Flower Power

So with  the weather decidedly cooler yesterday and my mum feeling a lot perkier, we went to one of our favourite places in Marrakech.  Casa Botanica for lunch at its cafe, The Flower Power Cafe, which I previously blogged about here.

Ikea fabric!

Casa Botanica  is a huge covered nursery (of the plant variety) and is an oasis of calm (unlike the non plant variety).  Its cafe uses organic produce where it can source it (a relatively new idea here), eggs from its hens, fruit, veg and herbs from the garden and honey from its bees.  With the children`s garden and play area (bunnies to feed, chickens to watch, a play shop and swings and slide) right next to the cafe, the children have a great time while the parents sit and chill. Here is granny doing just that and looking much brighter.

You can see why.  Everything is upcycled and shabby chic.  Look at this flower arrangement in an old olive can.  Now if I tried this at home, it would look more shabby and decidedly unchic.

side tables of bouganvillae blooms

I love these signs for the carrot cake and freshly squeezed juice...

 ...and this sign for mint tea inspires me to try paper piecing or applique right now.

Some of us were happy to be there because of the gorgeous surroundings and food and some of us were happy...

 

 

because after lunch there was the opportunity for some bouncing on the new trampoline.

Oh, early bed times after an afternoon of bouncing (and being bounced relentlessly by some older boys there being heavier than him) - don`t you just love them?

So if you are ever this way, do pay Casa Botanica a visit - it`s very beautiful, lots of fun, child friendly, adult friendly and the food is delicious.  Hope you are having a great Sunday,

Annabella

Marrakech Monday - Casa Botanica

Sometimes friends visiting Marrakech or clients coming to our guest house ask whether it`s a good place to bring children.  My answer is always an enthusiastic `yes!` With their sense of wonderment and natural curiosity, children love the colourful noisy streets, the donkeys and carts, the water sellers with their bright red costumes and pom pom hats, jugglers and musicians and of course the snake charmers in the main square Djem El Fna.  They love hearing the beat of the drums and the call to prayer.

However, living in Marrakech with a young child I sometimes miss more structured activities such as play groups, museums, libraries and playgrounds in the local park.  Having said that, things continue to pop up here all the time and one such thing is the wonderful Casa Botanica, which Zaki and I visited on Saturday.

On first impressions it looks like a huge nursery......and that`s because it is! We discovered that the huge greenhouses are great for running in.

 

And that there is so much more to do, like feeding the bunnies with leftover vegetable scraps from the organic cafe... 

playing in the bamboo play house...

 in the children`s garden...

checking out the hen house...

taking a donkey ride on `Reglisse` (`Liquorice`)...

or relaxing in the Flower Power Cafe...with perhaps a cup of Earl Grey tea and a dark chocolate chip and nut cookie...

The flower garnish is from the gardens (and is edible), as are the vegetables and herbs used in the delicious salads and tarts.  There are also fresh juices, and homemade cakes.  Because I was chobbling on all these goodies, I didn`t get images of the play `hanout` (small shop) or the sand box but you can see them if you`re lucky enough to visit this great place.  The children`s activities are free - you just pay for what you consume in the cafe!

The smell of the jasmine in the early evening was quite heavenly...what did you get up to this weekend?