Beautiful Morocco - I'm very excited to visit it and spend 9 days together capturing the landscapes, the architecture, the culture and the warm colors of this beautiful country in watercolors and guiding you through the plein air painting process to create your own travel sketchbook full of incredible memories.
“The Medina”: Stroll on the ramparts of the medina. Sketching session. Lunch break. In the afternoon, discovery of the city and sketches in the shaded streets. Overnight in Essaouira.
“Open sky”: A morning sketch on a private panoramic terrace. The opportunity to gain height and enjoy a breathtaking view of the rocky coast and the rooftops of the city. Lunch break. In the afternoon, sketching and painting in the Jewish quarter of the medina. Overnight in Essaouira.
One more painting session with our instructor in Essaouira, After lunch
we will head to Agafay, a rocky desert located about thirty
kilometers from the red city of Marrakech, on the first heights of the
High Atlas massif in Morocco.
It is were we will have our camel ride experience.
Ksar "Ait-Ben Haddou" a UNESCO World Heritage site the day starts early with a picturesque sunrise before enjoying a
special breakfast. As the sun begins to rise. it will be a desert day
full of rocks, on the road to Ait Ben-Haddou, (about 200 km from
Marrakech). the road that crosses the High Atlas mountain range. On our
way we will pass by the pass of Tizin'Tichka, at more than 2200 m of
altitude and which connects the valley of the wadi Tensift in the north,
with the valley of Asif Ounila a semi-arid region in the south- East.
Night in Ait Ben Haddou.
After breakfast , you will enjoy a full day sketching and drawing Ait
Ben Haddou, the most spectacular Kasbah in the south of Morocco and the
iconic landscape immortalized in such films as, Lawrence of Arabia,
Jesus of Nazareth, The Jewel of the Nile, The Living Daylights, The
Sheltering Sky, Kundun, The Mummy, Gladiator, and Alexander the great,
Here we will begin our first sketches of the kasbahs and Ksars
buildings.Also, sketch the shaded alleys and along the wadi (river) .In
the afternoon will leave Ait-ben-Haddou to arrive at one of the
mesmerizing places called Skoura.
Night and dinner.
Skoura "The Palm Grove": In the morning we will discover the splendor of the date palms and the sheltered fruit and olive trees that cover over than 27km square. The local population will warmly welcome you, adding to your feeling of well-being, all this under the heat from the Moroccan sun. The palm grove..... with its flora and its kasbahs, will provide many subjects for the second page of your travel journal. Among all of this you will have a botanical lesson in the palme-groove.
After breakfast, you will start your with a visit of a 17th century
kasbah (Amridile) which used to be a fortress and a coranic school of
the Naciri family, and you will visit a pottery workshop and go back in
time for a while
After lunch , road to Marrakesh
After breakfast, you will enjoy the guided city tour of Marrakech. The
morning begins with a visit to the magnificent Koutoubia Mosque, emblem
of Marrakech which has inspired other buildings such as the Giralda in
Seville and the Hassan Tower in Rabat. Your next stop is the Bahia
Palace. After the lunch break, you continue to the famous Jemaa el Fna
square, home to an array of food, snake charmers, local musicians and
fortune tellers. There is nowhere on Earth quite like Jemaa el Fna, the
square at the heart of old Marrakech. You will also stroll through the
souks and admire hundreds of handicrafts.
Farewell day .
Transfer to the airport
Elisabetta Zorzenone is a self-taught watercolor artist born in Italy and based in France. She's a passionate traveler and her sketchbooks began as a need to write down and illustrate her travel experiences. Her art is inspired by the landscapes, the architecture, the food and the culture of the places she visits and she fills her sketchbook with all those experiences. In June 2022 she left everything behind to start traveling the world. She spent 9 months in South America and she's currently in South East Asia, sketching every day the places she visits.
Situated in Essaouira, 13 km from Golf de Mogador, Terrasses
vertes features accommodation with an outdoor swimming pool, free
private parking, a garden and a shared lounge.
Ait
ben Haddou guest house, is a family house Located in a strategic area,
panoramic view of the Ksar of ait ben haddou, the river, the High Atlas
mountains and the gardens of the entire valley.
Located
in the palm grove of Skoura, in a quiet environment, the riad is an
air-conditioned kasbah with a large, meticulously landscaped garden with
an outdoor swimming pool. It offers rooms decorated in a Moroccan
style, equipped with private bathrooms.
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.
- Is Morocco safe for tourists?
Yes,
this is a country where you will have no security concerns. Our
itinerary is well marked and we will always be accompanied by local
guides. Tourists who in the past have been attacked, have ventured to
places where even Moroccans would not dare to go. So leave without fear:
for my part I feel much more in danger at the Gare de Lyon than in the
middle of the palm grove!
-How many participants will there be in the course?
Rest
assured, we will be a small group! The course is confirmed as soon as
there are 6 registered participants and we can go up to 12, even 15 at
most. A small group allows the teacher to have time with everyone;
beyond that it is a little bit difficult but not impossible
Finally, know that it is possible to come accompanied by your spouse or your children. The accompanying persons benefit from all the visits, but pay a little less because they will not have the workshop with the instructor.
- The meeting point is in Casablanca or Marrakech airport (depends on the start of our journey)
What time should you arrive ?
no later than 12H00
Ideally it would be best to find a plane that arrives in on early in the afternoon and which leaves in the late afternoon.
If
you arrive in a few days before the trip and workshop, we can pick you
up before picking up the other interns from the airport. obviously with a
supplement
- Who will pick us up and where exactly?
Our
guide throughout the stay, will be there with the bus and a driver,
pick you up at the exit Airport (the main arrivals gate), as soon as you
pass the door that leads to the outside. Here are his contact details
in case of delay: 00 212 6 60 19 43 24 Or 00 212 6 78 79 49 03.
- Where will we sleep the first night?
Our
driver will drive us directly from the airport to Casablanca (a 1 hour
drive), where we will be expected for dinner and to spend our first
night.
- Will we stay several nights in the same gîte?
It depends on the program
- How many will we be per room? Are they mixed?
The rooms have a large beds with bathroom and toilet in each room.
- To whom should we pay the balance of the stay, and when?
See conditions
- Will we have other fees?
Everything
is included in the price: full room and board, internal transport and
tours. Just plan a little change for your drinks on the terrace and your
souvenir purchases. There is a currency exchange office at the airport,
just before the exit, which does not take any commission.
For information, 1 euro = 10 dirhams, 1 dollar = 10 dirhams approximately
- Are sheets, blankets and towels provided?
In all the hotels, sheets, blankets and towels are provided, even at the camp in the desert, where we will spend a night.
- What clothes should you bring?
Take
light clothes, because it can be very hot during the day, but also a
small fleece for the evening, because the nights are cool.
There is a swimming pool so you can take your swimsuit. Don't forget to bring your sunglasses and a scarf or cap to protect your head!
- Which notebook to choose?
See the teacher
*List Of The Busiest Airports In Morocco*
# Casablanca:
CASABLANCA MOHAMMED V INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - CASABLANCA AIRPORT (CMN)
**Located 30 kilometres south-east of Casablanca.
**Is among the five busiest airports in Africa.
# Marrakech:
MARRAKESH AIRPORT (RAK)
**Located 5 kilometres from Marrakesh city centre.
**RAK Airport is a focus city for Ryanair
**Tangier: Tangier Ibn Battouta Airport
The airport is named for Ibn Battouta (1304-1368), a Moroccan traveler who was born in Tangier.
**Fes :
Saïss Airport or Fès–Saïss Airport
**Located about 13 km from the city center of Fez
Travelers from the US only are required to have a valid US Passport – but it must NOT be due to expire within 6 months of your return flight.
Your flight destination will be Marrakech Menara International Airport (RAK) / Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport. Royal Air Maroc is the only airline that has direct flights from the US to Morocco, from both JFK and Washington Dulles.
You can also book flights traveling through major European airports, as there are many connecting flights to Marrakech through economy airlines such as Ryan Air, Easyjet, Iberia, etc. We’ve found that it is easier to find good connecting flights on the way to Marrakech than on the return, but you can take the opportunity to end your trip with a day or two stop in Spain, France, Portugal, England….
Immunizations are not required or necessary but check here for CDC recommendations.
What To Wear
Weather is predictably unpredictable so be sure to check on the estimated conditions the week before you travel. Even though Marrakech can be quite warm by day, it is usually quite cooler at night so pack light clothes that you can layer. We recommend cotton pants, long skirts, wraps or large scarves over tank and tee shirts, and a sweater or light jacket for chilly nights.
Your most important fashion asset: comfortable shoes for traversing the Medina on sightseeing and shopping adventures!
Morocco is a Muslim country and women generally dress more modestly than in the US or Europe. Like elsewhere, dress codes are gradually becoming more lax and there is a lot of tolerance for tourists, but wearing clothing that covers your best “assets”, and that your grandmother would approve of, shows cultural respect, good taste, and common sense.
Money ExchangeThe currency here is the Moroccan Dirham, and the exchange rate usually hovers these days around 10 Dirhams/1 Dollar. You CANNOT exchange for Dirhams outside of Morocco, but there are several currency exchange booths in the airport when you exit Passport Control and also located all around the Medina. Larger stores and restaurants may take Euros, but it’s really best to have dirhams.
If you bring large bills ($100) to exchange be sure that they are newer bills with holograms. Otherwise they will slide them back to you with a shake of their head.
Another good option for padding your wallet with dirhams is to use the ATM machines which are located around the medina. The exchange rate is a little better, especially if your bank or credit card doesn’t add foreign transaction fees (some homework for you). Be sure to notify your bank of your foreign travel destination so they don’t flag you for fraud. I also recommend that you bring 2 or 3 cards-just in case you still get flagged (happens!) and find too many things you just can’t live without.
Guest House
Free Wifi access in all rooms and common areas
Bedside Mineral Water
Hair Dryers
One-time complimentary laundry service for retreat weeks
Extra items you should pack:
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 :
elisabettazorzenone.art@gmail.com