Wonders and peculiarities

Cee’s B&W Photo Challenge: Close-ups

/ Leya / 12 kommentarer

Last year I got 11 tulip bulbs from a dear friend and plant expert. Maybe some of you know about ”the little man” and his concerns for ”my” forest and all its inhabitants. He and his wife have travelled the world, collecting memories and rare plants for decades..Now they are too old to travel, but enjoy their wonderful ”Dream garden”.

What a great gift! You can understand how humble and careful I was when planting and tending to these tulips. They are very rare, and one single bulb costs more than 10GBP or 15USD. I still wonder how they could trust me with them…

This week, they shimmer like gems in my garden. Clear red with yellow petals surrounding…and here is a close-up on one of them, in B&W.

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For more, click here.

 

Thank you for being featured last week!

CEEB&W

 

Poppy Love

/ Leya / 15 kommentarer

In my garden I suddenly had a couple of poppies…coming from nowhere, they were just there.

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This year there are quite many of them, and I love to sit down beside their nodding  heads and watch them unfold…

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…admiring  their fragile beauty.

Djemaa el-Fna – ”assembly of the dead”

/ Leya / 4 kommentarer

Everywhere you look in the Djemaa el-Fna, Marrakesh’s main square, you’ll discover theatre  in progress. The street theatre has a natural home here ever since this plaza was the site of public executions around AD 1050. Even if there are discussions on the origin of its name, Jemaa means ”congregation” in Arabic, probably referring to a destroyed Almoravid mosque. ”Fanâʼ” or ”finâ'” can mean ”death” or ”a courtyard, space in front of a building.” Thus, one meaning could be ”The assembly of death,” or‘assembly of the dead’.

 

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It is not just a tourist attraction since many locals also enjoy the activities that make Djemaa el- Fna come alive. During the day, the square has numerous stalls, most of which sell fresh fruit juice, water and fruit.

 

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By 10am, the daily performance is under way. Snake charmers with their hissing cobras and men with chained Barbary apes, despite the protected status of these species under Moroccan law; henna tattoo artists ( women with piping bags full of henna paste, ready to paint you with “tattoos” that will last up to three months – though beware of synthetic “black henna”, which contains a toxic chemical; only red henna is natural. The Henna Café guarantees to use only natural henna).

 

Water-sellers in fringed hats, with water-bags hanging and brass cups clanging. Medicine men display their cures, and tooth-pullers display trays of extracted molars to prove their skill. And if you wonder…fortune-tellers sit under umbrellas with packs of fortune-telling cards at the ready.

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At dusk people come out for an evening promenade, and the square gradually fills until it becomes a whole carnival of storytellers (telling their tales in Berber or Arabic, to an audience of locals), acrobats, musicians and entertainers.  If you want a respite, you can move over to the rooftop terraces, such as the Café du Grand Balcon, or Café Glacier, for a vista over the square and all the activities, and the crowds who come to see them. Very much recommended. We enjoyed a rather expensive bottle of juice and a less expensive mint tee – having a great view without being crowded.

 

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Arrive early in the evening to get a good seat. Applause and a few dirhams will encourage the performers. It’s a great show, but be prepared…taking photos immediately brings at least one man to your door…dirhams!

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In 2001, Djemaa el-Fna was recognized by  UNESCO  in the project Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity – the initiative coming from people concerned about the Djemaa el-Fna. Since long known for its concentration of traditional activities by storytellers, musicians and performers, but now threatened by economic development pressures. The residents wanted protection of their traditions, and called for action on an international level. In 2001, this ”cultural space” got its protection.

In Marrakesh, this meeting place is a must. Remember – this is far from only for tourists. Most people strolling here, enjoying themselves, are locals. This is, even today, a genuine piece of Arabian Nights…no ”assembly of the dead”.

 

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Have a Taste of Magical Marrakesh

/ Leya / 11 kommentarer

If I were to chose one picture, only, to represent my visit to Marrakesh and the Medina, it would be the one in the header. Colourful, hot and filled with scents. Then, there is of course the multitude of people…here we go!

I loved our little street. Behind the typical pink walls, we had to walk endless tiny streets and alleys to get to our Riad (Moroccan mansion) . But there was no stress, a calm and friendly atmosphere – and no ”special guides” trying to make money out of us.

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Just the everyday life going on…young and old, working or relaxing in the shadow.

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On our way to the Souks, the principal shopping attraction in the city, I felt a bit worried about how I would cope with it. I do not like haggling, so I had already decided not to buy anything. My husband has visited Marrakesh at least three times before, and had also warned me that we soon would be ”kidnapped” by ”local guides”. (And so we were…)

Marrakesh has the largest traditional Berber market in Morocco, and the souk area has been compared to a micro-medina in itself, where it is absolutely essential to get lost…

But once you’re inside though, the feeling of One Thousand and One Nights ( Arabian Nights), or Aladdin, immediately comes to mind…and if you take a closer look at my gallery photos  – I’m rather sure I was caught in the middle of …a treasure chest transport!

 

Waiting patiently in the heat
Graffitti!
Posing?
A lovely hug
What…is happening?
A Treasure transport!
More of transport in the narrow alleys – here we had to flee into a shop

 

Historically the souks of Marrakesh were divided into retail areas for particular goods such as leather, carpets, metalwork and pottery. We could roughly see these divisions still, but rather overlaped. Many of the souks sell items like carpets and rugs, clothes, leather bags, and lanterns. Argan oil is popular everywhere.

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After a hectic day it is a blessing to come back to our quiet Riad for a delicious Tagine (A specialty of the city and the symbol of its cuisine. We had a local tajine prepared with beef meat, spices and ”smen” and slow-cooked in a traditional oven in hot ashes. )

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Then finishing the evening with a slow walk on the roof top. In silence…

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…before going to sleep.

SL-WEEK: Reflection

/ Leya / 24 kommentarer

 

For Sylvain Landry – Reflection. I love the way the world changes in reflections. In the header, a photo from somewhere in China, where many separate worlds are revealed …and the second photo is from my forest at home. My world.

Bäcken lever. The brook comes alive when the ice is gone.

Bäcken lever. The brook comes alive when the ice is gone.

 

Ouarzazate – a Moroccan Hollywood

/ Leya / 19 kommentarer

Its name comes from a Berber phrase meaning ”without noise” or ”without confusion”. Ouarzazate is also nicknamed The door of the desert, and the city is capital of Ouarzazate Province of south-central Morocko. To the south of the town is only desert.

The area is well known for its many prominent kasbahs, and nowadays a noted film-making location, with Morocco’s biggest film studios.

Many famous movies have at least some scenes shot here,  such as Lawrence of Arabia (1962),  Gladiator (2000) and Kingdom of Heaven (2005), as was part of the TV series Game of Thrones.

The arena in the movie Gladiator was right here in this open space, behind the people and their banner.

Ait Benhaddou was originally an old karavan station between Marrakesh and the Sahara Desert. Astonishingly beautiful, traditionally built of clay, straw and dirt.

Today, we can admire the old kasbah in the movies – only four families still live here permanently. The rest of the great kasbah is left to fall apart – but a first class tourist attraction.

The heat made the paths and the stores empty…
…only the cats were on the alert

WPC: Earth

/ Leya / 20 kommentarer

 

The challenge this week from WordPress is to “…share your vision of our glorious Mother Earth”.

I feel…we are a tiny, gloriously beautiful, island out in the great blue – surrounded by stars and the heavens. Who is at the wheel? I wish we had better control …I fear we have lost the sextant and with it, our ability of navigation.

Mother Earth

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