Essaouira

A local guide showed us around the medina of this old port city this morning (Saturday 26th). It's always great to hear the historical context from an articulate, knowledgeable local person and get the layout of the place.  The medina's layout is more planned than most and houses about 16,000 people. It would probably only take a few days to get to know your way around here.

We follow the ancient medina/sea wall around from our riad and reach the old French built skala (fortress) outpost pretty quickly. Essaouira's safe port access from Africa to the Atlantic Ocean has made it a significant prize for many invaders and occupiers over the centuries....including the Romans, the Portuguese, and the French.  This part of the medina's wall is very heavily fortified....

 These cannons were made in Barcelona in the 1700s.....

We wander down the streets and lane ways of the medina and then eventually out to the picturesque old port area.

The fishing boats are all moored today. It's the second day of Eid and things are very quiet everywhere we go (like Boxing Day at home(?). The port cats must be wondering why there are no fishy bits for them today 

Our guide left us around lunchtime after introducing us to a very attractive and extensive jewellery market. We found a local place for a seafood lunch before making it back to the Riad around 3.00pm. Rob is still not well so he'd spent most of the day sleeping and taking it easy. Jennie was also not feeling too well by now so we had a pretty quiet rest of the day. Maxie, Rod and I had some fun doing a bit more shopping and mixing with the very friendly locals and ending off the day with mint tea on the rooftop terrace of our riad. We also enjoyed a walk down the medina after to the old port area one last time - quite a fun thing to do in the evening as there were hundreds of locals out shopping and socialising too.