My travels to Turkey and Morocco and countries that load you with wonderful tea and mouth watering small plates of food called mezze, have made me a convert to using any cool old or new bowls, baskets, trays or stools throughout my home that aid me in re-creating some of my memorable travel moments. Each piece has multiple uses. Use them in your bathroom, patios, and by all means to add dimension to your entertaining accouterments.

There are still towns where craftsmen using old techniques have not changed in 1000 years. This group mixes old and new pieces, all useful, re-purposed and functional.
From top left clock wise...

• Large Mezze tray with wrought iron stand
• Hand engraved tinned copper platter
• Deep tinned copper tea tray
• Ottoman tinned copper bowl with lid
• Tea tray with 3 handles
• Recycled tire and wrought iron stool
• Ottoman tinned copper bowls
• Zinc baskets

Last Stop…Essaouira

 

We had long planned to end our Moroccan travels in a seaside town with the explicit plan of relaxing and taking in the sea breezes. As with most places, we weren’t quite able to relax with all the hustle and bustle that goes along with any dining or shopping experience in Morocco. However, Essaouira proved to be downright calm in comparison to all of the other Moroccan cities we had visited. Jimmi Hendrix is said to have written Castles on the Sand with this place in mind. Essaouira is also known for its Argan oil.

Essaouira, a white-washed and breezy town, is located right on the water and boasts an incredibly easy-to-navigate little medina. Our lovely little riad, Dar Ness, was exactly what we had hoped for and more: quiet, small, and priced right. We spent several lovely hours each day reading on the terrace and soaking up the sun (and avoiding the sea gulls that dive-bombed our breakfasts!).

James, the proprietor, offered us many good dining suggestions and was supremely helpful in organizing a taxi transport all the way to the airport in Casablanca. We did, in fact, have the best food on our trip in Essaouira; just none of it was Moroccan!

On our first day we haggled for grilled fish by the pier, but the fish was over-grilled and really, after haggling everyday in the souks of Fes and Marrakesh, the last thing we wanted to do was haggle for our meals. So we decided to hunt out the quirky: our first dinner was at Dar Loubane which was decidedly quirky. Run by an older French couple and filled with random bric-a-brac, the sole meuniere and chocolate mousse was a welcome change, not to mention the fact that they had wine on the menu.

We spent our last day in Morocco browsing the relatively quiet streets of the medina and reading on our terrace. Our last dinner was at another quirky place, Dar Baba. Run by an Italian, Dar Baba serves authentic homemade pastas and cheeses. We were a little skeptical as we had just spent several days eating in Rome, but we were glad that we stumbled upon it. All 5 tables were happily eating and sending recommendations our way. It’s unfortunate that we hadn’t been able to find as many positive dining experiences in Fes or Marrakesh as we did in Essaouira, but we were glad that we ended our trip there. All in all, starting in Fes, decidedly the most chaotic of the cities we visited, and ending in Essaouira, the calmest of the cities, was a solid decision: we entered Morocco at its craziest and departed Morocco at its calmest.

Morocco – Marrakech

 

The medina was already buzzing the evening we arrived in Marrakesh. Brightly lit stalls with mounds of oranges and bins of apricots, dates, nuts, and figs surrounded the main square, Jemaa El-Fnaa. At the gate of the medina, we were immediately enveloped by the “do-gooders” trying to direct us to our riad. With my trusty old Blackberry which I save for travels like this, sim card fully loaded, I called the riad we had booked, and within minutes, Pierre and Simone showed up to whisk us to our very lovely “home” in the Medina. We loved our riad, just off the main square, but down a side street which ensured a quiet’s night sleep.

The sun is blindingly white, I’m squinting even with my sunglasses on. We take refuge in the shady lanes of the souqs, trying not to look directly at the brightly colored pottery, metal lanterns, hand-stitched leather purses, and silver mirrors, otherwise the merchants catch us looking and launch immediately into their hard sell, chasing us as we keep walking. We know the marrakeshi merchants are ruthless – they step into one’s path, blocking the way, commanding us to look at their shop. I dodge, and they chase after me yelling “Oh madam, why do you not like Moroccan men?” Small boys sell packets of tissues and big balloons while women sells baskets and cookies.

When we make eyes at something we want to buy, we realize that the prices in Marrakech are exorbitant as compared to Fes, and the shopkeepers seem angry at us for counter offering a price that we already know is reasonable. With hard bargaining skills, we often emerged triumphant, but one must be firm and be prepared to walk away if the seller refuses your final offer (so tough!).

My favorite purchases in Marrakesh were, of course, the lovely little sugar pots which we tracked down after failing to purchase them in Fes. Other highlights were hand-woven scarves purchased from the best-dressed man in the souk, tiny hand-tooled leather purses, and leather Tuareg camel reins.

As expected, traveling in a unfamiliar terrain comes with frustrating challenges. Every time we paused to consider which direction to head or to take a peek at our map, a boy latched on to us, demanding money to show us the way, even though we protest loudly that we don’t need any help, merci. Taxi drivers refuse to use the meter, and ask for a fare that we know is quadruple what we should be paying. Maybe it’s not any worse here than it was in Delhi, Kathmandu, Hong Kong, or Kuta, but it feels more ruthless. We are exhausted.

Every restaurant plunks down a free dish of olives when we sit down, and they are delicious. The olives make us crave good cheese and good wine, though we can’t find either. Wine and beer are on the menus in the fancy hotels and restaurants that are filled with well-dressed Europeans, but impossible to find at the more affordable places where we mostly eat. We spent two hours out in the no-man’s land of the ville nouvelle finding our way to one supermarket, and then another to buy a bottle of wine and some crackers to enjoy on the terrace of our hotel. Alcohol consumption seems so secretive here that we feel like we are smuggling drugs back into the medina.

It's funny when you travel in exotic places that require you to be on point and use so many senses you did not realize you had! The truth is that in any country no matter the different customs, at the end of the journey people are people and a smile and a hand shake and a bit of warmth gets you a long way.

Morocco – Fes

We arrived at the gates of the Fes Medina just after sundown, met by Mohamed who managed the riad deep inside the Medina, where we stayed. The Casablanca airport is connected to the train station, making the train connection to Fes seamless. That was the only easy part this trip.

Full frontal assault is all I can say about Fes. I would never go to Fes first while visiting Morocco if not already a seasoned traveler; with 9000 streets in the 1200 yr old Medina alone, and 1000 of those dead ends, it is impossible to know your way, even for those with great direction. Naturally, the defense-minded urban planners of the medina knew what they were doing and so we were constantly hitting dead ends, maps were useless (who can fit 9000 streets on a map?), confirming and re-confirming, and still getting lost.

Babouches

Our first day we spent in one tiny corner of the medina, circling around and around, yet never passing by the same shops as the streets were so numerous. We were lucky enough to happen upon a delicious little patisserie where we took refuge from our lack of direction to have café au laits, banana smoothies, and gallete au morrocain (marzipan filled crisps). Thus fortified, we managed to successfully haggle for several pairs of fashionable babouches (leather slippers) from a lovely man, Ahmed, who we found deep inside the slipper souk. Having successfully found our way back to our riad, we went to sleep dreaming of tomorrow’s shopping adventures.

Naturally, nothing is as easy as it sounds. Having realized that we had spent our first day literally going in circles (yet never rounding back again) we decided to go in the opposite direction the following day. This was a lucky move. Going right instead of left rewarded us with ceramic sellers, Bedouin blanket weavers, and the elusive copper sugar pots (you seem to love them as much as I do because they're almost sold out!). The latter we mistakenly did not buy (which we made up for in Marrakech), but we spent a lovely afternoon haggling with the Bedouin blanket weaver. After our deal was done, he offered us homemade lunch and tea. It turned out to be the best tagine we had all trip!

Afterwards, we went back to the ceramics dealer to test out our (by Moroccan standards) unpolished bargaining. I fell in love with these pedestal soap dishes, buying all he had, which, as is the case with most of my purchases, turned out to be only 12. Ryan and I ended our trip in Fez at the lovely, albeit touristy Clock Café where we ate our first really good Moroccan meal: camel burgers and pickled veggies on the side. Yum! 

I hope to see you back here next week when I'll be sharing a bit more about my market experience in Marrakech...

Staying Warm

Even though we've had an unseasonably warm winter in our neck of the woods, the cold is slowly creeping in. The best thing about the gray skies and frosty mornings of winter is bundling under layers and layers of blankets, your face slightly cold, while the rest of your body is tucked in warm and cozy.

Blankets are some of my favorite things to buy on my travels. Our newest group from Morocco come in a variety of great neutrals but are by no means boring! Full of texture and pattern, they'll make your bed look so fantastic, you'll want to jump right in and be lazy all day.

Handira are hand woven blankets made from 100% sheep's wool and often decorated with sequins. If you are into tribal or Bohemian textiles with a story and a purpose these wedding blankets made by Berber women are it. The long loose ends were left on the shawl's reverse side to create warmth and insulation for the Berbers, who live in the mountainous regions. The colorful bands of wool are often kilim weaves, related to the traditional colorful flat-woven rugs of the region. These have become a popular accent around the house. They look great at the foot of the bed or over a daybed. Use them as floor coverings or as wall art.

For a bit more color and pattern, check out some of our other beautiful blankets. Stay as warm as you can this January! Don't forget to follow us on facebook or twitter to be the first to know when new items available.

2013 Resolutions

After returning from an intense trip where I also picked up a cold, I thought, I don’t have time to think of any New Year’s resolutions. I’m trying to capture all the moments from Morocco before I lose any ideas and working hard to photograph and describe all the new products for the shop site. My brain was hitting the ground running and I had to screech on the brakes to take some time to do some inner searching about how I wanted 2013 to be better, for myself and for my business.

My resolutions always begin with get organized, get fit, stop procrastinating, pay attention more, be a better listener, yada yada. But really, all I want to do each year is forge stronger bonds with my friends and family.  As for work, I want to be even more thoughtful about what I purchase – both personally and for The Loaded Trunk – specifically purchases that have a less negative effect on our environment. Spend more time thinking of where things come from and who is helped by my purchase.

As I’m always distracted by those bright, shiny objects, I am also resolving to stay focused and blog more consistently. I can’t wait to share more stories about my travels and all the wonderful the thing that end up coming home with me. Happy New Year to all my readers around the globe. Here’s to more exciting adventures in 2013!