I used to think that Chicago was the Windy City. That was before I got to Essaouira. This coastal city is known for kite surfing for a reason, let’s just put it that way. After a day of walking around, I think I had more sand in my hair than there is in the Sahara.
This morning, I pulled a real me-moment when I went to the ATM for some cash and accidentally inserted my bank card in the deposit slot. It fell in just as I realised it, hitting myself in the forehead in the process. Doh. Luckily the bank employees were able to rescue it for me.
We started the day with a tour of the city with a local guide. I was still feeling kind of sick, but I just decided to ignore it. We walked out to the port and saw the traditional fishing boats. They haven’t heard of modern fishing techniques here; everything is old-school. They bring in the day’s catch and then line up to clean the fish before grilling and serving it.
Next, to the Skala, which is what they call a Casbah that’s on the coast, to see the cannons. It was so windy up there that we had to duck under the cannons to escape. We then walked through the mellah (former Jewish quarter) – with a bit of an edited history of why there’s no Jewish population left in Essa, but whatever. Then visited some local craft shops, including the thuya wood shop where they make “magic boxes”, and the silver jewelry co-op. I looked but didn’t see anything I particularly liked at the silver place, so I didn’t buy anything there.
After the tour, we had lunch at the fish market (FRESH fish). They piled so much fish on the plate that there was no way I could get through it all, but it was delicious. Of course, we were so full by then that the only thing left to do was… to eat more food. Coffee and cakes at a patisserie, to be exact. Followed by – you guessed it – more shopping. We found the jewelry souk and a few of us girls went a little nuts. I fell in love with a bracelet, that I probably overpaid for, but whatever. It’s pretty and it wasn’t too expensive. We also browsed in a couple of art galleries, since Essaouira is known for its art.
The wind and the rain had kicked up by then. That, coupled with my cold, made a nap sound like a good idea. We went back to the hotel for a rest and a hot shower before having some tea and snacks for dinner. A whole bunch of people on the trip are sick now, so it’s nice to be able to just chill out here and recover.
I see from the news that there’s been a major volcanic eruption in Iceland and all the flights in Europe are grounded until further notice. I’m scheduled to fly home through Paris this weekend. Will I make it? Anyone’s guess.
Habs-Caps Game 1 tonight. Go Habs Go!