Riad Chbanate

It’s really hard to remember how to spell and pronounce Essaouira (I settled on saying it like “I swear-a” with a thick Italian accent), but it’s well worth the trip. This old port city on the Atlantic coast was once owned by the Carthaginians, the Portuguese, and the French. The best cities to visit are the ones where different cultures collided. You get to see so much history in one place, and the food is always more interesting.

Every city in Morocco is know for its signature color. Can you tell what Essaouira’s color is?

I love that people are actually living in the ruins. Their laundry is hanging from fortress walls built in the 16th century.

In the summertime there’s a huge music festival. People sleep on the beach and inside these ruins.

Half of Essaouira is covered with these bright blue fishing boats…

Hence the delicious seafood. I usually don’t eat things with heads still attached, but this was too good to pass up. You can’t see the ten cats that were surrounding me, waiting for the bones.

I was torn between wanting to spend time in our gorgeous riad…

or on the equally gorgeous beach. Just a warning: Don’t expect to go swimming here. It was pretty cold, and very windy.

I would definitely suggest staying at Riad Chbanate. You know I’m a fan of the cooper sinks!

And bath salts. This was a truly elegant hotel, and I can’t recommend it enough. The second you arrive they sit you in front of the fire place and give you a beer. Although I must admit they were obsessed with Nina Simone. I love Ms. Simone, but three days of her on repeat is enough!

We had an incredible dinner in a secret restaurant. The owners, an Italian and a Moroccan, converted their home into a restaurant. It was one of the best meals of my life. This was a palette cleanser between courses.