Unser Garten

Der Wandel unseres Gartens von einer Wiese mit Pool in einen Garten mit vielen Augenweiden.Die Palme blüht heuer das erste Mal nach 6 Jahren und zwei Umzügen!!Da lässt es sich leben.

Die Arbeit rentiert sich!!

Jacob der Pferdekenner

Jeden Mittwoch geht Jacob in den Club zum Pony Reiten. Hier mit seinem Schulfreund Omar.Da muss gestriegelt werden und alles....

Alinas Chor Vorführung

Heute, 18. Mai 2010, hatte Alina eine Sing Vorführung an der Schule. Die Veranstaltung war gemeinsam mit den Kindern aus der Amerikanischen Schule aus Rabat.Gestern war Alina mit ihrer kleinen Gruppe den ganzen Tag in Rabat und hat den Ausflug sehr genossen.Am Sonntag konnte sie schon mal eine Kostprobe bei der alljährlichen Spring Fair geben.

Ich glaube, das Bühenleben gefällt ihr!!

Nespresso

For mothers day I did not get a camping light or a camping cooker (like expected an wished for) but a Nespresso machine! Great too!!! Welcome me in the club of people saying, "My coffee costs DH 5.57 a cup!"

With the machine came a voucher for DH 500  to chash at the Nespresso Shop at Massira el Khadra. There, I went one morning, my only chore in the city (and I hate going into the city). I found a parking space in the non parking aeria.

God bless the yellow number plates!!

The shop is very posh. I felt underdressed immediately, not wearing a dinner dress. Business men came in for a free coffee, predenting, they are tasting it for a future purchase... I tasted a green capsule, the latest spring/summer fashion. I did not like it.

I told the landy, that I have a voucher  here and would love to have a variety of the nicest colored capsule  she has. She took the voucher alright and asked me for the invoice as well as the article number...

Well: who is running around with invoices and article numbers of presents one got???????

I told her, not to be so peculiar and just (for f... sake) to give me these overpriced coffee samples in aluminium containers. She would not. I threatened her to call her boss (whom I don't know). Nothing helped. Underdressed and undercoffeed I had to drive all the way home.

Mission not accomplished.

I had a little time left and wanted to find a shop called Balsatex. A shop, which sells beautiful towels. People did not know the street, but still sent me in all the directions of the world. I gave up and went into a bathing costume shop. I hate, when sales women immediately jump on me, as soon as I am in the shop. But again, it happened. She showed me a model with cussions inside, bigger than the ones I use on my sofa. In case, they are possitiv boyant, you just float on the pool without moving a limp!!!! Just for the fun of it, I checked the price - DH 2400!! Upps. How do I get myself out of that shop!! I told her, I did not like a pillow case in my bikini top and looked at a simpler one, without any filling materials. She gave me a queer look and said, "This model is for women with bigger boobs!"

Now, it was easy to leave the place.

Also, you pay more for a bikini without pillows inside as for one with.

Days later, I went back to the Nespresso shop (I just had to...) accompanied by the invoice, article number, birth certificate and -  just in case - my blood group card!!!

"Le 5" privat Party

At mothersday (May 9th), we went to a Japaneese Restaurant. There we met a Japanese guy called Müller and a Belgium guy called Bauer. Müllers wife is from Russia and her name is Olga (how original!!). They, all being very drunk after a liter of wodka and more, invited us for next week to a garden opening in the newly opened Restaurand/Bar/Launch "Le 5".

I had a bad cough, my throat was hurting, my head hammering and I was very tired, BUT: Angela wont miss a party, even if it is just for an hour. So suggested from me to Manni...On the corniche, we discovered, that the Resto is an ex-house of parents from School and Alina has been there on the day, Jacob was born. Now, it is a very cool place to have dinner and a good dance!! We soon found out, it is a privat party and "sadly" everything was for free...

We soon met a Mehdi (above, smoking with Manni, who thought, that HE brought a very big cigar...), who recognised us from a party at (actually) OUR place. No clue who he was, but he was fun (and importing Austiran good - that's why...).

The setting was expansive, most of the girls cheap. Great music, beautiful light affects. We were sent away from our good place, as an "important" young (drug dealer..??) arrived and insisted, that he booked that very table. Bother!!

We found a lovely place on the bar, much closer to the champagner and met Olga again. In the mean time, there were fire eaters and - yet again - Gogo Girls   imported from Bulgaria dancing for our pleasure. They did a good job, but again, it was the girls on the tables, who looked and danced much more like that sort of girls, dancing for money (which is most likely the case anyway...).Don't ask me, who that very "blond" lady is next to me. Moroccan, married to an Italian and divorced, now here with a big fat money supplier once more...If you think, Morocco is full of veiled women - you have to go jogging on a Friday afternoon in Bouskoura. Nightlife in Casa is nothing like you would experience at your home country (well, depends, if you were born in the red light district...)

Oh, by the way: my throat was fine, my head just lovely and all the tiredness just gone...

God bless a good party!!

Gogo Girls for the Call Centre

Manfred called me in the morning, that he got an ivitiation to a party in Tamaris. And yes, this are best news for me!! A drink, a dance, a chance...

We knew, there are up to 600 young people out there at the beach, moroccan music, noise and dance, but we did not know, that we were actually the only non-moroccans invited to that event!! Lots of half covered bodies were dancing with too much covered bodies. The contrast is extreme!! Tight, black leather pants and not much on top to cover the curves, or a big table cloth covering from head to toe, only showing off some nice shoes. But, they all don't seem to mind too much. But again, it is the same in Austria: People in traditional "Dirndl's" would also flip around with the ones in hot pants!! Not much of a difference really.

Manfred was talking with the three biggest share holders of the company, I was only saying yes and no on a regular basis, to predent, I understood everything (which was not possible with that noise).

Later, two Gogo girls entertained the crowd, but personally did not see much of a change between them and lots of the girls working for the company... only they were foreign and more expansive... Manfred enjoyed himself, as you can see on the picture with Olivier.

I was rather glad to leave the place, as I was tempted to dance, but did not really feel as one of them.

Abattoire - Schlachthof

Jacob infront of the dragon!!

The old Abattoir of Casablanca is now turned into a place, where art festivals take place. We have been there Mai 5th. the EU commission has organized a lovely rumpus for kids as well as adults. Huge giant monsters fighting, scarry music, local circus performances and the funniest bar-performance ever. Jacob enjoyed the fight with the monsters and I enjoyed an other side of otherwise not so cultural city of Casa.

Am 5. Mai gingen wir zum alten Schlachthof von Casa. Immer noch hängen die Haken an den Decken, wo früher die toten Tiere hängen. Heute ist es ein Platz, wo ab und an Kust Festivals statt finden. Die EU Kommission hat einen netten Nachmittag zusammengestellt. Wilde Monster, die Feuer spuckten und mächtig Lärm machten, lokale Zirkus Menschen und eine Gruppe aus Belgien, die eien Bar der ganz anderen Art zeigte.

Ein netter Nachmittag. Jacob genoss den Kampf mit den Monstern.

Vallée de Dades

The Kasbah of Telouet, one hour after the pass Tizi n'Tishka (2260 m). In February, still early in the year, with only the  almond trees in blossom. The Schmid family within the Kasbah of Telouet.Parts of the Kasbah are run down. Kasbahs are usually always build on and on and other parts are left to nature to moulder to gravel again.The Kasbah Itran, where we stayed. Build on the rocks with an amazing few.

  The children having fun, drawing a picture of their impressions of the day. Headlights were necessairy!

We went with Rachana, Tahir, Ariane and Timor Shah, very good friends of ours. Here in the extremely lovely Kasbah Itran in El Kelaa M'Gouna (the rose village: every May, there is a big rose festival), the entrance to the Vallèe des Roses (name after the colour of the stones and not the roses).

After a couple of drinks on the natural formed terraces, Tahir starts to tell his stories. We are laughing and listening for hours in a row. The entrance to the Gorges des Dades. Early greenery in contrast to bare-faced stones and rocks. Elias at the point, we had to give up. The Gorge des Dades was totally flooded.

Our second night we spent at "5 étoiles" with David the owner, who played the guitarre for as after a lovely dinner, his mother made for us.The whole Gorges is floddes from resent rains, fields under water, some bridges torn away. Here, a very local way of making bridges. Makes sense, as they have to be renewed nearly every year.

Manfred and Alina crossing a flodded road in the valley.

We are celebrating my birthday in yet another lovely, very privat place, the Auberge Ayous in the Gorge de Todra. Lovely decorated rooms and stunning welcome as well as excellent food!!

In the Gorged des Dades: Les Doits des sènges (fhe monkeys fingers) - really look like monkey fingers. You can climb them and walk through them - but not in the floods.

Walking the Gorge de Todra. In winter, only at noon, the sun reaches the bottom of the gorge. At the end, there is a fountain, locals come to drink from it for good fortune (mainly for a husband and lots of children - they will regret the drink later in their lifes!!!)

Only women go out in the mountains every day at fife in the morning to gather wood for the daily needs. It leads them further away from home every day and takes them hours just for what they carry on their sholders on this picture.

We were pretending to have a 4 wheel drive!! We were crossing the mountains, not really knowing, if we will succeed. We passed by Imilchil (every year, there is a engagement festival there - left over singles, don't hesisate to go there!!), which was lacking the flair I was hoping for. No place to stay over night with three children - really. And as I have a husband already - no need...

We just made it through that mud. If not, we would have had to go back seven hours and take an other route back home.

Camping in Ait Belmensk

Letztes Wochenende fuhren wir (wieder mal) sehr spontan mit Freunden mit zum Campen. Wir hatten die Wahl zwischen einem noblen Abendessen im Restaurant mit lieben Freunden oder eben einem Zelt und Lagerfeuer mit anderen lieben Freunden. Da es aber viele Restaurants und Gelegenheiten in Casa gibt, das wieder nachzuholen, entschieden wir uns für das Abenteuer.

Ait Belmensk ist in Richtung Marakesch auf der alten Bundesstraße. Es geht dann links rein und der Asphalt verabschiedet sich dann auch recht bald. Es standen überall die nationale Gendarmerie rum da ganz in der Nähe von unserem Campingplatz ein altes jüdisches Moussem (Heiligenstätte) ist und gerade dieses Wochenende Juden von üerall her kamen, um zu beten, zu feiern oder was auch immer...

Wir stellten unsere Zelte auf. Elias hat ein Zweimannzelt, ein weiteres lieh uns Jean-Claude. Weitere Ausrüstung hatten wir keine, außer den Schlafsäcken - natürlich!! Da gab es aber welche, die hatten eine portable Dusche mit, einen aufklappbaren Tisch mit Stühlchen, einen batteriegeladenen Blasebalg, ein Feldbett, Gaskocher, LED Campinglampen,...

Wir waren ein  Grüppchen von drei Familien und zwei Pärchen. Der Campingplatz war auch kein solcher, sondern einfach nur ein Stück Wald vor einem Canyon. Zurerst räumten wir Österreicher und Schweizer erst mal eine halbe Stunde Müll weg, um uns wohl fühlen zu können. Das ist hier leider immer und überall nötig.

Wir machten dann gleich eine Runde auf den Felsen (Foto oben) und später ein Lagerfeuer um Marsh-Mallows zu grillen und in weiterer Folge das Abendessen. Den Kindern gefiel es!! Wir bekamen auch immer wieder Besuch. Man würde meinen, man ist weit ab von den Menschen, doch immer wieder kam mal einer vorbei. Ein Gendarm, ein Lokaler, der eine Teekanne für uns mithatte, eine Kuh ...Der Abend wurde noch lange und sehr lustig. Jean-Claude nahm die Kinder immer wieder mit zum kleinen Fluss, wo sie Frösche, Schildkröten und sogar eine Schlange fanden. Das perfekte Wochenende für die Kleinen (Elias wäre lieber zu Hause in seinem bequemen Bett gewesen...).Tags darauf kletterte ich gleich in der Früh auf die Felsen. Ein Wunderbarer Ausblick!!! Später wanderten wir alle mit den Kinder in den Canyon rein.Verlehmt, nach Lagerfeuer stinkend und mit verfilzten Haaren, fuhren wir am Sonntag wieder heim. Alina meinte: "Mama, können wir das nächste Woche wieder machen. Aber gleich am Freitag wegfahren und mit den gleichen Menschen."

Schön, wenn es den Kleinen gefällt.

Und uns großen allemale.

(Elias ausgenommen!!)

Neue Haustiere nach dem Wochenende: zwei Wasserschildkröten und eine Krabbe!!!