Art & Cooking Morocco Spring 2020 {Resource}
In April 2020, I will be returning to magical Morocco to offer another art & cooking educational tour.
I am once again working with award winning tour agency Caravan-Serai to introduce friends to the sights and tastes of five southern cities of this North African wonder at the crossroads of contemporary and medieval times. I have formed our schedule to best experience the art and cooking of Morocco and Caravan-Serai will be taking care of our logistical needs.
For a full list of services and prices, please check below, to join us on this spectacular experience. We will explore all five senses that will fully showcase how different each city truly is.
Legal print: All events are subject to change due to time constraints (inshallah is a common Arabic word that means ‘if God wills it’ and is how most of the country is run, please make sure you take the time to enjoy this laid back Moroccan way of life).
RABAT
We will land in Rabat on April 8th and relax in our modern hotel in the new area of town. And by new, I mean built during its rich colonial heritage. We will explore the Medina & souk on a different day, and advise you to use this day to relax & drink lots of water to deal with jet lag. We have a full day ahead, so get plenty of slept as well. We will try to meet for a light dinner in the evening for introductions, depending on everyone’s availability.
Our breakfast is included with our nightly hotel and riad (the Moroccan word for bed & breakfast) stays, which makes it convenient to relax with mint tea in the morning. Moroccans have a unique way of pouring mint tea, and part of their hospitality is to sit and enjoy it with new friends. We will go over our schedule and meet our phenomenal guide (try to guess how many languages he speaks!).
After introductions, we will make our way to the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art for a private tour. Our museum docent will give us an overview of Moroccan artists in this new architectural wonder, the only building in Morocco designed and built for museum use. We will view the permanent collection, as well as traveling exhibits. After our tour, we will enter our comfortable van for a short drive to Casablanca.
CASABLANCA
In Casablanca we will have our first cooking demonstration in a private home. We will be shown Moroccan hospitality as we are provided with culinary delights to introduce us to this rich culture. After our senses are satisfied, we will make our way to the fabric district to learn about Moroccan embroidery & Amazigh design. Along the way, we will drive by Rick’s Cafe and the Hassan II Mosque to see for ourselves if indeed Notre-Dame de Paris could fit inside. After our city tour, we will head to El Jadida.
EL JADIDA
The coastal city of El Jadida will be our first overnight stay along our tour so that we may visit the Galerie Chaibia Talal. This Moroccan artist was born in a nearby village and is considered one of Morocco’s most well known painters. She exhibited works all over the world, showing alongside world famous artists from France and Spain. We will have an art lesson, inspired by her art. We will then have a city tour that includes checking out the Portuguese cistern and a cooking demonstration.
ESSOURIA
We will leave the next morning after breakfast for a drive to Essouria, a city occupied since prehistoric times. We will have a cooking demonstration, along with a city tour that will include visits in the Jewish quarter and learning the rich history of this coastal gem. We will look for the cafes that Jimi Hendrix relaxed in and take an easy day enjoying the beaches as tomorrow we have to roll up our sleeves.
AGADIR
We will spend one day of our tour giving our time and resources in this beautiful coastal city that was destroyed by an earthquake in 1960 and has been trying to rebuild itself as a tourist attraction. We will meet up with youth from the organization Amsmoon and work with them in creating artwork for a community garden. We will use this time to talk English to help with their language skills as we constitute an outdoor floor medallion using the ancient art of Moroccan zellige. After a day of hardy work and laughter over language mishaps, we will share an informal meal with our fellow artists over a beach bonfire.
MARRAKESH
Our city tour of Marrakesh will need a couple of days to enjoy. We leave Agadir early in the morning in hopes of catching a few goats in trees on our drive to Marrakesh. This strange sight/site is how argon oil used to be made. After a few photos, we will head to Marrakesh, a major art hub and where we will enjoy another cooking presentation. We will also try to fit in visits to the Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden, the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, the Marjorelle Gardens and a gallery owned by Hassan Hajjaj.
RABAT
Upon our return to Rabat, we will enjoy a city tour with a stop at the Kasbah. We will also view the Hassan tower, Zaha Hadid’s breathtaking Grand Theatre, and have our final cooking class, complete with a full Certification in Moroccan Cooking, in the Medina. Our afternoon art drive will include various murals and Space Invader graffiti that peppers this contemporary city. We will enjoy a final goodbye dinner together before we depart for home, early the next day.
Download the flyer here.
Inclusions :
- 10 nights accommodation at riad/hotels, breakfast included
- A/C minivan with a driver at disposal for the whole tour
- English speaking guide at disposal for the whole tour
- Art docent at disposal for the whole tour
- Monument entrance fees plus external visits of mosques/synagogues
- 5 cooking classes in Casablanca/El Jadida/Essaouira/Marrakech/Rabat
- 4 art classes in Casablanca/El Jadida/Agadir/Marrakech
- Farewell dinner with Arabic Music
- Our full assistance (airport pickup will hold client name signage)
- Taxes
Exclusions :
- All personal extras, such as but not limited to:
- telephone
- minibar
- trip insurance
- drinks during the meals
- meals not already included in cooking demos
If this trip sounds like one that you are interested in, please contact Caravan-Serai and let them know. Here is a review left from our previous trip to Morocco.
Please visit A Crafty Arab on Facebook to check out the event page to keep up to date on articles, recipes and other fun tidbits about Morocco to prepare for our adventure.
Stop by these educational posts that teach about Morocco
Morocco Flag Candy Dish {Tutorial}
Be sure to know what to pack if you are joining us
Morocco Packing List {Resource}
I hope you can come, I am looking forward to introducing you to the rich traditions of my North Africa.
