You haven’t been to Marrakech until you’ve been here

Jemaa El-Fnaa Market is a square & market place in the old city or Medina of Marrakech, used by locals & tourists.

During the day it’s mostly fresh juice stalls, merchants with traditional leather bags, jewelry & brass cups, youths trying to get you to pay for photos with monkeys & then there are the snake charmers. There are plenty of small cafes & restaurants to have a meal or Moroccan Mint Tea.

As the day progresses, the entertainment changes: late in the day the square becomes more crowded, with dancing/acrobatic boys (it would be against custom for girls to provide such entertainment), storytellers telling their tales in Berber or Arabic, magicians, and peddlers of traditional medicines or Argan oil lotions & such.

The souks with the spices & fruit are beautiful in their gorgeous colours & smells!

As darkness falls, the square fills with dozens of food stalls as the number of people on the square peaks. Steam rising from food stalls greets you, as do the greeters trying to invite you over for a meal.

The square is edged along one side by the Marrakesh souk, a traditional North African market: both for the common daily needs of the locals & for the tourists looking for something to take home with them.

On other sides are hotels, gardens & café terraces, narrow streets lead into the alleys of the medina quarter.

The square is so busy that you must watch as you go, for mopeds rush past at breakneck speeds! There are carts, pulled by donkeys, loaded down with fresh bread or fresh produce.

If you want to go into the alleyways we suggest one or two things: 1) Ask your Riad or hotel to find you a guide. You’ll pay them a little to help you not get lost & they’ll take you to what you ask to see. 2) If you don’t want a guide, always look like you know what you’re doing – if you don’t, some troublemakers take note & may try to pickpocket you or otherwise bully you into paying them some money. We chose a guide & had no trouble. Our friends went it alone, and did have a bit of an issue.

The best view of the market will be from a restaurant rooftop patio. We suggest https www.zeitouncafe.com You can enjoy the craziness from the comfort up above! You can hear the entertainment + the Calls to Prayer. Take a peek at our video here: https://youtu.be/xqKpYCBXhWQ

Travel Tootsies

I have these comfy, colourful world map slip ons in white & also black. They’re part of my capsule wardrobe that makes it possible to only take carry on luggage on our travels.

My sister got me into these great little shoes by Bucketfeet. They’re super comfortable, slim for packing & easy on & off when going through security at airports.

There are lots of funky designs that are creations of actual artists, making these cuties available by limited edition only. These are perfect for me because the map (hellooooo travel!) & each continent actually looks like different fabrics (my other hobby – sewing!)

Bucketfeet let you to express your personality & individuality + you’re wearing art on your feet, making YOU a patron of the arts.

http://www.bucketfeet.store/info.

Bath Abbey, England

The Abbey Church of Saint Peter & Saint Paul, most commonly known as Bath Abbey, is a parish church of the Church of England. It’s also a former Benedictine monastery in Bath, England.

Bath Abbey
The rating above is based on a five ticket recommendation. We compare to hundreds of locations and activities during the last ten years.

Parliament Buildings, Victoria B.C., Canada

 

Home to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, the Parliament Buildings are open to the public year-round. Visitors are welcome to join one of the regularly scheduled tours, stroll through the buildings on their own self guided tour, or even have a bite to eat in the Legislative Dining Room.  Free guided tours are available Monday through Friday throughout the year & 7 days a week during the summer. You might even run into some political figures there & get to chat with them.

This is a very beautiful property, where you can sit & enjoy looking around the sights while relaxing. Personally, I most enjoy seeing the Parliament Buildings at night when they’re all lit up by millions of white, glittering lights… what a photo op!

Government Street, Victoria B.C., Canada

Government Street is a busy street lined with some of  Victoria’s biggest tourist attractions. Always such a nice place to walk around & see what is going on… as busy as it is, there is always a chance to sit & enjoy the surroundings. Along the waterfront you’ll see boats, water taxis, larger yachts, a dragon boat festival & possibly some seals. There are plenty of vendors with handcrafted items such a jewellery, soap, clothing, art & many items that would make an excellent souvenir for you or a loved one.

For a special treat, have afternoon High Tea at the grand Empress Hotel or board a ferry for a harbour tour. There are a lot of scenic, historic walks so make sure to read the historic plaques along your way. There are even a few guided tours throughout the city & quite a few horse drawn carriages.  In the warmer weather there are often musicians & performers to see like eclectic artists & one man bands… how entertaining!