marrakech - summer in spring

Marrakech - 29th of March - 37 degrees celsius - 23099 steps

Breakfast on the roof terrace at Chambres d'Amis

Check-in in the beautiful balcony room chambre cinq, room with a view

Morning walk in the medina

Say hello to Aisha on Place des Epices

Coffee & tea break at Cafe Atay

Looooooovely lunch at La Famille at the VIP table

Siesta at Chambres d'Amis (because it was a super short night)

Drinks on the roof terrace at the Djemaa El Fna, with spectacular sunset during iftar

Funky dinner on the roof terrace at Shtatto with harira, fresh salads and virgin mojitos. Their music is a mix of deep house and lounge with African and Arabic influences. Sitting still is impossible

djemaa el fna rotterdam

The Museumpark in Rotterdam has been transformed this weekend into a gigantic open-air restaurant during the Djemaa el Fna festival.

The food festival is inspired by the eponymous square in Marrakech, world's largest open-air restaurant. More than 40 chefs cook for you in the classic white stalls. The food is fragrant, colorful, tasteful and prepared with love. We had a delicious Pastilla and brought some Moroccan cookies back home.

However it is not just about food at the Djemaa el Fna. The festival has moreover a small souk and an extensive cultural program, with literature, music and theater. Artists and musicians are inspired by the atmosphere of a Thousand and One Nights.

We went to the storytelling Kalief by Abdelkader Benali in the tower in the middle of the festival site. Benali shows a Thousand and One Nights Night of our time presents, in an up-to-date and playful absurd look at the old stories in which he shares his fascination for his grandmother, the power of the oral narration.

On this beautiful late summer day in September, all in all an appropriate foretaste of my trip to Marrakech next week.

PS: The top photo was taken in the Depot Boijmans van Beuningen 'mirror' building under construction. Can you spot me?

musee yves saint laurent marrakech

“When Yves Saint Laurent first discovered Marrakech in 1966, he was so moved by the city that he decided to buy a house here, and returned regularly. It feels perfectly natural, fifty years later, to build a museum dedicated to his oeuvre, which was so inspired by this country.” - Pierre Bergé

Today is the opening of Musee YVES SAINT LAURENT Marrakech.

A museum entirely devoted to the work of the legendary fashion designer, Yves Saint Laurent (1936-2008).
The new building, situated on Rue Yves Saint Laurent next to Jardin Majorelle, spans over 4,000 m² and is more than just a museum. Designed by Studio KO, it features a 400 m² permanent exhibition space where the work of Yves Saint Laurent will be presented in a scenography by Christophe Martin; a 150 m² space for temporary exhibitions, a 130-seat auditorium, a boutique and bookshop, a café-restaurant, as well as a research library comprising 5,000 volumes.

Last week I past the building by bike several times and I watched videos of key moments in the YSL history, at a mighty public screening on the Djemaa el Fna on Friday evening.

During an official ceremony on Saturday, we even were allowed to cycle past the strictly secured and closed Rue YSL, right next to the red carpet, with our Green Gardens workshop group on 12 bikes.

Never-to-be-forgotten memories!

Yesterday, just one day before the opening I left Marrakech. For an invitation to the opening today, I would have missed my flight without hesitation.

Well at least now I have another good reason to go back to Marrakech.