October in Morocco!

As the Olympic came to a close, the doors of the school opened!  The kids all went back to TASIS in their uniforms.  Everything quickly fell into the back to school routine of scouts, soccer (football) and homework.  My schedule was jam packed with volunteer responsibilities with the scouts (Girls, Boys and Cubs) as well as the TPA (same as a PTA!).  There were also plenty of new people to meet and try to talk off the ledge after making their big transition to a new country.  After one year, you are considered an expert!  With our heads spinning, we were all thrilled to see a week of vacation waiting for us in October.  Not having taken a summer holiday, Steve was most anxious to get out of town and since summer here in England was something more like a bad Spring, we headed for someplace warm and sunny. 

Marrakech, Morocco!

We spent six days in a Club Med in Marrakech.  We arrived into the resort on Sunday afternoon and decided to check it all out by walking around.  Club Med is definitely an oasis.  The palm trees and landscaping transport you to a Garden of Eden.  It is hard to stay sullen in a place like that, unless you are a pre-teen boy.  After exploring all that we could, we decided to put on our bathing suits and check out the pool.  What we found was that by 3:30 in the afternoon, the temperature was already cooling off and the the water in the pool was tepid at best.  We found a few chaise lounge chairs and Steve and I opened our books to transport ourselves from the real world.  It was not twenty minutes before the sullen pre-teen commented, "Is this all we are going to do all week?"  We explained to all three kids that Mommy and Daddy were content to sit by the pool with our books for the full week.  We invited them to either join us or to join the respective kids clubs provided by Club Med for each age group.  Katie and Cameron were lucky to be in the same group and Jacob was targeted for an older group.  The question plaguing him was would it be more painful to hang with the parents who were doing Nothing or with a bunch of kids that he didn't know and might not even speak English.  That question would not be answered until after breakfast the next morning.

No TV...trying to entertain themselves!

The accommodations were adequate for our needs.  We were lucky to have two adjoining rooms and were able to tuck the kids into one and Steve and I into the other.  We quickly learned that unless we wanted to watch CNN, we would not be spending much time in the room watching television.  The country was colonized by the French but had become an independent nation that is primarily Muslim.  The Club Med was predominantly French speaking, but we were able to manage for the week. 

Monday morning we ate breakfast together and planned the day.  Katie and Cameron agreed to go to the kids club, so after breakfast, we returned to the room and I slathered them with sunscreen and they packed swim bags.  I walked them over and signed them into the club.  Because they were over 8 years-old, they had the ability to sign themselves in and out as they wanted through the day.  They actually both studied the weekly schedule, chose their daily activies and stayed in the club the whole day.  They had archery and swim time everyday and the pool in the club was warmer than the main pool!  They also had a chance for trapeze and trampoline time each day during the circus time.  Katie made lots of friends.  She even managed to "communicate" with a French girl in their age group although she tended to stay with the English speakers.  Another surprise for us was the evening entertainment.  On our last night the kids in the club put on a whole show,  Cameron had 3 costume changes and Katie learned several dances!

 

After dropping off the kids, I met up with Steve by the pool and was surprised that Jacob was not with him.  Apparently, he had chosen to go with his Club for the day.  Again, because of his age, he could come and go as he pleased.  For the first few days, he stayed with the group, but by Thursday, he would pop over by us for a little bit during the day.  His club had the same options for Archery and Pool Time, but much of their time was spent just hanging out.  Jacob found that he could get wifi in the main building and would bring his iTouch and play games.  I had been hoping that he might read a book or two, but at least his sullen attitude was abated. 

Steve and I would enjoy quiet lunches without the kids sitting outside on the patio.  I ate plenty but lost weight during the trip because I was enjoying fresh fruit and salads all the time.  There was a bit of local flavor mixed with great French cuisine.  For the kids, there was always a pasta and pizza bar; however, they (Katie and Jacob) were willing to check out other options as well.  I loved having fresh pain au chocolat in the morning still warm from the oven!

We relaxed in the resort most of the week, only exploring beyond the gate on Wednesday morning.  We toured some beautiful Marjorelle Gardens that were owned at one time by Yves Saint Laurent.  There was a pond where the kids were fascinated by the turtles.  The selection of plants was astounding and created a sanctuary in the crowded city.  We also toured one of the palaces; it is not in use and so open to the public.  The architecture is unlike that in the U.S.  The details are amazing.  I attempted to take photos but I am not sure you can really understand the magnitude of the work from snapshots.  After that bit of culture, we headed into the souks, which are the markets.  The volume of stuff and the pressing crowds of people make the souks a bit overwhelming.  We made our way out with lighter purses and headed back to the resorts with the sounds and smells still spinning in our heads.  It was nice to get back to the pool for the afternoon to relax again.

Souks!

We also managed to find time for a camel ride.  Club Med has a small herd of camels just for this excursion which takes you just outside of the resort walls and through the local village and back for a 45 minute tour.  You can't do this everyday!  Steve even had a smile plastered to his face! 

By Friday, we were relaxed and ready to say good bye.  I had one last chance to catch Katie and Cameron on the flying trapeze before the taxi returned us to the airport and to reality.  Once in a while though, it is good to vacate!