If you do a quick search online, the chances are you’ll find a choice of return flights for less than 40 euro. The once modest airport at Marrakesh is now a sparkling new gateway to the world, with low-cost air-bridges connecting this bohemian, cultural, and historic city with Europe and beyond.
Admittedly you still have to take a Covid test but travel here is pretty straightforward. The city has lost some of its rawness and feels fairly European, although it’s impossible not to be captivated by the souks. It makes for an entertaining and cultural experience, even in this era of globalisation.
My weakness is food, so on my last trip, despite trying hard not to be distracted by the persuasive shopkeepers, it wasn’t long before I was captivated by a tempting display of Moroccan sweetmeats and cakes, piled up on trays, each higher than the one below, creating a cascade of colour and texture that looked delicious.
Like a child, I approached the vendor with eyes as broad as saucers, and within a moment I was accepting the ‘free’ offer of a plump almond-filled cake, sticky with syrup. Little did I know though, that the minimum order was in fact a ‘mélange’ assortment of cakes, with a European price, but it was too late, I had engaged in friendly banter with the shopkeeper.
Shopping in the Marrakesh medina is like getting engrossed in a Las Vegas casino; before long all sense of time and perspective is lost, and you are cajoled to part with your money.
