Monday, March 31, 2025
With the Gijón Mariners season now officially at an end, it was time for our traditional post-season vacation.
Usually this involves spending one or two weeks visiting the best that Europe has to offer any self-respecting tourist.
Not this year.
Instead, Laurie and I were on our way this morning, thanks to ever faithful Kike's generous offer to drive us to the Oviedo Airport, to our first ever visit to the African Continent!
We were heading to the exotic city of Marrakech, Morocco via a 90 minute layover in Madrid ready to Rock the Casbah!
Along the way, Kike informed us of an interesting Serie A playoff development.
The Current Serie A Standings
There is one tiny mistake in these standings, the Gijón Mariners record is actually 1-0 as you probably already know, not 2-6.
The playoff development that Kike reported to us on our drive to the airport concerned the Eastern Conference's top two teams, the Badalona Dracs (6-1) and the Terrassa Reds (5-1-1).
Their game two weeks ago was suspended due to a severe weather situation and was originally rescheduled to be played this coming weekend. It was an all-important game for the playoff seedings as the winner would get the Eastern Conference's #1 seed and a home Semifinal playoff game against the Western Conference's #2 seeded Osos Rivas (4-4).
The loser would be the conferences #2 seed and and have to travel to Madrid to play the Western Conference's #1 seed, the Las Rozas Black Demons (8-0) who won the National Championship in both 2023 and 2024.
According to Kike, strangely, the Dracs have decided to forfeit the game to the Reds thus giving them the #1 seed.
The only positive for the Dracs that I can see initially is that, as they had a bye last weekend, this move gives them a total of three weeks of rest between games. Perhaps they felt the need to give injured players another week to recuperate before making their best possible playoff run.
The negatives were easy to see, a long and expensive road trip to play arguably Spain's best team in the Semifinals.
Interesting, but I digress . . .
An Asturian wooden shoe helicopter
on display at the airport
Our first leg of today's Adventure
was a one hour flight to the Capital
After our short layover, it was only
two more hours to the "Dark Continent"
Madrid's Barajas Airport
visually pleasing architecture
While waiting for our second flight,
the Mariners were publishing new
art from last Saturday's big upset win
That's me, second from the left,
wearing the gray sweatshirt
Stylized flag of Morocco
We had arrived!
We left all of ours at home
It took us 90 minutes to get through
passport control and getting our
luggage scanned
We met our hotel's chauffeur in the waiting area who took us straight to our home for the next three nights, the Ksar Anika Boutique Hotel & Spa.
We passed the first of . . .
. . . several Moroccan family vans
"Helmet Laws? We don't need no stinking helmet laws!"
Laurie enjoying our hotel's atmosphere
during the relaxed check-in process
Laurie's view while seated
She makes friends easily with her
charming, outgoing personality
We were served delicious mint tea
while we checked in
Before being taken to our room, a delightful young lady who works as the hotel's concierge spent a good 15 minutes going over all of the ins and outs, dos and don'ts of Marrakech.
She was wonderful in setting our mind at ease in a strange land where we believed that our language skills would be tested to the max.
SHKRAN LAK!
It means Thank You in Arabic.
Our new home . . .
. . . had lots of rose petals and . . .
. . . traditional vessels holding our
various bathing needs
Another part of the hotel lobby
We were off!
Kids were playing small soccer games outside of our hotel. Who would have ever guessed?
Laurie in mysterious Marrakech
The crescent moon tonight
seemed appropriate
We plan on visiting the Bahia Palace
tomorrow, as it was closed at the moment
Let the shopping begin!
We were entering the Souks, an area where one can buy just about anything that Marrakech has to offer. It had been the center of trade for centuries between Spanish and African merchants.
We found the people to be extremely helpful and friendly.
Popcorn in a multitude of flavors
Spices
BEAUTIFUL SPICES!
Tempting but no, we were
on a mission for our dinner plans
Not sure what this was
It reminded me of the cane sugar vendors in La Habana, Cuba from my youth who would grind it into a delicious and I'm sure nutritious beverage.
I'm going to try a glass of whatever this concoction may be at some point, of that I am sure.
The Souks . . .
. . . were alive tonight!
Laurie shopping for shoes
Yes indeed, we were on vacation!
Beautiful Moroccan art work
Colorful textiles are a specialty
We made it through the crowded Souks amid the din and wonderful aromas somehow unscathed financially.
This was merely an exploratory expedition with sights now firmly set on boosting the local economy in the next few days.
Our goal tonight was to arrive at the vast plaza, the Jemma el Fna, at the heart of Medina which is Marrakech's ancient walled city. This plaza has been the site of parades and executions in the past. The plaza's name that translates to Assembly of the Dead, a reference to a time long ago when the heads of executed criminals would be displayed here on spikes. Now it is simply and much less gruesomely, the center of modern city life.
When the Sun goes down, the Jemma el Fna morphs into the Night Market which is a fabulous, senses assaulting combination circus, theater and restaurant with itinerant musicians and entertainers drawing crowds.
HUGE crowds at that!
The Koutoubia Mosque in the distance
Need a lamp?
Boys bonding over desert fruits
We headed upstairs for knowing that
we would have to consume something . . .
. . . in order to get a better view
of the Night Market
Incredible!
So was the view of the Night Market.
An orange soda for both of us
for but 60 dirhams
The rate of exchange is about ten Moroccan dirhams to a U.S. dollar.
SO MUCH ACTIVITY!
We had to get down there soon
People just kept flooding into the
Jemma el Fna
Artsy look at the restaurant that
houses the Grand Balcon where
we just took all of the photos and video
Some of the itinerant musicians
that I mentioned earlier
Juice bars were everywhere
The only man that we saw selling snails
Meat dishes abounded
We ate here
Oh, My . . .
The flavors of these starter dishes were spiced to perfection!
Bring on the skewers!
What a good way to get introduced to delicious Moroccan cuisine.
After dinner, Laurie was re-energized
and ready to hit more of the Souks
resplendent stores
So many colors . . .
. . . so many juice bars
I loved her head poking out amid
all of the dates and dried fruits
More dried fruits
We walked, at our own peril,
to get closer to . . .
. . . the famed Koutoubia Mosque's
tower dominates the skyline for miles
I mentioned the peril of getting this photo as we had to cross a huge intersection to get nearer.
At this intersection both vehicles and pedestrians completely refuse to obey any green or red lights, they are merely poor suggestions to all who dare to enter.
Though frightened, we lived.
This horse drawn carriage for the
trip back to the hotel was tempting
Colorful shoes for sale as
we re-entered the Souks . . .
. . . lots of colorful shoes
An old wall as we neared our hotel
on foot with nothing in hand that
we had purchased tonight
We did now have a much clearer view of the lay of the land and where we would shop tomorrow.
Back in the welcoming lobby of the
Ksar Anika Boutique Hotel & Spa
Not bad mileage today considering
the time spent flying and sitting
at two Spanish airports
This personal version of our Marrakech Express Adventure continues on Tuesday, stay tuned . . .
