Morocco Day 4 - Essaouira

Our days in Essaouria were spent eating, playing on the beach, playing in the park, walking through the town, afternoon napping, sunset watching and a bit more eating!

Eating dates in the window

The biggest puddle in the world.  On our first night in Essaouira there was a big storm and the following morning many, many puddles.

Trying not to step on the cracks!

Watching a football match on the beach

More pancakes!

Rowans photos of the seagulls

Morocco Day 3 - Marrakesh - Essaouira

Well it really is about time I finished our holiday photos!

Day 3 saw us get up very early and get a taxi to the bus station.  The boys didn't enjoy being woken up so early and did object very loudly about being prised from their beds and out into the chilly morning to walk to find a taxi!  But after only a short walk a taxi appeared, someone was looking down on us!
We made it to the bus station in plenty of time, bought our tickets to Essaouira and sat down for coffee and croissants until it was time to depart.

The journey wasn't too long, about 3 hours.  We travelled across desert with little villages along the way.  For a while the amazing Atlas mountains were looming on the horizon through the mist. 

Then we arrived at Essaouira, a fishing town.  Like Marrakesh, it is a walled city, but much cleaner and quieter.  The roads in the town were wide, unlike Marrakesh and the police enforced the no vehicles rule, so no motorised vehicles at all were allowed inside the walls.  This was great for the kids, they could just run down the streets.  We hired a barrow man ( a man and a large wheelbarrow) to get Rowan and our bags to out hotel, Reuben wouldn't go anywhere near the man or his barrow! Then we checked in and headed straight to the beach. Shoes and socks off, feeling the warm sand between out toes felt wonderful.  The boys played happily for ages, then we headed back to watch the fishermen bring in their catch (which happened to be a huge shark), then a bit of sunset viewing, food and bed.

View from bus window, you can just see the mountains in the distance

A cheeky monkey we found on the bus!

Yippee, beach!

Awww, look at his hair (I miss his beautiful long locks)

Big boat or tiny child? (a bit of both, but the boat was huge!)

It took 8 men to get this shark out of the tiny litle wooden boat it came in on.  I have no idea how they would have gotten it into the boat in the first place.

Rowan was amazed and had to touch it

Gammy - he or she?

So Gammy, our chook with the gammy legs is possibly a cockeral!

Unfortunatley he will have to go if he is, as our relationship with the neighbours isn't the best, a crowing cockeral will add fuel to the fire!

Not a great shot of Gammy, but next to Big Mama, you can see how different he/she looks

Gammy

Say hello to our new family members....

These lovely ladies came to our garden on Saturday.  They have spent all weekend in their run (which is too small for them, so some adujustments are needed) and today they were let loose on the garden and they loved it!

So, introducing:  Eggbert (black one), R2D2 (white one), Gammy (Buff one, name due to her gammy leg), Fluff (buff one) and Big Mama (the other buff one). 

It is really lovely having them in our garden and watching their personalities grow and change depending on wether they are in the run or out in the garden.  Hopefully they will be out most of the time.

Big Mama has pleased everyone by laying two eggs in two days.  We were told that although she had started laying she would probably stop due to the move and not to expect any eggs for a week or 2.  And lo and behold she did lay on her first morning.  The boys keep checking the nest boxes every hour or less and Rowan found the egg.  He came running into the house holding it so carefully, letting everyone have a hold and a feel, saying "feel how warm and smooth it is!"  We had to fry it and share it out!

The first egg

Since then she has laid again, so everyone is happy!  Rowan has especially taken a shine to them and can be seen chasing them around the garden trying to stroke them.