Magical Morocco - it has been on my mind for years! The vibrant colours, the culture, the architecture and landscapes - all so different to anything I've ever sketched before. I'm really excited to to visit in October and spend 9 days together with you capturing this extraordinary place in pen and watercolour.
We’ve put together a wonderful itinerary starting in Casablanca and ending in Marrakech, and with 5 days in the historic fortified port town of Essaouira (with it's UNESCO heritage old city). There will be traditional artisan markets, old ports, boats, little alleyways, mosques, sea and beaches. There will be camels and goats. There will be luxury accommodation and wonderful local cuisine shared together. And, of course, we'll put putting all of this into our sketchbooks!
Everything is organised, allowing us to immerse ourselves in the place and our paintings. There will be daily painting instruction from me, lots of plein air painting and time to explore. You’ll go home with a sketchbook loaded with memories, new painting skills, and, of course, new sketching friends.
Arrival in Airport Casablanca . after the meeing Upon
arrival into Casablanca, you will be hosted by our guide at casablanca
airport and escorted to a vehicule. Then you be provided with your the
itinerary in the Hotel . after taking a rest A short visit to hassan 2
the second largest fuctioning mosque in africa and it is where we will
begin our first sketches
Departure to Safi, orientation tour by coach of the city which was
once Portuguese. From this time remain the castle of the sea, a chapel,
vestige of a cathedral and the Kechia, which encloses in its fortified
walls a white palace seat of the Makhzen. Then departure for Oualidia, a
small seaside resort on the lagoon and a fishing port.
Lunch and
continuation to Essaouira along the coast which offers beautiful views
of the sea and the lagoons. Stop at El Jadida "La Deauville Marocaine"
with its famous beach. Visit to the Portuguese cistern.
After breakfast we
will take a little walk outside the old medina (old walled city) to reach our
place where we will have a beautiful view of the reflection of the walls and
the big boats on the sea, and the lunch break. In the afternoon, we will go
back inside the walls going to a panoramic terrace where we will have the
opportunity to paint multiple views like roofs and terraces of the city, the
sea and the famous Skala (castle/harbor).
Overnight stay in Essaouira.
After breakfast we will go to the port where we will spend
the whole day, painting different views, from the Skala (harbor) of the port
that has a panoramic view where we can see the medina, the port, the bay, the Island
of Mogador, and the dance of the seagulls in the air as they are letting
themselves be carried by the winds. We will also witness the return of the
fishermen and go to the rudimentary shipyard where carpenters build boats and
paint them in blue.
Overnight stay in Essaouira.
After breakfast we will head to a traditional Souk (traditional
marketplace) where we will also paint a beautiful mountain view. Then we will
drive to a beautiful beach with a stunning view to paint while we enjoy the sun
with the camels and horses around us (those who wish may ride a camel). Visiting
the argan (oil trees) cooperative to see how to produce the argan oil. Lunch
near the beach.
Overnight stay in Essaouira
Today is the time to visit the main Skala
(castle) with her beautiful view and her stunning old cannons facing the sea.
Lunch break in a terrace near the Skala. In the afternoon, we will have a
tourist visit in the medina (old walled city).
Overnight stay in Essaouira.
After breakfast, early departure to Marrakesh. Enjoy the landscape and watch the goats over the argan trees. Lunch will be on the road.
Overnight in Marrakesh.
After breakfast you will Enjoy the guided city tour of Marrakech. The morning begins with a visit to the magnificent Koutoubia Mosque as the landmark of Marrakech which has inspired other buildings such as the Giralda of Seville and the Hassan Tower of Rabat. Your next stop is the Bahia Palace where you can sketch the splendid moroccan architecture... After lunch break, You Continue to the world-famous Jemaa el Fna Square, which houses an array of food, snake charmers, local musicians, and fortune-tellers. There’s nowhere on Earth like the Jemaa el Fna, the square at the heart of old Marrakesh. You will also walk through the souks and view hundreds of handicrafts. Night with breakfast at the Riad/Hotel..
You will spend the Morning in the Riad in order to finish the travel log, diverse collages, layout of the pages with advice of the teacher.
Departure to the aireport.
Renee’s passion is plein air painting - documenting her life and travels in pen and watercolour. She has been painting for over 20 years and has been a full time artist since 2012. For the last 6 years she has been teaching others to paint and sketch through in person workshops, art retreats and online classes.
Renee is a South African born New Zealander currently living in Spain. Her art is inspired by the world around her. What she loves most is filling her sketchbooks with paintings and notes of her travels - an illustrated diary of her life. She will often take these outside sketches into the studio to work into finished paintings, which can be representational watercolours or more abstract pieces in mixed media.
Her paintings have found homes throughout the world and, when she’s not traveling, she exhibits paintings in New Zealand each year.
She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Botany and Zoology, and a Higher Diploma in Education.
www.walden.co.nz
facebook.com/reneewaldenart
Instagram.com/reneewaldenart
Located in Essaouira, from Golf de Mogador, the riad vertes has accommodations with an outdoor swimming pool, a garden and a shared lounge. The guesthouse has a terrace and pool views, and guests can enjoy a meal at the restaurant or a drink at the bar.
At the guesthouse, each room is equipped with a closet, bed linen and a patio with a garden view. The rooms are equipped with an electric tea pot and a private bathroom with a shower, while some rooms also feature a kitchen equipped with a fridge. At the riad vertes every room has a seating area.
Traditional Dishes
One of the most striking features of Moroccan cooking is the quality and fquality and freshnes of the ingredients. Produce comes from a land without pesticides, chemicals,
hormones or preservatives. Animals are slaughtered just hours before they are este The meat you are offered will generally be mutton, not lamb. Market vegetables whave been gathered that morning. Spices, herbs, fresh fruit, nuts and dried fruthae an invigorating vitality completely removed from the packaged and imported products available in much of Europe and North America.
lo encourage you, here are explanations of some of the most common and popular Moroccan traditional dishes (for details of Arab and French pronunciation,see Language,
Harira: a thick soup of chick peas, lentils and haricot beans often flavoured witn mutton or chicken, lemon and tarragon.mutton or chicken, lemon and tarragon.
Brochettes: Grilled kebabs of mutton, liver and fat.
Kefta: Spicy meatballs made of minced mutton and offal, often served in a negg sauce.
Pastilla/bastilla: A pie made up of multiple layers of flaky pastry filled With y
chopped pigeon meat, eggs, almonds and spices. Chicken or fish may be used instead of pigeon.
Tagine: Along with couscous, this is the most universal of Moroccan dishes -
slowly simmered stew,cooked in its own juices in an earthenware bowl with a distinctive conical lid. The tagine provides the foundation for using a whole spectrum
of ingredients, spices and styles. The most popular variants found on most menus across Morocco are: tagine de viande (mutton stew cooked with vegetables or serve
alone with prunes); tagine de poisson (bream or sardine stew cooked with tomatoe and herbs); tagine de lapin (rabbit stew); and tagine de poulet aux olives et citron
(a delicious chicken stew cooked With lemon and olives). The lemon gives a deliciou bitter zest to the meat.
Mechoui: Lamb roasted whole on a spit or baked in a special oven. This delicate and fragrant meat, far removed1 from the usual mutton, is eaten with bread. It is, howevel
an elaborate luxury which is often only available if ordered well in advance.
Couscous: This dish is made from half-baked flour which is then ground into semolina-like grains. A perecty prepared couscous is laboriously cooked in a succession of steamings and oilings that allow each grain to cook while retaining adistinct granular texture. couscous served outside of a home or a good restaurant is
unlikely to be found at its best. It is usually accompanied by sept légumes (seven steamed vegetables) with the odd lump of mutton. It can also be served as a pudding
with sugar, cinnamon and rich, warm goat's milk.
Cornes de gazelle: Croissant-like pastries filled with honey and almonds.
What are the 5 reasons to go to Essaouira?
Discover the medieval streets, contemplate the beauty of the city or admire the fish market, there are a thousand and one reasons to spend a stay in Essaouira.
There are many reasons that lead you to visit Essaouira:
medieval streets
Most people recognize Essaouria from Game of Thrones. Wandering the winding streets of the UNESCO World Heritage Site medina is much more interesting than watching it on TV! This is one of the magical places not to be missed during your stay.
The beauty of the city
Essaouira is a great place to take things slow, whether it's a peaceful afternoon of cycling or pottery in the many shops selling spices, painted bowls, music and colorful clothing. The market experience here is 100 times better than in Marrakech!
The fish market
After seeing the local fishermen hard at work, we picked out some fresh prawns, lobster and fish and cooked it in one of the many fish market tents. Delicious !
artsy culture Even the oranges look artsy in this city where live music, pretty artwork and reggae-themed stalls abound.
The landscape
Whether you prefer the long (windy) beach, splashing rock pools, or 18th-century architecture, it's all beautiful to look at.
When we receive your deposit we will email you to confirm your reservation and payment.
Once the retreat becomes guaranteed (minimum number of registrants met) we will contact you to confirm your reservation and arrange payment of the balance for the retreat if only the deposit was paid at registration.
If for any reason the retreat does not become guaranteed, you will be refunded any funds paid (deposit or total amount).
A deposit is required to the teacher :
Renee Walden