Enchanting Essaouira
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The wonderful whites and blues of Essaouira create that magical first impression. The picturesque houses painted in white lime-wash with traditional bright blue woodwork, the women wrapped in the folds of their white haiks, the foam on the breakers and the grey and white seagulls in a cloudless sky. Essaouira’s climate is as fresh as its colours. There is always a breeze here and the temperature is remarkably constant all year round, a marvellous contrast to the heat and dust of the cities in summer. The breeze brings the wind-surfers to the town, just as the colours have always brought the artists. Orson Welles shot his famous ‘Othello’ along the old ramparts of the kasbah in Essaouira. There are still many delightful small art galleries here. Formally the Portuguese ‘Old Mogador’, Essaouira is defined by its position, facing out across the Atlantic and also to southern Europe whose influences have always been felt on this coast. It was a major trading post and is still a lively boat-building town today, as well as an important fishing port, particularly for sardines. A huge choice of reasonably priced fresh fish can be enjoyed at one of the lively food stalls crowded by the entrance of the harbour. There is somehow nothing more enticing than the smell of fresh fish sizzling over the charcoal, then devoured outside in the fresh sea air. The eighteenth-century Medina contains the large Souk Jdid, which is, unsurprisingly, excellent for fish but also has a wonderful spice market, full of rich colours and aromatic smells. Thuya trees abound around Essaouira and the intricate craftsmanship involved in working this fragrant and beautifully patterned wood, often with fine inlays of ebony and citrus, can be seen both in shops and the workshops beneath the town ramparts. Argan oil is the product of another local tree. The kernel, much loved by goats who can sometimes be seen perched up the trees, devouring this sought-after fruit, is a source of a legendary oil used in cosmetics, cooking and medicine. Essaouira is a place to relax, to be refreshed and to find peace. Highlights
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