Mark and Alison Nolting in Morocco – “Toes in the Sahara Desert”


Morocco! Contradictory and beautiful – a land where medieval and modern blend together to delight the senses. Mark and Alison Nolting and their two sons, Miles and Nicholas, spent the Christmas and New Year holiday in this magical country. Enjoy their pictorial trip report.
First day in Casablanca


Mega mosque


Imagine Miles and Nick feeling small


Habous area


Dinner in the medina at Sqala
Arrived Marrakech


Marrakech square Djemaa el fna


Walking into the souks in Medina


Sardines .. whiffs


Mellah area with spices


Jardins majorelle – Yves st Laurent home


Arriving at our hotel – in the Medina and kasbah


Traditional hamman spa – haha Mark and I had the scrub down! The hotel entrance – Riad La Sultana
Departing to Ait Benhaddou today


Out and about in Gueliz having lunch at Grand Cafe de la Poste


On the rooftop of fashionable El Fenn looking towards Atlas Mountains where we going next


A handsome Seville orange in the garden of La Mamounia


The two tag alongs did 8 hotel and riad inspections today
Stunning views enroute to High Atlas


Our wildlife sighting – mountain goats


Tagines viande on the menu tonight


Berber figs


Finally here at the Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou


Many movies made here including Game of Thrones


Entering a Kasbah – Given the key to the door


This was a major stopover for the camel caravans bringing salt, gold etc from Niger & Mali and meeting the spice and silk nomads from the North
Today we visited Quarzazate and Skoura Oasis


Kasbah Taourirt was an old Pasha home


Feeling like we in a movie with all the film studios around


An old German canon given to the Pasha – boys and their toys. The local guide Aziz gave a great tour


Down in the Skoura Oasis valley


Winding down olive grove road to Kasbah Dar Ahlam


Another inspection – Great guest relations who grew up in the oasis


Overripe dates for picking – Piscine at Alkababba


Deux piscine at Dar Arhlam – Invitation for Moroccan tea


Setting sun on New Years Eve


Ringing in the New Year with a show at our Riad Ksar Ighnda
Absolutely brilliant time visiting Tinghir, Erfoud, Merzouga & our Sahara desert camp


Valley of Roses


Fertile valleys around every mountain pass


Berber girl portrait Berber Mums posing at the Gorge near Tinghir


A nomadic Berber and her herds


The donkey taxi Choosing our camel to ride into camp


Full moon rising as we arrived A half hour later and the mood was epic


Some desert harmony


Our caravan of camels to do the sunrise ride and we watched the moon dipping down too


Desert Bandits


Well worth the 7 hour winding drive to have the classic pose the next morning!


Possibly fennec fox?
Our final countdown – in Fez


The Meeting at the Palace gate – late in traffic so missed our appointment by a few minutes with King Mohammed VI


The Bab Bou Jeloud – Blue Gate entrance into old Medina


Medersa Bou Inania – where they stayed and studied in 13 the century. Merenid architecture


University of Al Karaouine – oldest university in the world dating back to 9th century


Fondouk Nejjarine museum – the merchants stayed here overnight to barter


Selling walnut bark – use as a lip balm


Ceramic workshop Art Naji Serrafine souk – pounding brass and copper


Silver teapots – mint flavor rules


The souq has three tanneries – the Choura is oldest


A new appreciation for Medina doors


Escargot soup – smelt so delicious Saffron couscous – off to dinner at Riad Fez


Nourdine was our guide for the day – very interesting with all the history facts


Buying cherimoyas – delicious sweet and juicy fruit from Peru. The favorite of our guide