purplepadma

purplepadma, 9 months ago to random

A staff member we got to know well just came to see us, he said that the medieval medina is terribly damaged by the earthquake. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site, irreplaceable. An absolute tragedy

purplepadma, 9 months ago to random

British Airways have found us a place on a flight this evening! Excellent, excellent customer service. Apparently taxis are running normally so Tom has just booked one. Looks like we can come home 😮‍💨

purplepadma, 9 months ago to Morocco

Update

Every hotel guest is sleeping out on sun loungers by the pool. I can’t sleep because it’s so uncomfortable and there are snoring men all around me. I want to poke them all. Also the peacocks keep screaming and I still have stomach cramps. So I’ve sort of given up. The hotel staff have given zero instructions other than don’t go in your room and have given out some water and blankets but not enough. But there have been no more tremors and the power - and even the Wi-Fi! - is still on. So we’re safe and can see what we’re doing #morocco #MoroccoEarthquake #HolidayGoneWrong

purplepadma, 9 months ago to Morocco

We just had an earthquake. Never felt anything like it. No one knows what to do, all the hotel guests are milling about outside and we can’t see any staff. We’re OK but dare not go back in the building. Really, really scary, especially as Tom was on the other side of the grounds. We just had another little shake while I’m typing. According to Google it was only 5.7, thank god, but there were cracks and fallen plaster in our building. As I say, we’re OK, I just needed to express how scary this situation is #Morocco #MoroccoEarthquake

Tattooed_mummy, 9 months ago to random

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dancinyogi, 9 months ago to random

@jeanettepizzurro @Sharonbw @cwgrody @Eetschrijver @Uncleharvey @Plautus

I love this #nerdtable 🤣

purplepadma, 9 months ago to random

We’re supposed to be going to the fancy restaurant tonight for a tasting menu but I have developed a bad tummy and I just can’t face it. I was going to put on a nice outfit and some makeup but nope. Tom’s going to go on his own and I’ll go to the main buffet at some point, my meds have to be taken with food so I need to find something plain I can nibble on. I definitely don’t feel like eating things in rich sauces. What a shame. Stupid digestive system 😭

purplepadma, 9 months ago to random

Good morning! I did not get up for a run, I slept until 9am. I must have needed it. Currently at breakfast, eating cake (for breakfast! How decadent!) and contemplating a relaxed day at the hotel. Tonight we have a reservation for the smarter restaurant with more opulent decor and a Moroccan tasting menu where we will try some new foods. Hoping to finish my dolphin book and start the new Stephen King, exciting. Happy Friday all!

Tattooed_mummy, 9 months ago to food

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purplepadma, 9 months ago to Morocco

Good afternoon! We’ve been out all morning in the medina (walled old town) of Marrakesh. We took a tour with a licensed guide who told us a lot about the history and politics of Marrakesh and Morocco and showed us areas we would never have found alone. We passed through the Jewish Quarter and the districts for blacksmiths, tailors, carpet sellers, leather workers and other types of artisan. Here are a few pics from our excursion #morocco #holiday2023 #holiday #marrakesh

A street in the Jewish Quarter of the medina. Muslim houses tended to have very few windows, getting their light via an open courtyard inside the centre of the house. The Jewish families built in a different style, with windows and balconies on the first floor as shown in this picture. The ground floor is now full of busy shops. Hardly any Jewish people remain in Marrakesh, most migrated to Israel or the USA in the 20th century, but families return to revisit their roots and visit the ancient synagogues.
A narrow street in the medina textile district. There is only room for about four people waking abreast but despite this many people ride up and down on mopeds, as the picture shows bottom right. The street is covered and is lined small shops selling fabric. Some sunlight comes through to roof but there are also electric lights above the street. We took this pic because we liked the skeins of dyed wool hanging from ropes between the buildings. They are all sorts of colours, purple, ochre, orange, green, pink, all dyed in the traditional manner
We stopped outside a shop in the blacksmiths’ district that was selling handmade locks and keys. The ones in this pic are enormous, for scale our guide Mohammed’s hand is on one of the keys and the head of the key fits his whole palm. The locks are ornate, decorated with swirling metalwork, sometimes in contrasting colours. The shop door is open but it’s very dark inside

purplepadma, 9 months ago to Morocco

All booked! We’re getting a guided tour of the historic district of Marrakesh tomorrow, including the main mosque, but non-Muslims are not permitted inside. I’m glad to be going with a guide as I know it’s labyrinthine in the old town. The young man who took our booking was explaining that not only do people in the mountains speak Berber rather than Arabic, but there are different dialects between the small, middle and big Atlas Mountains which are not mutually intelligible. He learned his English in school, as it has overtaken French (Morocco was a French colony until the 1950s) as the most taught foreign language. In the coastal north people still speak Spanish, another colonial hangover. Most visitors at this resort are French, some Brits and a few Americans, signs are in English and French #Morocco #holiday #Holiday2023

purplepadma, 9 months ago to random

The weather is absolute perfect today. Blue skies, light breeze, 35°C. I will definitely need my sun hat and sunglasses on our excursions, I can’t imagine there’ll be much shade

purplepadma, 9 months ago to Morocco

Good morning! We’re up and breakfasted and just about to book a historic city tour and a trip to the Majorelle formal gardens. They have some association with Yves Saint Laurent, the French text just says they were his “sanctuary” but the English text calls it “this private YSL little paradise” so idk if he was involved in the design. I must look it up on Wikipedia. We’re also hoping to take a day in the Atlas Mountains. We’re interspersing trips with lazy days on our tiny terrace or by the pool. Idk if my thalassotherapy treatment will materialise, I’ve only just found out how to receive replies from the spa and nothing yet. Maybe this afternoon or another day. Tom is thinking of trying some archery today and I’d quite like to do a spin class or Zumba. We’ll see how it goes but a little exercise would be great #holiday #Holiday2023 #morocco

dancinyogi, 9 months ago to random

Just had my first virtual client session. Mark is fine, if not a little sore from being tossed around a bit. The girl who hit him didn't even have a license, just a learner's permit - and she was in the car alone 🙄 She's fine too, but, as with his car, hers is probably totaled. One of the officers told Mark they'd seen more accidents this Summer than they could remember seeing. A 15-year-old kid without a permit aside, which was the reason for this particular accident, maybe it's the heat?

DJDarren, 9 months ago to random

Here's a thing that pisses me off:

When looking at trainers on a website, and the price says "From X", then you see that the size 8 is £15 cheaper than the size 9.

Why?

A large framed mountain bike isn't more expensive than a small, so why do trainers work like that?