Guide to Marrakech

Hello friends!   It's been quite a while, hasn't it?  Over a year, actually, and I'm sorry I've been so MIA.  I fell out of blogging for many reasons but mostly because I was so exhausted putting effort and energy into something that wasn't totally fulfilling me.  I felt more obligated to be posting versus letting it come naturally and given everything else I had going on, it just fell to the bottom of the priority list.  But here we are and while I can't tell you how often I'll be posting because there's still a ton more important things going on, what I can tell you is that I'm super excited about this Guide to Marrakech post.  I was extremely fortunate enough to go for my birthday last year and lately I've had an insane desire to go back.  While I'm not quite ready to make that happen yet (aka many more places at the top of my travel list!), my friend Preston is headed there (tomorrow) and I have said for months (literally) that'd I'd do a guide post.  So without further adieu... 
Marrakech is a combination of craziness, beauty, romance and adventure.  Crazy because it can be sensory overload (especially walking through the souks) and there are so many people, motor bikes, donkeys pulling carts, and shops that it can get quite overwhelming.  Beautiful because, let's face it, if you've seen any pictures on instagram, the architectural details and colors sprinkled throughout the city are like no other.  Romantic because there's just something in the desert air that's intoxicating.  And adventurous because no day or route through the souks was the same.  I went with my best friend from high school, Margot, and she was the perfect travel companion because she was down for anything.  And was a lot less affected by culture shock than I because of her travels to India and through Central and South America.  We spent 8 nights in the country which was the perfect amount of time for what we had planned (we had some things pre-arranged but also just went by the seat of our pants and it was the perfect balance).  I only felt unsafe once because some man tried to give us unsolicited directions, demanded we pay him and gave us a hearty "f*ck you" when we said no.  Otherwise, I loved the people in Morocco because they are so hospitable and kind.  As far as what to wear, I just went by the general rule of thumb to stay fairly covered up with loose fitting clothes (considering I'm a blond Western woman, it felt like the best approach).

Here's a highlight reel of our trip!
Where to stay: we stayed at Riad Carina because I wanted a really authentic experience.  Riads are small bed and breakfast/boutique-type hotels that are usually 5 - 12 rooms with a rooftop.  Riad Carnia is inside the old city walls (the Medina) but it's in the southwest part of the Medina which just so happened to be on the other side of the souks from a lot of the places we went to eat and do things at.  Next time I'd stay more in the northwest part of the city (or outside the Medina completely to have it feel a little more relaxed and vacation-y).  Our friend Abbie stayed at Riad Adriana and highly recommended it.  
What to do:  shopping in the souks is a must and no, you don't need a guide.  You just need to be comfortable negotiating, knowing how much you want to pay for something and being able to walk away if they won't meet your price.  There will likely be another vendor with the same pottery, textiles or knick knacks.  Some of my absolute favorite places we bought things at: Hanout (a boutique I purchased a handmade wool jacket from), Blaoui Abdelghani (where I purchased my insane fruit bowl - they had the most beautiful pottery!), Jad (for candles), and all the shops below Terrasse des épices (where I bought a blanket and all my pottery and drinking glasses).  I went a little crazy but I had just moved into my apartment and was very excited to buy decor for it!  There's also a great book I wish I had resourced before we went called Shopping in Marrakech.
If you can swing it, I highly HIGHLY recommend making it out to the Sahara desert.  We did a three day guided tour with one overnight in the desert but if I did it again I'd plan to hire a private driver and stay at a more boutiquey camp.  Not that ours was bad but it was quite an experience (very authentic berber experience).  We booked our trip with Viator and I was not expecting the 13 hour car ride back from the desert (we took our time getting there and coming back was just an insane amount of time in the car).  With a private driver you'd be able to kinda make your own schedule and make more stops if you want.  If you don't want to trek all the way out to the Sahara desert, there are a ton of other options closer to Marrakech where you can still feel like you've escaped the city a bit.  

The day after we got back from the desert we went to a hammam (Le Bain Bleu) and spent $60 on the best scrub/massage (traditional duo) I've ever had in my life.  We had our riad call them so we could make a reservation.   
The morning of my birthday we did a sunrise hot air balloon ride with Ciel d'Afrique and it was like nothing I've ever experienced.  It was the most perfect sunrise and definitely worth the 4:30 AM wakeup call. 

We also did tea at La Mamounia (which I could honestly take it or leave it, it wasn't what I expected but a fun way to get in and see the grounds) and visited Le Jardin Majorelle/the YSL Museum.

Where to eat: the highlights were Nomad (truly delicious modern Moroccan food with amazing vibes, highly recommend making a reservation), El Fenn (we went for lunch with a pre fixe menu and the food was great - really fresh Moroccan dishes), Terrasse des épices (we went TWICE.  Once for lunch and for our last dinner - they have an "international" menu in case your heart desires a burger as a break from all the tajine like mine did), Pepe Nero (cute courtyard seating - we went for my bday dinner and they also had an "international" menu) and Le Foundouk (try to sit on the rooftop if you can - I think it would have elevated the meal for us).  I would have liked to try Le Jardin but we didn't make it.  
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to live vicariously through Preston's posts and continue to scheme my dream of owning my own riad in Morrocco...

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The Right... Bourbon Trail Adventures

Happy Monday friends!  I hope you all had a great weekend!  I must say, I forgot how much I love spending time in the kitchen on Sundays.  Summer makes me much less motivated to meal prep and with all the traveling I've been doing lately, finding the time has been near impossible.  I finally had an afternoon in the kitchen yesterday and it was really exciting.  I also finally have a calm(er) week at work which means I can actually bring my lunch instead of eating out!


Speaking of all the traveling I've been doing, I'm finally catching my breath from all the weddings and finally have time to post more about our Bourbon Trail adventures from our trip to Lexington!  We had a goal to tackle three distilleries - Maker's Mark, Woodford Reserve and Four Roses - and set out super early since it was a 1.5 hour drive to Maker's Mark.  I had no idea what to expect because I did minimal research leading up to the trip so luckily Jen did the Bourbon Trail planning for us.  We pulled up to Maker's and I was instantly drawn to the dark grey and red color scheme of all the buildings.  I also loved that it was nestled away in the hills and we later found out its because the water used in the distilling process comes straight from a lake nearby.  The whole distillery felt very homey and welcoming.  We learned a tremendous amount about the Maker's brand history and how the specific bourbon is made.  Unfortunately the plant was shut down for cleaning for the month so we didn't get to see the fermentation in action.  One of my favorite parts of the tour was in the rackhouse because you could literally smell the bourbon (call me crazy but bourbon is my liquor of choice and it smelled so amazing) - they call it "angels breath" and for good reason haha.
We were able to visit the bottling room where they were hand-dipping each bottle (yes, every bottle of Maker's Mark is hand dipped, making each seal unique).  During the tasting I discovered a new favorite: Maker's 46 - it was so much smoother than regular Maker's Mark!   





At the end of the tour we went to the gift shop and dipped our own bottles of Maker's!  I went a little heavy on the wax on accident and it was more intimidating than I expected (notice my fully covered arms and apron - it's serious business)!








We then went to Woodford Reserve which was in the middle of the beautiful Kentucky horse farms and I could tell right off the bat it was a little more commercialized (definitely not in a bad way though).  The plant was fully operational so we were able to taste some of the sour mash in the fermentation room and it was definitely not as bad as I expected!  Unfortunately we ran out of time and didn't make it to Four Roses but on the way back to Lexington we had the crazy idea to hop out of the car and take some photos in the middle of the country road.  Such a fun adventure (minus a few fast-driving cars) and also such a long day!  We finished the night with beers at a local brewery and BBQ - more on those places to come!

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The Right... Postcards from Italy Pt. 1

I spent most of my trip in Italy which was absolutely gorgeous.  When I arrived in Florence it was dark so I wasn't too aware of my surroundings.  The first morning I was there I climbed the 463 steps to the top of the Duomo.  Popping out at the top was breathtaking and extremely overwhelming (in a good way!).  I could have easily spent hours just sitting there taking in the view.  

Top of the Duomo

The Carousel in the Piazza della Republica

Loved the cafe scene in Italy

Horse-drawn carriage anyone?

Looking into the courtyard at Santa Croche

Mopeds everywhere.  I loved it.

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