Morocco Day 2 - Marrakesh (Definatley not a vegetarian day!)

So day 2 was a bit more chilled out.  The weather wasn't as good which was a shame as the Atlas mountains' snowy peaks were visible for all of the day before and we didn't take any photos.

We didn't do too much today, a visit to a miniaret and gardens.  We also went to another gardens but spent so long getting there (trying to avoid rip off taxi men and doing it ourselves - will we never learn!), that when we got there our enthusiam had been spent and we headed back to the square to watch some street entertainment.  In the day the main square is filled with storytellers, snake charmers, musicians and the like.  Some of it was quite fun to watch, some horrific, like the monkey trainers - they get their trained monkies to sit on tourists shoulders for photos!  Rowan thought it was hillarious that they had put a nappy on one monkey, I thought it was sick!

Rowans arty shot of the Koutubai minaret

A storks nest on top of the arials - if you look closely you can see the baby storks head in the nest

A magician / storyteller in the Djeema-el-fna.  Rowan was captivated, he was talking in Arabic, surrounded by Moroccan men and boys, we didn't understand a word, but Rowan would not leave until the man was finished

Sunset in the square.  It really was an amazing place, I felt like I had been transported back in time, surrounded by men in cloaks, horse and carts, but then a motorbike would zoom past me!

The food stalls setting up

The food stalls are all set up in a particular order, so that all the stalls selling the same kind of food are together, the sweet stalls, the tagine stalls, the kebab stalls, the offal stalls!  Whilst walking past the latter, Rowan noticed the steaming sheeps heads and brains and says he wants to eat a sheeps brain!  He was not joking!  So he sat down and the man boiled him a little sheeps brain, sprinkled it with cumin and gave it to Rowan.  Well you can see from the photo how chufed he was, he loved it, kept saying Yum Yum!  He made me try a bit, to which I gagged.  Tris ate some and Reuben said No Way!  In a way I was quite proud of Rowan - we eat meat, I have never shyed away from explaining to him where the meat we eat comes from and as far as he is concerned, if he eats meat from a sheep why is the brain any different!  He then asked for the sheeps head after he finished the brain, but I swiftly moved him on!

On the eating of weird food, Tris had a bowl of snail soup!

Even Reuben tried a snail, but I think that was only as you got to poke it out with a cocktail stick

Snail soup man

A much nicer stall of dried fruit!

Rowan and his snail

A random last shot of Marrakesh, but Rowan could have watched this man iron all day and night.  He was fascinated!

Morocco Day 1 - Marrakesh

Well its about time I put up some photos from our holiday, after all we've been back for 3 weeks now!

We flew into Marrakesh from Bristol, the boys seemed to enjoy the journey but were also quite excitied about going somewhere new.  Landing in the airport we dodged the dodgy taxi drivers and got on a much cheaper bus into the city.  Marrakesh is an amazing looking city, surrounded by large red walls against the backdrop of the Atlas mountain range.  We got off the bus by the Djeema-el-fna (the main square) and found someone who was willing to show us to our hotel for a small fee.  He took us down alleys, through lanes and what seemed like all over the place to finally get to our hotel.

Upon arriving to the hotel we hit our first and possibly biggest hurdle, the lady spoke French and Arabic, and we spoke English!  Fortunalty for us the manager turned up a bit later who did speak some English.  But I really dislike not being able to converse with people in their own language, and felt really bad that I hadn't brushed up on my french a bit better before we left, but I was too busy!

Anyway after checking in and chilling out, we wrapped up (it is winter there too, and it was chilly in the evenings) and headed out to the main square again for some food and a quick look around.

In the evening in the Djeema-el-fna, all these food stalls appear, it is a very vibrant hustley and bustley, magical place.  We had a tagine at one of the stalls.
Then we headed back as we knew it could all get a bit much for the boys after such a long journey.

So the following day we woke up (late for us at 8), but as breakfast wasn't served until 9 we went out for a morning stroll. We found the....

Orange juice stalls

The dried fruit stalls

More fruit and nuts

The poultry and egg souk

The early morning sun on the not so busy square

Quiet lanes

This was about 9am - it was so quiet, all the shops are still shut

Then we went for our breakfast, coffee, bread and orange juice in our very quiet riad.  the riads are a traditional style of house, where all the rooms are situated around a central courtyard.  Very pretty, but also very quiet!  Or it was until we came along!

I am sure when children are told to be quiet they have to make themselves twice as noisy and silly!

So then we packed up our bag and headed out to see the souks and the city for the day, we didn't get far before we stopped for pancakes!

The street is livening up now

Reubens glasses face

Olive souk

Ben Yousef Mosque - Marrakesh museum

So many beautiful mosaics.  Such attention to detail is put into everything

The courtyard of the museum (again another very quiet place!) with the giants lightshade!

Two very noisy jumping boys!

There was a long dark tunnel that was once used as a Hamman (a communal bath where they would have cleaned before going to pray - I think), the boys loved running up and down the tunnel turning on and off the lights and freaking out the other tourists!

This was the courtyard of the Ali Ben Yousef Merdersa, where students would have stayed when studying the Koran, hundreds of students would have stayed here at one time.

I felt very small as I stood in this magnificent courtyard, surrounded by beautiful mosaics and intricate carved cedar walls and balconies

Tristan and Rowan in  window of the students bedrooms

Back through the souks - Very tired by this time!

The Dyers souk.  I was really looking forward to going here to see them dying the wool and maybe buying some to bring home and knit something up, but by the time we got here I was so tired that I just wanted to sit down, so I saw a man dipping some wool into a huge vat of smelly, hot liquid ("its all natural madam" - Yeah, right!) and got a couple of photos then left for a well needed cuppa!

Finally, a chance to sit down, eat, drink and chill out - well kind of our omlettes were not cooked properly!  Oh well, we managed to get them cooked eventually and after a very long day headed back to rest.

Shoe skating dinosaurs

Rowan came back from our holiday with a tummy bug, which then got passed onto everyone else one by one, so for the last couple of weeks we have been avoiding other people and staying close to the bathroom! :(  Anyway we are all better now, just a bit out of sorts, trying to find the flow from before holidays and illnesses.  But we are getting there!

Last week was half term, as neither Rowan nor Reuben attends school this shouldn't make much difference but there was so much stuff going on, but being washed out from being poorly we decided to only go out to one activity, and that was at the Eden Project....

It was the last week of them having the ice rink there, so we went along to join an under 5's session, where they have no skates and there are loads of sledges etc.  it was great fun, the boys loved it, although Reuben did complain that it was too cold to start with (the boy really doesn't like the cold, he is so his fathers son!). Then we headed off to the rainforest biome to see the main half term attraction - a moving, roaring baby T-Rex.  Rowan got a bit side tracked on the way leading us off all over the place to cries of, "Mum, look theres loads of stuff up here" and  "I just need to read that sign".

We eventualy made it to the biome and after a very slow amble around all the different exhibits and things to do, we dashed through the last bit, just in time to catch the dinosaur.  It was pretty full on, there were lots of very scared children.  It walked up the path and bashed Rowan in the face with his hind leg, which Rowan thought was the coolest thing ever, then we had to chase him to get another look.  Reuben was bit unsure at first, but after seeing the mans legs and understanding that it was only a puppet he was fine.  the second look at it, the dinosaur stopped and sniffed Rowan, to which he hesitantly stroked it, then it sniffed Reuben, he stroked it then it nuzzled him!  They were both so chuffed!  I didn't get any photos though as it was all a bit a rush.

The rest of the day we spent watching storytellers (which was a bit too panto for Rowans liking!), making rainforest charms and wandering around. Then just before leaving we went into the Core which is the sciency bit of the project.  Rowan was absoultey fascinated, machines, inventions, buttons, wheels, allsorts of things to do.  He could have spent hours in there alone!

We left after that, a very very long day, but much fun had.

Reuben on the ice bike

Rowan loved the diggers

Rowan pulling Reuben on the sledge

Stroking a giants wasps bottom

Rowan trying to pull the metal man

These willow tunnels were great fun, I would like to try to recreate one in the garden

Rowan loved all the interactive displays, pulling and pushing anything and everything.  Note Rowans hair, very grown up hair cutting has happened!

Rainforest charm making, unfortunately Rowan has lost his

The Core - Rowans favourite bit

Especailly this one

Two cheeky monkeys i found on the bridge!

 This weekend bought an end to the horrible drizzle we have had for the last week or so, cold winds but blue skies we had all weekend.  On Saturday we headed off to Lands End, to see the end of the country.  there is a horrible theme park thing there now, but that was not half as much fun as having a picnic surrounded by a flock of starlings, they were so tame, they came right up to us to get crumbs, it was quite amazing.

Captain Reuben steering the lifeboat

The beautiful sky

Happy boy!

Oh yeah, other big news.... Rowan has had all his lovely locks cut off.  He looks about 2 years older now!  I have just realised though that most photos of him since have been with his hat on, must put one up of his new hair! 

I just had a heart melting moment!

Whilst walking past the living room door I heard Rowan reading out loud, I peeked in through the crack in the door and Reuben was sat on Rowans lap listening to his big brother read to him.  Then after the story they role played the characters, then Reuben said, "Another one please Rowan."

It is so sweet to see them enjoying something that has always been reserved for a grown up, and Reuben was so proud of his big bro!