We should get a massage...

While in Morocco last month, Kevin and I treated ourselves to a massage.  Now I like a good deep tissue massage as much as the other guy, but this was a whole new experience!

We heard from a friend that if we were going to be in Morocco, we HAD to get a traditional Hammam, so we did. HOLY HAMMAM, I guess I should have done a little more research on the finer details of the Hammam, because it was a bit shocking at first. After the shock and the first five layers of my skin came off, I really enjoyed it!

But, I'm getting ahead of myself, let me set the mood.  After checking in, a small Moroccan lady escorted me through a dimly lit hallway to a tiled steamy room where she proceeded to douse me with bowls of warm water. After a good eucalyptus soaping, she left to let the steam and soap work it's magic. As I waited alone listening to the steam filling the room, I couldn't help but feel slightly anxious wondering if the door was locked and if I would be forgotten forever. I really should have asked her to explain the process before we started! As I waited for her to return, a vision of my ultimate demise as a shriveled raisin kept popping into my head. When the women finally came back into the room I laughed thinking how far I let my mind wander when I'm alone!

Anyway, when I realized that my life wouldn't end as a raisin, I felt much more relaxed.  The Hammam ends with special industrial grade sandpaper mitt used for scrubbing off any excess grime.

After I got over the stinging sensation, my skin felt great, like a snake shedding out of the old and settling into the new! My skin was absolutely glowing for a week afterwards. I can understand why Moroccan women go to the Hammam often, it was such a cleansing experience, and I believe if you are a local, it's a great place to bond and catch up on all the gossip!

A family trip to Morocco

It seems like we've been back forever from our family trip to Morocco, but our experiences in Marrakech are fresh in our minds and still a major topic of conversation around the house. The kids would like to move there, Quinn constantly points to Morocco on our globe, and Kevin and I can't wait to plan our next trip to this amazing place. Fair warning, this post is long and has way too many pictures, sorry about that, I just couldn't help myself...

While staying in Marrakech many people stay in an historic Riad in the old part of the city, but with two small children who like a little space to roam we chose to stay just outside of the city at the Beldi Country Club, and we are so glad we did!

The Beldi is just a few km outside of the Medina and is an oasis of tranquility, with paths, pools, and fragrant gardens throughout.The smell of orange blossoms from the tree outside our room will always be the smell I associate with the Beldi. It is truly an amazing place. The kids loved it and made friends with the sweetest older girls who would tour them around after meals so that the parents could chat. Vacation friends are the best!

Since we were staying outside of the city, we made a point to research and make reservations at a few good restaurants in the Medina before we left. We used these reservations as a way to force us to leave our oasis and get out and about. Here we are at the Café des Épices taking full advantage of this awesome couch table situation after a long walk through the Medina.

Our dining experiences were great, we ate some really great Tajines which is a meaty stew usually served with couscous, and the plentiful Moroccan bread was delicious. The restaurants were so kid friendly, they always served the kid's meals very quickly, then when they finished the waiters would play with them while we finished eating. I'm not sure if this is always the case, as we visited during the off season, and usually ate early so the restaurants weren't very crowded.

One night after dinner, we took a walk through the souks to Jemma-el Fnaa which is the main square in Marrakech and the happening place to be when the sun goes down. It was a feast for the senses! Snake charmers, drummers, flute players, dancers, monkeys, and every type of Moroccan food imaginable filled the square with sound and life. Seeing the souks and Jemma-el Fnaa for the first time at night was magical and I highly recommend it!

Before we left we heard many warnings about the persuasive street sales people, and to be perfectly honest, we didn't have a problem. In fact, I have a lot of respect for people trying to make a buck and it was fun to see how the Moroccans do it. Plus, Kevin and I must have really convincing polite "No's" because they seemed to work just fine, and we didn't feel hassled at all.

After a fun night in the Medina, we spent lots of quality time exploring the grounds of our hotel.

We swam for hours in the hot pool.

We watched the onsite potters mold clay into beautiful earthenware.

 We spent hours searching for tadpoles in the ponds.

 Quinn picked sour oranges from the trees. 

Kevin and I also got massages and had a traditional Hamamm, which is a story for another post because that was quite an experience!

We spent another morning exploring the Bahia Palace, which is a beautiful palace turned art museum filled with courtyards and gardens. After wandering through the tile and art filled rooms and passages we took a break in one of the giant courtyards. The kids had a great time playing, and Kevin and I did some people watching.

After, we wandered over to an artisan market where we watched the artists at work, Quinn helped a man resize a camel belt, and Anna tried on ALL the colorful Moroccan slippers. It was really neat to buy a few treasures directly from the people who made them!

*Look at that tile work!!

Marrakech is a short 3 hour plane ride from Switzerland, and we hope to go back again and again. As our kids get older (and less carsick...) we can't wait to explore the villages in the nearby Atlas Mountains. I feel like I say this about every place we visit, but I would totally move there!