Marrakech Day 3

The next day we had breakfast in our apartment courtesy of the wonderful Fouzia. We then set off to the Ville Nouvelle of Marrakech, which we had not yet been to. This is the part that was planned and built by the French during their occupation so it has a very different feel. We walked and walked without finding a taxi that was willing to take us for any reasonable fee, and before we knew it we had walked the entire 1.5 miles. 

Our destination was the Majorelle Garden: made famous because it was owned by the French designer Yves Saint Laurent. Long before Saint Laurent bought the property, the garden was owned by the orientalist French painter Jacques Marjorelle. Marjorelle designed his bright blue studio in the Art Deco style and filled the garden surrounding it with plants from all over the world, which he collected himself during his travels. Saint Laurent fell in love with Marrakech and bought the garden in the 80s, saving it from developers. The garden was opened to the public when he died and has a memorial to the designed inside, along with several exhibits about his work.

It was terribly hot, 103 degrees, and the line to get into the garden was very long. However, the garden was worth it. It was easily the most beautiful and well-manicured collection of palm trees, agave and other succulents we had ever seen. 

There were plants from 6 continents: it must have had specimens from every desert in the world! We spent several hours walking the garden. Notice how Rachael managed to get photos with no one in them: this was quite a feat because there were hundreds of people crowding the paths. 

After the garden we walked to the middle of the new town hoping to find a restaurant that the guidebook had recommended. But after walking for over half an hour in 103 degrees we were disappointed to find that it was closed. Instead we dined in a little diner located inside of a shopping mall. It was awful. We then took a taxi back the the Jemaa and spent most of the afternoon writing this blog in our air conditioned room. 

Tonight we will go back out for dinner in the Jemaa El Fna (UPDATE: Nate did not eat the snails there because he is a coward) and then tomorrow we rent a car and drive into the Atlas Mountains toward the Sahara!