Essaouira

Wonderful city on the Atlantic coast. Water too cold, beach very windy this time of year especially heading away from the Medina, but oh to have such a perfect temp after scalding Marrakech!

We arrived after a 4.5 hour drive after a cafe stop and argan oil co-op stop.

Here the ladies are cracking then grinding the nuts to make oil. All parts of the nut are used - the shell for burning, the nut for oil for salads, cosmetics & lotions, the bitter nuts are roasted and mixed w/ honey to make "Moroccan Nutella", black soap for Hammans, or paste to feed the goats and cows.

Essaouira is a busy fishing port, and the local food reflects it.

Grilled dorado and sardines fresh off the boats...YUM!

Fish stall at the port

Nets, fishing boats at the port

Large expanse of windy beach-somehow the sand stays put until you get to where the windsurfers and camels are near the dunes at the far end

We have enjoyed strong coffee and sweet teas at cafes, accompanied by cookies or peanut and chocolate, almond paste, and orange-blossom flower patisseries, fresh prickly pears and peaches, local fish at no-name stalls and delicious frothy milk "shakes" made w/ almonds or avocados. We had a local fish tangine and squid, another tangine w/ sardine kaftas - sardine meatballs and veggies - and I tried the large sweet shrimp. Breakfasts are bread, pastries, crepes, pancakes, Moroccan tortilla-like folded crepes, sweet spreads & butter, sometimes spreadable cheeses or fresh yogurt, strong coffee or mint tea, fresh squeezed oj & fresh fruit, and we ask for eggs to counter all the carbs. Food has been a happy adventure here!

Our room at Riad Chbanate, our bathroom was decorated beautifully w/ fresh rose petals 

View of our riad courtyard

Megaloft, cool restaurant just before it got crowded, offering live music & where the girls taught us the game "Contact" that they learned in Israel and we shared some big laughs.