We’ve posted about our anniversaries over the years, both our wedding anniversary, March 7, 1995, and the anniversary of our meeting date, June 28, 2011. Both have special meanings for us, as is the case for many couples. We don’t make a lot of commotion for either occasion, and the most we ever do is go out for lunch or dinner.
Over the years of world travel, we’ve rarely eaten lunch, instead preferring breakfast and dinner; after the first few years, we went out at night. This year, we discussed going out to dinner tonight, but this morning, after Tom said I could choose what I’d like to do, I awoke feeling like I’d prefer to stay in this evening. We may not dine out this weekend either when I plan to make low-carb pizza tomorrow, which should be enough to get us through the weekend.
We can dine out any night around here and will do so sometime next week. As it turns out, only a few restaurants are within a reasonable walking distance, which is suitable for me. I can now walk two to three miles daily but can’t do it all at once.
I decided to share photos from our wedding anniversary ten years ago for today’s post when we went to lunch in Marrakesh Morocco. That restaurant wasn’t open in the evenings, like some restaurants in The Big Square. More often, while we were there, instead of dining out at night, we chose to go out during the day when, at night, there were tourists walking down the narrow alleys in the dark.
Pickpocketing was rampant, along with other crimes, and it was always safer to go out during the day. We went out several evenings but only to restaurants that overlooked the Big Square with easy access from the Medina in a well-lighted area. Fortunately, we never ran into any problems.
It was an interesting time for us. We lived in the riad for 2½ months. I loved the culture and the scenery, although Tom wasn’t as enthused as I was. He didn’t care about the restaurant’s food choices, although he liked Madame Zahra’s meals for the nights we dined in. Tom loves pork, but none was available, and there was a shortage of beef options. I could always figure out food suitable for my way of eating.
When it rained, it rained into the open center courtyard in the riad. All the rooms in the house were overlooking the courtyard. Each time it rained, we had to run around and move the decorative items in the center courtyard. In the mornings, both of us loved the sound of birds’ wings flapping in the courtyard.
Often, we went up to the third-floor terrace to see and listen to the “call to prayer” several times a day. The smells emanating from the open food market in the evenings were enticing, but we were warned to be careful eating any local foods cooked at night in the Big Square.
I got sick from dining in a restaurant the first few days we were there and ended up, three weeks later, having to rely upon my supply of Cipro, a potent and dangerous antibiotic. Within hours, I began to feel better, and within days, I was back to feeling well again.
Since we had no room in our luggage, we didn’t purchase items in the souks. There were many “knock-offs,” and most wares were centered around cooking and various bags: handbags, luggage, wallets, briefcases, etc. We had no use for any of those items. Instead, we frequently walked through the souks to see the many wares offered. However, the vendors seldom allowed us to take photos of their offerings.
We took a taxi to a market a few times to buy some nuts and cheese for those evenings when we had dined out for lunch and needed a little something in the evening. We were amazed by the beautiful displays in the grocery store and took a few photos. Moments later, a man in a black suit approached me, demanding I delete the pictures from my camera. While I deleted the photos, I showed him they were gone and never attempted to take pictures in a market again.
Enjoy today’s photos from our anniversary on March 7, 2014, while in Marrakesh. The memories are as fresh in our minds as if it were yesterday.
Happy anniversary, my love! I am grateful for every year we’ve spent together!
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago today, March 7, 2014:
