Categories
in morocco

jardin majorelle

on the last post, i mentioned this desire to collect botanical specimens and “bring all the green things” home with me, and it reminded me of the jardin majorelle, one of my favourite places in marrakesh. even crowded with tourists, i find it irresistibly beautiful.

i think part of the allure of the majorelle garden is just how unexpected it is. in the middle of a dusty ocre city, the gardens are a green oasis — like an escape hatch from the the traffic and the heat. everywhere you look, there’s complicated cacti, towering bamboo or blooming vines, twisted around and covering the pergolas that surround the buildings and fountains.

and part of it is also the fact that the whole thing is a love story, from beginning to end. french painter jacques majorelle curated this garden over a lifetime, bringing back all kinds of plants from his travels to nurture and grow here. and so over time, the gardens became an immense green collection, showcasing his love affair with botany.

after jacques died, the gardens fell in disrepair and the land ended up for sale… until yves saint laurent and pierre bergé fell in love with them too, bought them, and kept it going, even adding to it over time.

and though it’s not as peaceful today as it might have been 50 years ago, it’s still growing and flowering, a testament to all these love stories. whenever i’m standing below the swaying bamboo stalks from far away places, i feel like i’m in a pretty special place in the world.

Categories
foooood in morocco

pain de sucre

everyone has seen the famous sugarloaf mountain in brasil, but do you know where its name comes from? here’s a clue…

it’s sugarloaf, or pão de açucar! we found them in carrefour in morocco, and i had never seen one in my life. apparently, this is how sugar used to be sold in most places up until the 20th century, and they still sell it there. the cones are big (around 2kg each) and can be grated or chiseled, breaking off small pieces to use.

we probably had it on the numerous cups of mint tea we consumed there!

Categories
analogue wednesdays in morocco

analogue wednesday #130

still scanning stuff from our last trip to morocco.

Categories
analogue wednesdays in morocco

analogue wednesday #129

marrakesh windows.

Categories
analogue wednesdays in morocco

analogue wednesday #128

watching the world go by from the terraces overlooking jamaa el fna, just before the storm hit.