Meet Me in the Atlas Mountains! We are going to Morocco!
This yarn is our desert rose.
12 years ago I went on a crochet retreat to Marrakech. It was one of the wildest experiences I have had and I loved every single minute of it. So I want to share that with you now, just as I loved it then.
We will meet in Marrakech and have a few days to breathe in the most bonkers, loud, colourful and ancient other world that is Marrakech. While I was there I felt like I was in a scene from Mr Benn; you know where the little man with the fez comes out of the changing room to make you go home? It was very like that. Otherworldly and biblical in so many ways.
Day One
We meet at the airport and take a taxi to Marrakech centre. At the main square, Jemaa El-fnaa, we need to take donkeys to our accommodation, through the narrow winding medina to Chambre d' Amis.
Our riad is special, it's an oasis from the noise and chaos outside the tall walls of the medina and where friends relax, knit and drink peppermint tea.
Once we have freshened up we head into the medina to see yarn dyeing, the traditional cobalt blue and saffron dyes, and pass the haberdashers - little windows where you are served through a hatch. We watch the women of the city crochet in the square, their yarn is harsher than our fine spun yarns, aran weight and upwards.
We pass the plumbers merchants!
And head to enjoy the culture at the Museum of Photography
Here, again, we are transported into a world which seems centuries ago. Think The English Patient, think Lawrence of Arabia, think romance and mysticism.
We sip mint tea on the roof terrace, knit, crochet and enjoy watching the sunset listening to the noise of the mosque, the medina below, snake charmers and street hustlers before eating at the restaurant too.
Day Two
An early start as we take a horse and carriage from the Medina to Yves Saint Laurent's amazing Jardin Majorelle
We eat breakfast in the courtyard and enjoy the tranquil gardens. Here we can spend some time with our projects, I bought a traditional Moroccan crochet hook so I am giving that a whirl too!
At lunch we check out of Chambres d'Amis and start our journey to the Atlas Mountains.
First stop is the stunning hotel of Beldi Country Club
Here we relax by the pool and stay for the evening before moving on further towards the mountains tomorrow. And look at the indoor pool!
The rose gardens smell delightful and now the scenery is changing slightly from the deep terracotta colours of the medina to the rose and dusty colours of the rose gardens and sandy terrain.
Day Three
To the Atlas Mountains
The journey is long, hot and dusty. We stop at a small market town to stretch our legs before travelling our final leg of the journey to the amazing Kasbah Bab Ourika
Kasbah Bab Ourika is a luxury boutique hotel overlocking the Atlas Mountains, it is stunning inside and out. If you like your interior designs, this is heaven.
I only stayed here for an afternoon and learnt broom crochet overlooking the most dramatic scenery. I think we should stay for a couple of days, don't you?
I don't believe in over complicating our stay at the Kasbah, it's the perfect place to relax and craft, spend time with yarn friends and brush the worries of everyday life away for a few days.
Enjoy your stay at the kasbah and the Atlas Mountains, I may never leave!
Thank you for coming with me.
