Thank God for Mohammed the Guide

Fri. Shabbat Shalom! 
Fitting to tour the Jewish quarter - mellah - of Marrakech and the Lazama Synogogue today. We also visited some amazing buildings architecturally (El Bahia Palace, Ben Youssef Madrasa, Saadian tombs) and some lovely adjoining shaded gardens and (back through the) shaded souks. Today felt hot hot hot which we bore like the good adventurers we aspire to be as we emerged from the shade w/ smiles and into the 106 degree schvitzing extravaganza. We even had a sweet hot tea break w/ yummy almond, rosewater and pistachio cookies. They say it's good for the stomach, but in this heat? Still, it was our choice to sit in a cafe on the square in the Mellah under the shade and sip hot tea while watching the world schvitz by. Sad to say goodbye tonight to our tour guide Mohamed after he walked us to meet Dijana and Nadia for dinner. We were entertained with live music and dancers at a 17th c. palace-now-restaurant called Dar Essalam, which was breathtakingly beautifully decorated and a perfect pre-b-day birthday dinner spot.






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