Since yesterday's breakfast failed to impress us, we had already picked out a brunch spot for today. But because I can't quite make it to 11 a.m. without food, we made a quick stop at our riad's dining area. And wouldn't you know it, today they decided to swap out bread for pancakes. And chocolate cake. I wasn't ready for that surprise, so by the time the pancakes arrived, my yogurt was already inhaled.
We strolled through the Medina streets to our Mandala Society café and snagged seats on the rooftop terrace. This fancy joint offered choices you can't even find in most of the cafés in Tallinn. One of us went for a fresh bagel with cream cheese and salmon while the other went full-on with Icelandic oat pancakes topped with fruits and orange blossom syrup. Oh, and coffee with almond milk!
To avoid repeating yesterday's blunder, we, as exemplary tourists, had crafted a proper plan for today. Brunch was followed by a visit to Bahia Palace, where a tourist paid exactly 7 times more for entry than a local. The experience was probably the same for both.
We attempted, once again, to leisurely wander around, but as usual, it turned out the same way—squinty eyes from all the smoke and exhaust fumes spewed into the practically enclosed space by those motorbikes whizzing by, all while being on high alert to dodge the next rider, and avoiding salesmen who were either trying to pawn off their goods on us or seemed to know exactly where we needed to go. And their idea of a suitable destination didn't align with ours. Scott grabbed some sort of meat-vegetable mix for lunch, sandwiched between bread, and apparently, it tasted pretty good. I grabbed a chicken-almond pastilla from the nearby counter.
Before dinner, we swung by the photography museum, and once again, the rooftop bestowed upon us an exceptionally beautiful view of Marrakech and the mountains.
Since our dinner was booked on a rooftop terrace promising a breathtaking sunset view, we timed our arrival accordingly. To prevent impious thoughts, the restaurant wisely obscured the entire sunset with panels and plants, leaving only the "best view" directly towards the mosque. We dined on fish ceviche, crab tortellini, and grilled octopus.
On our way back, Scott had cravings for ice cream, and we headed towards where we vaguely remembered it could be. Turns out, there was no ice cream. Instead, I ended up with an entirely unplanned kunafa. It was delicious, I might try making it myself again.
We found ourselves unexpectedly back at the Jemaa El Fna square and started walking towards the riad from there. It was much earlier than yesterday, and we assumed we'd get there without any "this street is closed" issues. Guess again. Once again, we were forced to choose a different route, and while I was starting to make sense of these narrow and winding Medina streets, at night when all the carpet shops are closed, things can spiral out of control. Some young lad redirected us about 100 meters back on track, and as we thanked him and began walking towards the now familiar area, he kindly informed us that a small token of gratitude usually involves a little cash - "Little Money Thanks". Since we didn't have a small enough change for 100 meters, that conversation ended there.
Kommentaare ei ole:
Postita kommentaar