Emile Henry Tagine, 2.6 Qt
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Cafe Morocco
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Couscous and Tagines: Two Moroccan Classics
Release Date: 05/22/2007
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Available for download now
Marrakesh Travel Guide
VirtualTourist.com
- Shopping for Food and Drink
- Wonderful first-hand tips on where to find what-- from closet-sized stores in the souks to regular grocery stores (with beer and wine!) in the ville nouveau.
- Things to Do
- Reviews and photos of Marrakesh attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Marrakesh sightseeing! Gardens, museums, palaces, tombs, and a guide to the suuqs.
- Restaurants
- Reviews and photos of Marrakesh restaurants posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Marrakesh dining, from local cuisine to street vendors, sea food to fast food!
- Tourist Trap Tips
- Everything from what (and where) to avoid, to blurbs like "Pictures with monkeys... AVOID THEM!!!" and "Beware tarted up "water sellers" who want money to take their pictures and then don't even have any water...."
- Packing Lists
- Tips on what to pack for a trip to Marrakesh, posted by real travelers and Marrakesh locals. General items, clothes for the climate, books and maps, etc.
Marrakech Books on Amazon
Shopping in Marrakech
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Lulu in Marrakech
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Marrakech: Living on the Edge of the Desert
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Time Out Marrakech: Essaouira and the High Atlas (Time Out Guides)
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The Lying Stones of Marrakech: Penultimate Reflections in Natural History
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More fun and informative links:
- Adventures in Marrakech
- A great site about Morocco with lots and lots of pictures!
- World 66: Marrakech Travel Guide
- History, pictures, restaurants, places to stay, and "perfect day" plans!
- Marrakech Fact Sheet from Concierge.com
- Up-to-the minute info including time, weather and exchange rates.
Marrakech in Photos
The Jama'a Elfna Square in Marrakech.
Mesquita %uFFFD entrada de Marrakech (tirada do carro em movimento...)
Taken in Marrakech while we were searching the Sahadi Tombs - Marruecos
Ladies sitting on a bench at the Koutoubia mosque in Marrakech, Morocco
Kubba Ba'Adiyin, Marrakech
Marrakech Souk
Food stalls and snake charmers, early evening in Jemaa el Fna Marrakech
El Zoco, La Medina, Marrakech
This Old Riyad
This Old Riad!
Episode One! Renovating a house in a foreign land is fun and frustrating. Follow us as we begin work on our new home in Morocco!
Runtime: 7:22
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10 Comments:
Flickr Photos of Beautiful Essaouira!
I make no claim to these beautiful pics-- I am just providing links to their owners' Flickr Photostreams. I encourage you to visit each one to see more by these great photographers!
Essaouira Ebb Tide by angie_real %uFFFD Angela Lobefaro
Fisherman gutting the catch late afternoon, attracting a lot of seagulls in Essa...
A door of the city of Essaouira. January 1993 Such a great place. Leica M6. Fuj...
The proof. This is like the Hitchcock's movie
Fresh produce in Essaouira
Coucher de soleil sur Essaouira
essaouira
Essaouira Blue
El delicioso menu del viernes en Essaouira
Essaouira, Morocco
Cat & Butcher's Shop
Trevlig Midsommar - Bonne Fête de la musique, Essaouira, Morocco
Bateaux de pêcheurs d'Essaouira
Boats Essaouira
Essaouira pastel
Essaouira foi a berebere Amogdul
Sunset over Essaouira
Cannons of Essaouira
Vista desde el puerto de Essaouira.
Mystic Essaouira
Porcelana - Essaouira
Essaouira - Morocco
Essaouira
Good Luck in Essaouira
This is a wall of the 18th century coastal town of Essaouira. Although a series...
Essaouira souk (storefront)
Essaouira door fixture
Essaouira souk
Essaouira by abmiller99
Respirar Essaouira
Links on the Seaside Town of Essaouira
- Essaouira.com
- English-language site with info on accomodations, itineraries and maps, culture and traditions, and other practical information.
- Sejour Essaouira
- La ville d'’Essaouira et ses habitants sont heureux d'’inviter ses nouveaux voyageurs à découvrir la culture marocaine à travers son harchitecture, son artisanat, ses traditions, ses festivals.
- Essaouira - Wikipedia entry
- History, modern industry-- not much more.
- Essaouiranet.com
- Two live webcams, and several 360-degree photos of the port, the beach, the skyline, etc.
- Essaouira - Mogador : L'invitation au voyage
- Invitation au voyage dans une ville du sud du Maroc : Essaouira - Mogador petit port de pêche, cité historique et touristique.
- The Best of Morocco: Essaouira
- Pictures, festivals, artisans....
- Essaouira, Beautiful and Quiet
- Travel related article on this destination. Photos and interactive map.
- Riad Essaouira - Accueil
- I can heartily recommend this enchanting riyad situated in the heart of the medina in Essaouira. You will feel like you're in your own private palace. The absolute pefect place to stay when visiting this charming town.
Essaouira vids!
Awesome Way to Brush Up on Rusty French!
The French Pod Class
This highly entertaining, useful and helpful podcast has totally captivated me! I came across it about a month ago, and have since gone back and downloaded every single one of the 70 or so episodes!
The host, Sebastien is wonderful! I love the mix of French and English, and also the variety he provides-- music, audio clips from movies, passages from books-- all wonderfully explained in French and English.
I was a French major in college and lived in France for a year almost 25 years ago-- and since listening to this podcast for the last month, I am really beginning to be able to speak, understand, and even dream in French again!
Bravo, Sebastien!
What the heck-- go ahead and book your flight!
Please sign my guestbook!
What drew you to my lens? Have you been to Morocco? Thinking about going to Morocco? Find anything useful here? Have any ideas for me? Let me know what you're thinking!
JaguarJulie wrote...
We may be making a side trip to Morocco in the not too distant future as hubby has been researching timeshares in southern Spain and may be booking something -- just can't get enough of those European vacations. Best to you my dear in the new year.
Posted December 31, 2008
JZ_Daniel wrote...
Cool Lens. Are you the people who made the video? I saw it previously on youtube. If you are doing a riad would you let me know? Thanks.
Posted December 30, 2008
GHouse wrote...
Hi!! Just come to see your nice lens. I did my travel lens too. It's about my hotel in hua hin Thailand. Hua Hin is a charming town of clean white sandy beach. If you come to Thailand, please visit us.
Posted December 06, 2008
modernjane wrote...
I loved Morocco, but my experience may have been a bit different since I'm married to a guy from Morocco and we stayed with family most of the time. Let me just say that the food at the Moroccan restaurants are nothing compared to what you get in the normal Moroccan household. I love to eat out but after the second restaurant we decided it wasn't worth it when an awesome bastilla was on the table at Grandma's house.
Posted September 27, 2008
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