Some dear friends have an established wine shop in Hoxton. It’s the best place to go and lose yourself for a couple of hours on a Friday night as the bottles get cracked open for tasting every week.

We may have drunk the world dry of NZ’s Babich some years ago but Musar will always be a hot contender as a favourite red. This earthy Lebanese is coming to town with the vineyard’s chief viticulturist Tarek Sakr who will introduce six different wines with paired food (asparagus, scallops, pigeon all making an appearance). It’s a steal, especially in Mayfair?

Thursday May 23^rd at Truc Vert, North Audeley Street in the West End at 7.15pm. Cost is £65 inclusive for a 5 course meal with 6 matching wines.

Call 020 7729 2111 for details.

Well I’ve heard its fine weather in London at the moment! Wahh…well, here’s a little to whet the appetite for a spot of sun. I mean, it could show its face at some point over the next few months. Stranger things have happened…look at those two all chummy in the pic below!

Open Squares Weekend 

The established city-wide sync of private and lesser known gardens is coming up. The programme includes Downing Street (is SamCam more of a Deadly Nightshade or creeper kind of girl?), the covetable West London stuccoed house gardens and a smattering of private roof gardens and church gardens. Some require booking ahead, others work on a ballot system, and the rest you can stroll into (once you’ve purchased your ticket £10).

www.opensquares.org, 8-9 June

Chelsea Physic Garden

Unusual Edible by Otter Farm’s Mark Diacono, the UK’s only climate change farm, home to orchards of dwarf kiwis, sweet cicely, chocolate vines, Japanese wineberries, pecans, quince, almonds, Szechuan pepper and apricots, as well as a forest garden szechuan pepper, apricots and a vineyard. Mark is also Head Gardener at River Cottage where he grows the fruit and vegetables for the cookery school, runs courses, and leads their continuing drive for sustainability. 

Sunday 16th June, 2-3.30pm. £25

James Wong’s Incredible Edibles – presenting an array of 21st century crops that will flourish in our blustery North Atlantic climate. From goji berries to food-mile free sweet potatoes.

15th September, 2-3.30pm. £25

www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk

Kew, the Grande Dame of the British outdoors

Kew’s Palm House is home to over 60 weird and exotic edible plants – and this summer they’re celebrating the amazing bounty of the plant world with a Incredibles and Tutti Frutti boating experience with Bompas & Parr - transforming the historic Palm House Pond into a fruit salad boating lake! Hop aboard our fruity boats and row your way around the pond and through the mysterious grotto hidden beneath the Pineapple Island. Book your 30 minute time slot in advance to avoid ‘disappointment’ but I think many of us have encountered a vaguely underwhelming Bompass & Parr experiment by now. My bets would be on other related events.

Saturday 25 May until 1 September

The Global Kitchen Garden will feature over 90 edible plants from every corner of the globe. Two semi-circular inner beds will be dedicated to herbs while five outer beds will represent different regions of the world including South America, West Asia and Europe. Visitors can discover where some of our best loved and most obscure food plants have travelled from.

Sat 25 May to Sun 3 November 2013

www.kew.org

And if you’d rather use the garden as a setting, book up for a screening of Cinema Paradiso, Thursday 12th September. It’s usually a reliable month with an Indian Summer lulling you into a false sense of security before hitting you round the chops with Autumn.

Garden Museum

Back in Zone 1, the all-too-often overlooked Garden Museum on Lambeth Palace is one to check out. The chefs at the café forage in the undergrowth to peddle Celeriac & Potato Gratin, Beetroot & Feta Fritters and pudds like Butternut Squash Cake and Courgette, Ginger & Lime Cake.

The Garden Museum and American Embassy present a symposium surveying international avant garde practice in green roof design, horticulture, ecology and growing cultural significance. Karla Dakin is a landscape architect, informed by art and the avant garde – she has designed a roof garden for the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver, Colorado and the 10,000 square foot green roof for the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust. Dusty Gedge, President of the European Federation of Green Roof Associations and integrates art into landscapes with a focus on green roofs, low impact design, permaculture, biodynamic and master gardening, as well as teaching garden design and architectural theory. John Little founded the Grass Roof Company and has since designed and built over 70 green roof buildings, often combining the living roofs with habitat walls.

11.00-16.30, Ticket price includes lunch and coffe break. Tickets Friends £60, Non-Friends £80, Students/Concessions £50

www.gardenmuseum.org.uk

The Shed

A new dining spot with a small yard. Brothers Oliver and Richard Gladwin create dishes created from family grown Sussex produce and other local suppliers. Sticky spatchcock quail, mouthfuls of mackerel sashimi, rabbit ravioli…the list goes on. Yes, I’m afraid it’s part of the small plate club…

122 Palace Gardens Terrace, London, W8 4RT

www.theshed-restaurant.com

King Henry’s Walk Garden N1

My favourite hidey hole in town which has a great pogramme for ridiculously cheap classe. First up, Medicinal Uses for Herbs by Ellie Holly, a fully qualified medical herbalist. Her talk will focus on the herbs growing locally and their medicinal and therapeutic uses. She’ll suggest some easily made recipes, such as herbal syrups, to treat common conditions. 

Saturday 22nd June, 2.00 to 3.30

It wouldn’t be summer without Kitty Travers’ Ice cream Making Masterclass How to make unusual flavours from fruit, leaves and flowers with tastings and recipes. She’ll show basic methods with and without an ice cream maker, demonstrating the ancient ice and salt method which has to be seen to be believed. I’m not madly into ice cream but I’ve done this twice and have never tasted anything as intense since.  

Tuesday 6th August, 7.00 to 9.00

Numbers are limited and places must be booked in advance. To book, email your name, telephone contact number and number of places required to rsvp@khwgarden.org.uk or phone/text 07901 931018.

Cost £10, concessionary rate available.

Marseille is 2013 European Capital of Culture, reason in itself to go. The city is also a great destination to go to for a short break because you can skip culture any moment and take a dip into the crystal blue sea (always carry a swimsuit). It’s a wild city, where parking on the pavement is authorised and having fake boobs is cool. They even have Velibe bike hire system. Just a 15-minutes walk north of Vieux Port, the beating heart of the city, countless construction cranes still protrude into the sky, marking the area of the largest city construction project in Europe: Euromediterranee, where most events of MP2013 are taking place.

MP2013 stands for Marseille Provence, meaning that not only Marseille but more than 97 cities and villages from SoF (South of France) will be aiming to impress with a range of spectacular exhibitions and events throughout 2013. We have tried and loved MP2013.

Here is our Two Day Marseille Itinerary to see the best of the city.

DAY 1: The Sea Trail, 2nd and 3rd arrondissement

11AM start with La Friche de Belle de Mai, probably the best venue of MP2013. It’s a former tobacco factory turned alternative media center. Visit the exhibition « This is not Music » (until June 9th) – and don’t miss the new Panorama tower on the roof terrace. The rooftop hosts 750 people and offers a panoramic view over the docks so you see where you’re heading to next.  Gigs have included Woodkid, Wu Tang Clan and Pete Doherty.

Have lunch at the Restaurant les Grandes Tables on the 1st floor. The industrial look goes well with the Med food. Menu changes daily.

41 Rue Jobin, 13003 Marseille

Then back to le vieux port - the old harbour has been transformed into a traffic free zone and hosts a 1000m2 mirror sun canopy square designed by British architect Norman Foster. The light changes every hour of the day. Start there.

Walk along the port to the town hall and Pavillon M, hosting a mainstream, free exhibition on Marseille (construction and best sights), it’s worth a quick look, also visit the photo exhibition on port cities in the containers. Behind the containers there is a funny house called Maison Diamanté, home of MP2013, grab up-to-date information there.

J4 - Walk past St Jean Tower and Pharo Fort to discover two brand new buildings MuCEM and CeReM. The concrete lace cube is the National Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations designed by architect Rudy Ricciotti. It will house a national collection dedicated to the culture of the Mediterranean. Opens in June.

It’s neighbor, CeReM (Centre Régional de la Méditéranée) was designed by Stefano Boeri to host the permanent exhibition Parcours des Méditerranées (Mediterranean trails), where visitors can “see and live” the experience of the Mediterranean. Always ask if there is English translation before you get your tickets.

Take a look at La Major Cathedral opposite. Many people assume that Notre Dame de la Garde is the cathedral of Marseille (the one on the top of the hill). Not so: in fact, it’s Sainte Marie Majeure, this enormous structure dramatically positioned right next to the former commercial port. Built in snazzy green and white stone stripes and a mix of Romanesque, Byzantine and Gothic styles, reflecting Marseille‘s grandiose prosperity. It is quite cavern-like inside, so perhaps its not for the sunniest of days.

FRAC (Regional Contemporary Art Fund): a great home for contemporary art collections by Kengo Kuma. This project brings FRAC PACA’s activities and a 900-piece collection under one roof - and waou what a roof – a contemporary structure made of 1500 pixels.

20 boulevard de Dunkerque, Marseille 13002

The Port Area

J1: A huge hangar situated between the J4 esplanade and the Joliette district. This vast 6000m2 structure house a 2500m2 exhibition area, a seafront factory, a children’s area, a bookshop and a restaurant with great views on port and sea. Unfortunately it will be closed from June to October because of the lack of air conditioning! The second exhibition (October 11th to January 12 will feature Le Corbusier and brutalism). 

Boulevard du Littoral, 2ème.

If you want to see more contemporary architecture continue walking on the port to:

+  Le Silo: a landmark granary that’s been transformed into a theatre and gig venue (2000 seats).

+  The glass ship by architect Zaha Hadid. HQ of CMA CGM (the world’s third biggest maritime company) – not open to the public but can be seen from afar.

PASTIS TIME! Walk back to the port through the oldest district in Marseille known as the Panier (watch your belongings). This should bring you straight to InterContinental Marseille - Hotel Dieu. The brand new palace is housed in a listed historical monument dating back to the 18th Century and boasts a beautiful terrace, where you can rest after a busy day admiring the Vieux Port.

If you’d rather have some pastis at the counter and mingle with locals, go to La Caravelle, the 1st floor of Hotel Belle-vue. The view on the Old Port is perfect, and the cosy dining room the perfect place to write your postcards to live jazz in the evening.

34 Quai du Port, 13002 Marseille 

Another great spot is Le Café de l’Abbaye: a local’s favorite to watch the sunset. Few seats so come early! 

3 rue Endoume, 13007 Marseille

Diner: Le Grain de Sel was awarded Le Fooding’s Best Bistro. As such, this hotspot must turn many away. Try the delectable almond puree with anchovies which goes well with Aix’s Pomponnette rosé. Book ahead.

39 rue de la Paix-Marcel-Paul Marseille 13001. +33 4 91 54 47 30 

Another quality bistro-restaurant in the area: Malthazar, 19 Le rue Fortia 75001 +33 4 91 33 42 46 

Drinks: Find the secret bar Carry Nation by entering the shop, opening the closet in the back and push through the clothes. The cocktail bar opens after 11pm), 6 rue Jules Moulet, 6ème

DAY 2 – The Radiant Tour 7th and 8th 

Grab a bicycle and ride – the first 30 minutes are free of charge so it’s best to flip bikes each time you get to your destination.

Classic Tourism - Notre Dame de la Garde: The Garde Hill (154 m) has always been an observation post. The basilica is a Romanesque-byzantine style with domes, multicoloured stone, gold and mosaics, A perfect representation of the large constructions undertaken in Marseille under Napoléon III. Join in with the locals to light a candle and make a wish.

Avant-Garde Tourism - La cité radieuse by Le Corbusier. This impressive structure, 165 metres long, 24 metres wide and 56 metres high, was built between 1947 and 1951. Its layout suggests an urban steamboat anchored in a park, with multi-coloured loggias, pilings and blank gable walls. This laboratory for a new “housing system” comprises 337 flats, with 23 different layouts and numerous extensions of the living space, to demo a new way of living in collective housing. An indoor street with shops, and a hotel for resident’s visitors and family members on the third floor. You might as well have LUNCH in the gastro restaurant Le Ventre de l’architecte (Chef Alexandre Mazzia). The main attraction is on the rooftop. Apart for a nursery school, there used to be a gymnasium that French designer Ora Ito has bought 4 years ago. He has initiated a campaign to restore the 1950‘s structure to its original state, by removing an addition that blocked the spaces 360-degree views of the city, and transform it into a contemporary art centre, café and artists residences, named the MAMO for “Marseille Modulor” – as a nod to New York’s MOMA. The inaugural exhibition will premiere this June, featuring French sculptor Xavier Veilhan. A must-see.

280 bd Michelet, Marseille 13008

Relaxing tourism: Ride to La Plage du Pradeau to take a look - but we have a better spot: Le Sporting Club du Dauphin is a private club with a swimming pool and an access to the sea for swimmers, but most of all it’s a splendid terrace opened to anyone for a drink overlooking the sea (a good second lunch option if Le Ventre de l’architecte didn’t work out).

178 B Pro Corniche John Kennedy 13007 Marseille

Keep cycling or walking to La Malmousque, one of the most sought-after residency area of Marseille. The beautiful villas have private access to the sea while the crowd can share the rocks. Continue to Vallon des Auffes, a great little inlet with terraced restaurants & local fishing boats lined up at the bottom. If you fancy a romantic dinner there go straight to L’Épuisette, chef Guillaume Sourrieu cooks one of the best bouillabaisse in town. Book ahead 04 91 52 17 82

SLEEP TIGHT

Marseille’s only and brand new Palace: Intercontinental Hotel-Dieu - 22 Suites, 35 bedrooms with balcony, a Spa and a swimming-pool…

SLEEP NOMAD

YES WE CAMP is an ever-evolving sustainable camping site especially built for the summer. The camp site is located Quai de la Lave of l’Estaque, by the sea. From le Vieux Port a boat will take you there in 30 minutes for 3 euros. The nearest beach is 5 minutes walk (Plage de Corbière). With lots of art and workshops, strong sustainability concerns and similar floor plans, the project sounds like Burning Man. It’s built around a central area and accomodation expands in a circle. Several month ago founders Eric Pringels and Nicolas Détrie have called for innovative, participatory and playful proposals. They received 207 artistic, event and architecture projects that visitors will enjoy throughout the summer. You can choose from 4 categories of accommodation from 13 to 80 euros per night: Bring your own tent, try a dormitory, a pimped up caravan for two (try the erotic box caravan by Gwennaning Duchesne), and a suite (not sure the eco-lodge made of plants will be ready in time, so book the fishing boat instead!). Common spaces include a work area, sheltered from the rain and the sun with a wifi connection, a kids playground, a stage and solar showers. Fun.

May 17 to October 14

www.yeswecamp.org

Other Marseille Hotels:

www.mamashelter.com

www.casahonore.com (piscine)

www.gerardin-corbusier.com (cité radieuse le Corbusier.)

Official MP2013 sites

www.mp2013.fr and www.marseillecityofculture.eu

See the full mapped Marseille trail here.

At the forefront of 1980s counter culture, BLITZ magazine arguably paved the way for the boom of fashion and style magazines of the 90s. In this weekend of talks and events, its importance and place in history will be discussed and celebrated.

Included in the programme is an exhibition, talks from the creators of Bodymap and a screening of Liquid Sky, a 1982 film about a hedonistic alien landing in New York, getting involved with a couple of hipsters and subsequent sex and heroin abuse. Sounds very wholesome.

And where better to hold it than the ICA, host to landmark shows over the years from the likes of J.G Ballard, Throbbing Gristle and more recently a Juergen Teller exhibition where you could see Vivienne Westwood’s lady garden in all its ginger glory. 

We’re Not Here To Sell Clothes: The Making of BLITZ fashion, at the ICA, 18th May. Talks and events - £25. Exhibition only - free, 18th and 19th.

Judging by the number of recent public loo conversions, clearly paying a visit to the Ladies/Gents is obviously going fast out of fashion. Perhaps we just don’t need to go as much as previous generations. How convenient evolution is. 

So if you are looking for a fine twinset of former-toilette restaurants, look no further than Attendant for a Fitzrovia coffee (ironically there is no loo there now). Or for fine, mildly experimental dining that has set London’s gastro glitterati alight, try Story near London Bridge. Almost almost fully booked for the next three months. Perhaps you’ll even bump into George Michael, bumping and grinding - except he’ll be more likely to be grinding the coffee.

Attendant, 27a Foley St, W1

Story, 201 Tooley Street, SE1

Putting our prediction hat on, this could well be the Barbican’s next queue-for-six-hours hit of the summer. This time, a site-specific installation by Argentinian artist Leandro Elrich using mirrors and a horizontal Victorian house facade to give the impression you are standing on, suspended from, or scaling the building vertically.

As a child I remember the odd sensation of walking around the house with a mirror under my chin, so it felt you were about to ‘fall’ up the hall landing onto the ceiling, So I’m intrigued how this may trick the senses. (Matt Baker)

Dalston House, 26th June - 4th August, Free

Let’s just make it a really overcast Tuesday and have a double bill of cool clouds and a run of Dutch photographers. Berndnaut Smilde carefully calibrates temperature and humidity to contain and capture clouds in interior settings before they dissipate into thin air.

It’s a cloudy Spring in Paris, with a pop-up hotel hovering over the rooftop of Paris bar and restaurant Le Point Ephémère, in Paris’ 10th district. We can’t begin to imagine what seven people could get upto in one room so we’ll leave that to you to picture. See more urban shelters here.

reservation@pointephemere.org, until 15th May, 200 Quai de Valmy, 75010 Paris

Funded with The Netherland’s most prestigious fund, the Vermeer prize, Olaf created his series named Berlin - shot across six different, historically significant locations across the city. Sites of true drama and notoriety such as the Olympic stadium and the site of Kennedy’s Ich bin… infamous speech cast a very moody ambiance indeed. 

Hamiltons Gallery, 13 Carlos Place, W1. Green Park Tube. Until May 10th.

Our favourite Parisienne chic chick Miss Marion Boucard has recently returned from Marrakech and curated two perfect days in the city - taking in the best of the sights, shopping and sundowners.

DAY 1

La MEDINA 

Start your visit at the very heart of the city - Djemaa el Fna. The square, site of early public executions, is now a Unesco’s World Heritage site. Storytellers, serpent charmers, medicine men, musicians, dancers and acrobats were on strike when I visited (a French legacy peut etre?),  but it is a fascinating place any time of the day. In the evening the best sunset view is from the rooftop terrace at Cafe de France and later at night the great snack experience is to sample some of the offerings at the dozens of stalls,for super cheap lamb couscous or shish kebab.

Souk: A trip to Marrakech wouldn’t be complete without a wander around the seemingly endless maze of markets. Three tips: don’t worry about losing your way, go for it – you will always find your way back to Djemaa el Fna; don’t buy anything the first day, just look at what you’d like to bring back home and inquiry about prices without succumbing (say ‘Tomorrow’ if the vendor becomes too insistent). Lastly, remember this word: « Baraka » meaning ‘God has given me enough, I’m fine’, this will help you to get rid of over-friendly locals. 

Head North of the Medina to Ben Youssef Medersa

This medersa was one of the largest theological colleges in North Africa, for unto 900 students. It was founded in the 14th Century by the sultan Abu Al-Hassan, enlarged in the 16th Century and polished up in the 90s courtesy of the Ministry of Culture.The beautiful, ornate main courtyard is partly built in cedar marble and stucco. The carvings covering the walls have no representation of humans or animals as required by Islam and consist entirely of inscriptions and geometric patterns. At the far side is the domed prayer hall with the richest of decoration, notably around the mihrab, the arched niche that indicates the direction of Mecca. Two flights of stairs lead to 130 student dormitory cells. It is playful and fun to wander inside them, especially when you suddenly hear the call of the muezzin at the nearby Ben Youssef Mosque. An immersive show would be amazing there!

Inaugurated in 1997, the Musée de Marrakech next door is housed in a converted early 20th-century house. Take a look at the great tiled central court, roofed over and hung with an enormous chandelier, the star piece of the collections on display.

Musee de Marrakech

Shopping - Textiles

A few steps away from the Museum exit on the left is Jabrane’s shop. He sells quality vegetable silk plaids and blankets at a decent price. What’s this vegetable silk ? Cactus silk or Sabra silk is a luxurious fabric made from the Agave Cactus. It is hand-loomed in and some of the products are created with strips of the silks alternate with goat or camel’s wool. Some have Chenille, and cotton yarn in contrasting colours which enhances the amazingly vibrant, almost metallic shine of the cloths. 

Ben Youssef Square N°93

LUNCH Experience the local food Chez Abdelhy

Just a couple minutes from the Medersa enjoy a typical Maroc lunch: no menu, the plates come straight to you. Lentils, vegetable tagine and finally a plate of roast meat on sticks, all in abundance and very good. Be ready to share your table with locals, a few tourists and occasional feline guests.

Shopping - Leather

Bespoke babouches for 10 Euros? In this tiny picturesque boutique, pick your favourite colour from a large selection of calf or goat skins and Reda will deliver the perfect pair of babouches a few days later (make sure you stay long enough…). Of course he has other styles on display and will be happy to copy a favourite pair of yours. 

REDA Sidi a.b.aziz Marrabou (+212) 6 60 90 91 30

Shopping – Copper

Kermous is a sweet man and entering his shop instantly transforms you into Ali Baba seeking the magic lantern. Many many handmade tin and copper lamps awaits you there, from  Art Déco to traditional punched metal Maroccan style.

El Fanous 79/81 Souika Mouassine – near the famous fountain

Had Enough of the souk? Time for a green luxury treat at La Mamounia 

Escape from the frenetic and vibrant Medina. For a long time the Mamounia, stood alone as a temple of Viennese Art Deco splendour, with grand halls, elegant restaurants, luxuriant gardens, spa, pool and elegant casino. Recent renovations give the 171 air-conditioned rooms and 57 suites a warmer, more Moroccan ambience. The garden itself is worth a look (and free to visit as long as you are dressed appropriately). It is as green as a Norman orchard topped of with palm trees and surrounded by the ochre city wall. Super relaxing. Wether you indulge in a mint tea at Delice square right in the middle of the park or a glass of champagne at one of the other terraces, you shall be offered everything you expect from luxury: serenity, distinguished service and a backdrop of birdsong.

La Mamounia

An Evening in GUELIZ - the ‘new’ city – where most people work, live, and party.

Aperitivo from 6pm: Grand Café de la Poste

A sumptuous 30s French colonial brasserie serving French and local dishes. They hold literature lectures once a month - check their Facebook page for dates.

127, Avenue Mohammed V (behind the Post Office)

Grand Cafe de la Poste

Dinner:

Al Fassia

Maroccan gastro - one of the few Moroccan restaurants in town that doesn’t tie you to a waist-expanding set menu. You can, if you wish, just have a selection of salads or a main course. Another draw for locals is that Al Fassia is run exclusively by women. Lunch and dinner daily except Tuesday, book in advance 

55 Boulevard Zerktouni

Al Fassia

DRINKS

Nouss Nouss

Only a few months old - the decor is eclectic with a permanent hopscotch painted on the floor. Just the way we like it. 

82, Avenue Hassan II.

More drinks?

Montecristo - for live concerts go to Sinatra on your left, for crazy local electro music that’s Baoli on your right. There’s also a skybar if you prefer to look at the stars.

Oscar - late night club with local artists palying music (you may have to enter with a local).

DAY 2 

MAJORELLE Gardens  + Islamic Art Museum of Marrakech: The Fashion Pilgrimage

Early bird catches the quiet worm. This ‘vertical’ garden was made in the 1920s by the French painter Jacques Majorelle, with marble pools, raised pathways, banana trees, groves of bamboo, coconut palms and bougainvilleas. As the garden was designed by a painter, it is composed and coloured like a painting. Many of the built features were painted in a dark blue (‘Majorelle Blue’) or bright yellow which contrasts with the soil, climate and plants. After years of neglect, the garden was then taken over in 1980 and restored by the fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Berge. After Yves Saint Laurent died in 2008 his ashes were scattered in the grounds.

Another must-see is the highly curated Islamic Art Museum of Marrakech, located within the garden’s grounds. The collection includes Northern African textiles, traditional kilims of Arabic and Berber design, pottery, jewelery, ceramics, furniture, paintings and two large doors from Yves Saint-Laurent’s personal collection. 

You can have an early LUNCH at Café Bousafsaf or head back into town.

Jardin Majorelle

Bahia Palace (South of the Medina, Jewish area)

It was built in the late 19th century by Si Moussa, grand vizier of the sultan to serve its personal use. In fact, the palace also bore the name of one of his wives. His harem was located here, and it included an enormous court decorated with a central basin with the concubines dwelling in a series of surrounding rooms. It is truly a cultural treasure trove, offering glimpses of a Moroccan kingdom’s former opulence as well as its eye-catching craftsmanship. Take a walk to the spice market two minutes away.

If you have became an Arabic craft addict, visit the nearby Musée Tiskiwin, a private house owned by veteran Dutch anthropologist Bert Flint. The exhibition is designed to show Morocco’s connection to sub-Saharan Africa and is geographically laid out to take you on a virtual journey across the Sahara to Timbuktu. Exhibits include masks from as far afield as Mali and a large selection of jewels. The display is poor compared to the visual efficiency of the Islamic Art Museum (Majorelle): this is clearly not a glass case type of museum (some displays are verging on hilarious), on the other side, you’ll be on your own to discover it’s many treasures.

8 derb El-Bahia, off Riad Zitoun El-Jedid

My favourite Guesthouse - Riad Rafaele in the Medina

Hidden in a back street of Assouel (North of the Medina), I thoroughly liked the tranquillity and comfort this lovely riad offers, from the fountain and orange tree in the courtyard to the menorah-adorned salon (the marmelade served for breakfast is made from these very trees!). Every morning for my daily meditation I enjoyed the gaze at the mountains and Koutoubia from the panoramic roof terrace. Five spacious rooms and a suite are beautifully furnished with bright Berber rugs, antique hand-painted furniture, and large bathrooms with mosaic showers and lacquered walls. I felt like a princess. Owners and staff are exceptional hosts providing invaluable assistance and advice to get the best from the city and beyond. An elegant candlelight dinners is served on demand, also the Hamman (solo or couple) will be prepared at your request.

Riad Rafaele

See the trails here.