FASHIONABLY green
Marrakesh has attracted artistic types since the
60s when everyone from Mick Jagger to fashion designer Yves St Laurent fell for its charms. St Laurent, in fact, lived here for 40 years before his death in 2008, buying and restoring one of Marrakesh’s key attractions, Jardin Majorelle. This sprawling public garden is a riot of giant cacti, palms and rub-your-eyes bright walls.
It’s a triumph of both Art Deco and Moorish design, a sanctuary from Marrakesh’s sometimes chaotic surroundings. There’s also a water-lily pond and museum dedicated to Berber culture.
Next door is the most recent drawcard – the striking geometric Yves St Laurent Museum, which displays creative masterpieces spanning the late designer’s career. Even if fashion isn’t your thing, the one year-old museum is a fascinating journey through the shifting tide of trends and tastes.
MINT TEA
Most Moroccans lubricate their meals with glasses of atay, a uniquely Moroccan blend of green tea, fresh mint and tons of sugar. Also known as Moroccan whisky, mint tea is the official drink of Morocco.
The traditional way to serve it is to pour it from on high, which aerates the tea and creates foam at the top.
The practice stretches back almost 200 years, when a former British soldier introduced tea to Morocco.
GETTING THERE
dish travelled with Emirates Airlines, which flies A380s daily from both Auckland and Christchurch to Casablanca (via Dubai), and On the Go Tours’ seven-day Casablanca and Coast Tour.
“The traditional way to serve mint tea is to pour it from on high, which aerates the tea and creates foam at the top”