Tiling, a Moroccan Tradition

Traditional handmade cement tiles (often called encaustic tiles) have been used, not just in Morocco, but throughout the Arabic world for thousands of years and have recently seen a contemporary revival through their use by iconic designers such as Ashley Hicks and tiling specialists such as Popham Design, Walker Zanger and Ann Sacks.  They combine function with style and once more are back in fashion in Marrakech after many decades of being overlooked in favour of other flooring such as zellige, bijmat and tellisa. The lovely matt finish and soft silky texture are characteristics which make Moroccan cement tiles unique. They are brightly coloured and often intricately patterned, yet made from simple materials, employing age-old techniques.

We were very excited to be at Riad Romm'an when the delivery of Popham Design tiles arrived!  Popham Design was started by friends in Marrakech, Samuel and Caitlin Dowe-Sandes after they moved there from Los Angeles. Their tile designs are simply stunning with an unusual mix of contemporary design with traditional Moroccan influences.  We love them and are very excited to use their iconic 'loop di loop' design in Riad Romm'an's dining room and kitchen.

Popham Design delivery!

These tiles are hand-made from locally sourced natural materials, in a low energy production process. The materials, cement, ground marble dust and natural earth pigments, are set in layers in a tile mould then pressed using a hydraulic press. Then the tiles are removed and submerged in water to provide sufficient moisture content for the concrete chemical reaction.  The tiles are set out to dry and allowed to age so that they acquire an adequate hardness. The tile face is a quarter of an inch thick, providing the tile with a great surface life, which is able to withstand adverse weather conditions and decades of traffic.

Throughout Riad Romm'an, where appropriate, we have incorporated a number of other traditional tile options including Zellige, Bijmat and Telissa.  Bijmat are small rectangular terracotta and glazed tiles which are cut to fit into regular patterns.

The floor of the salon is finished in a zigzag pattern of alternate white and beige glazed bijmat tiles (above).

Bijmat also used to make borders for the telissa squares (above) where the central squares are finished in Tadelakt.  These often require cutting to fit the geometric patterns required.

Keeping with the layout of a traditional four sided riad, the courtyard has a centrally located fountain which will bubble with water to keep the house cool. Work began in the fountain in July with the setting out of its base which will soon be surrounded by intricate patterns of zellige tiles.

Below is Boushma.  In addition to helping with the building work, Boushma actually lives in the Riad to look after it, as its guardian.  Initially we mispronounced his name 'Bijmat'!  This picture also shows the derb paving where we had to put in a new pipe to connect the house to the sewer network (the house was so old there was none!) and then repair the block paving.

The Tadelakt Tale

August has been another busy month at Riad Romm'an.  The main task has been to finish the tadelakt which is in many areas of the house, including the kitchen and bathrooms.  It is also used on the stairway and forms a skirting band between the walls and the tiled floors of most rooms.  Its a big job!

Tadelakt is a form of lime plaster which given its virtually waterproof properties, has been used as a traditional wall coating for palaces, hammans and bathrooms. Its traditional application includes being polished with a river stone and treated with a soft soap to acquire its final appearance and water resistance.  It has a luxurious, soft aspect and undulations due to the hand crafted nature of the artisans work in installing it.  Tadelakt is a Berber word meaning to rub.

Tadelakt can be created in any colour you like and is mixed on site by the skilled artisans.  Riad Romm'an's bathrooms are all in different bright colours of tadelakt.

    

The yellow colour, 'babouche' is the traditional colour of the babouches (moroccan slippers) worn by the guards at the King of Morocco's palace!

  

Another bathroom is in red tadelakt.  The colour, 'Terre D'Egypte', literally means Egyptian earth.

The fireplaces of Riad Romm'an are also finished in different colours of tadelakt. In the salon, the fireplace, chimney and steps around it are all finished in beige tadelakt.

The fireplace in one bedroom of Riad Romm'an is an art deco Bill Willis inspired design, finshed in green tadelakt.

The fireplace in the master suite incorporates carved tadelakt, this time in a colour called 'London Clay'.  Artisans carve into the still wet tadelakt to create a lovely unusual chequered pattern.

A borrowed house, faulty air conditioning and a Raggedy Neighbour

Sleeping on a mattress on the floor of a borrowed, unfurnished riad in Bab Doukala, Marrakech, we often heard knocks on the door at strange times of the day and night.  We just thought it was the kids in the derb playing tricks on us. We ignored it.

It is hot in Marrakech in July.  Very hot!  The air conditioning in the bedroom worked...for a few minutes, then water poured onto the floor.  We had to switch it off.  Frustrating!

One day, a raggedy man was waiting for us at the door.  He spoke a little English and seemed quite charming.  Through his great thick beard he asked us if we knew the owner of the borrowed riad.  We had heard the owner lived in Paris and had not visited here for 2 years, but knew nothing else. 

The door to Raggedy Neighbour's riad

The Raggedy Neighbour explained that he lived in the riad next door.  But he was not happy with our air conditioning.  He continued his story "owner of (borrowed) riad put clime (air conditioning units) on wall, in my riad... very bad!"

We knew there were laws about this from our own building project, so technically the French owner was in the wrong.  "We are only borrowing the riad" we said, but Raggedy Neighbour told us he wanted money from us as 'compensation' for his inconvenience.   "It's nothing to do with us" we said and wished him a good night.  

naughty air conditioning units

Once inside the borrowed riad, we went upstairs to see the offending air conditioning units and look at where Raggedy Neighbour lived...

The house where Raggedy Neighbour lived

It was hot, we put the air conditioning on...and water still poured out.

Hmmm...

Campervan adventure - A tale of driving to Marrakech from Scotland

In early July this year with a campervan (called Herman) packed with items for Riad Romm'an such as bedding (6 sets), towels (12 sets), stereo, other bits and bobs (in fact everything we couldn't take on a plane there) plus essential things for our journey, we set off on our adventure driving from Scotland to Marrakech.

After an overnight stop at the in-laws in Derbyshire, we left early for the Eurotunnel at Folkstone.  Eurotunnel was very quiet, so we were let on an earlier train (2 hours earlier than booked) and therefore arrived in Calais much earlier than planned.  We therefore cracked on down the Autoroute to get as far into France as possible in one day.  After arriving at a campsite too late to check in we carried on and stopped for the night at an Aire on the A10 outside Poitiers.  To our amazement, we had covered 416 miles on our first day...well it was raining!

Another early start and we drove into La Rochelle in search of a nice spot to stop for breakfast. We parked up overlooking the Bay of Biscay on a lovely warm summers morning and made breakfast (with mugs of Yorkshire tea of course!)  It was hard to take it in that only yesterday we were in England!  Off down the Autoroute again, we passed Bordeaux and covered another 268 miles before stopping just short of the Spanish border at a campsite in Biarritz.

Biarritz

Dinner and a lovely walk in the town on the night Spain won the European Cup meant a celebratory atmosphere in this lovely seaside town.

The next day we crossed the border into Spain and the weather just got hotter.  254 miles later we arrived in the lovely historical hilltop town of Tordesillas in central Spain.  A nice campsite on the river bank a short walk into town.

Travelling south, its getting hotter!  Camping at Tordesillas, Spain

Tranquil Tordesillas, Spain

Stunning Seville, Spain

Seville

Another long drive the next day in scorching 40 plus degrees heat and after 322 miles arrived in Seville, where we camped for the night and spent the next morning exploring.  Thankfully Herman's air-conditioning worked perfectly!

Cultured Cadiz

The afternoon we drove to Cadiz for a wander and lunch and then headed off to Tarifa with the intention of camping before getting an early morning ferry to Tangier in the morning.

We can see Africa!

However, the sight of Africa so close across the Mediterranean Sea was too tempting, so we kindly asked to get on the 7.30pm ferry which was about to leave.

Waiting for the Jet Ferry from Tarifa to Tangier

Eventually with Moroccan determination, ingenuity and humour, they managed to squeeze us on after reversing on and off again.  We arrived in Tangier, just as the sun was setting around 9pm.  We had made it to Morocco!

Herman squeezes into the Jet Ferry

After the initial shock of driving off a boat into the madness of central Tangier roads we wove our way through the city centre, found a cash machine to get some precious dirhams and headed for a campsite.

A shady spot at Camping Achakkar, Cap Spartel, Tangier

Like many things in Morocco, camp sites here are not exactly to European standards, but at only 10 dirhams (about 70 pence), it's not worth complaining!  We just wanted to get our heads down for the night before the last push to Marrakech in the morning.

First fill up on the African continent!

356 miles down the road from Tangier, we arrived in Marrakech mid afternoon.

Casablanca or Marrakech?

We were so excited to see how Riad Romm'an was coming on that we drove straight to Derb El Boumba and parked outside in the narrow derb (no mean feat!).  After off loading stuff for the house, we realised it was not quite as ready for us as we had hoped.

Arrival at Riad Romm'an!

Outside Riad Romm'an, off loading things for the Riad

This was no problem, a toilet could be installed in 5 minutes we were told.  Hmm...we thought.  Fortunately (perhaps!?) Hicham the boss had already lined us up with another riad across town to stay in until Rian Romm'an was more ready for us.  Before we could say "that sounds better", the double mattress we had ordered for one of the Riad Romm'an bedrooms had been lifted onto the roof of Herman and was being tied on (badly) with a rope.  "You will need this to sleep on as the other Riad has no furniture"!

Mattress on Roof, at Bab Doukalla, Marrakech

A quick drive through the madness of Marrakech rush hour traffic, with the mattress sliding around the roof and threatening to slip off, we arrived at Bab Doukalla.  The mattress still on the roof (after a few stops on a roundabout to get it straight again)!  We are told we are proper Moroccan drivers now!

Driving in Morocco

For a foreigner driving in Morocco is not for the faint hearted....it is an experience not to be forgotten!  To try and capture it's uniqueness, we made this short video of clips from our road trip by Herman, our VW campervan, from Tangier to Marrakech and around Morocco.  Music by Khaled.

Raising The Roof!

We've been so busy lately planning our campervan adventure to Morocco that we have not had time to update our blog for a few weeks now.  However, lots and lots of exciting things are happening on site, too much to mention and in our absence, a marvellous magical retractable roof has been fitted!

This idea came from our many visits to our favourite haunt, Cafe Arabe in Marrakech, which has a similar version.  Grant Rawlings of Chic Marrakech found out who made it and approached them.  Ours was made by La Maison du Store in Marrakech.

It will enable Riad Romm'an's courtyard to be completely enclosed at the touch of a button.  Riad's are designed to allow the heat to escape through the central opening over the garden/courtyard.  However, with Marrakech being near the desert, winter evenings can be especially chilly.  At that time of year heat escaping through the open roof is not such a welcome feature.  A retractable roof therefore is especially handy for keeping the heat in when required, plus when no-one is at home it will also keep out those cheeky Marrakech cats!

Magic Bus Hippie Trail

40 years ago, around the time I was born, hippies were setting out to the East in search of lost horizons and expanded consciousness.

In a similar way to the Beatles discovering the mysteries of India, by the late 1960's, Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones had found their way to Morocco looking for musical inspiration.

Cult authors William S Burroughs and Paul Bowles told of the African rhythms, the Berber culture, the diversity of the countryside and the mystique of Tangier.

It was inevitable then that Morocco and in particular Marrakech, became a firm favourite for hippie travellers in the 1960's and 1970's.

Many of these rolling stones eventually returned the way they had come, some only years later, while others found their private paradise and stayed put.

The original VW Campervan is synonymous with this period of pioneering tourism.

With this in mind, we are planning our own magic bus adventure this summer in 'Herman' our VW California Campervan, from Scotland to Marrakech and perhaps beyond...