Nov. 30, 2024
Hello everyone,
Hopefully, you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
While you were digging into a turkey, we were wrapping up the Morocco leg of our trip. Yesterday, we made the move back to Paris.
Or, to put it another way – we traded this view:
For this one:
As intense as Marrakech was, Essaouira was wonderfully laid back.
For example, take people passing you on the street. In Marrakech – you had to keep an ear out for motorcycles tearing through the narrow passageways, because they wouldn’t stop as they came within an inch or two of you. Whereas in Essaouira – we rarely saw motorcycles, but if a bicyclist had to pass you around a corner, they’d apologize.
Another example were the street vendors. In Marrakech, walking through the souk or the square at night felt like a gauntlet. Storekeepers and food vendors would block your path in an effort to drive you into their stall. However, in Essaouira, maybe one in five vendors would look up from their phone to acknowledge you. There would be an occasional hard sell, but then I’d ask for a ridiculous transaction (e.g., to sell me a $12 scarf for $4) and then we’d be on our merry way.
We noticed that Essaouira had a European vibe to its streets, which makes sense. (The Medina was designed by European engineers.)
However, there is a distinctly Moroccan flare, even to the street art:
And, the city’s blue fishing boats… These small, but mighty ships feed everyone from locals to tourists, and seagulls to cats:
Now that we’re back in Paris:
We had to say goodbye to Brad and Sarah last night:
While it’s been a busy weekend, we’re excited to explore Paris for a few days.
All our love,
Tara (and Steve)
Tara’s Adventures 