In Marrakech you occasionally see the odd locust. It's usually munching on some remote vegetation. We have not known huge plagues to come to Marrakech. But for the Moroccan nation locusts are a bit of an issue. Morocco is an agricultural nation and has huge expanses of tasty crops. This year the yield has been poor due to the particularly dry summer so the crops that have survived are particularly valuable. However, the United Nations have warned about plagues of locusts

October 26 2012 marks Eid Al-Adha right across the Muslim world (although lunar visibility can make small modifications of the exact start time in different countries). Here in Morocco the event is officially a four day holiday although many independent vendors will decide for themselves when to re-open for business. But we expect a degree of normality to resume next Tuesday. Eid Al-Adha is also known as the Feast of the Sacrifice and it occurs on the 10th day of the final

We have been busy ensuring the Riad is ready. Last weekend Riad Al-Bushra received the first visitors to the Riad. The preparations were fairly intense and time was a real enemy with five people all working hard on the very final day ensuring everything was clean and just right. All in all, apart from accidentally locking ourselves out of the Riad, everything went to plan. First Visitors October is a great time to visit Marrakech. The temperature ranges from a low of 15 t

8 days and not the most interesting of days. Today we tested some of the kitchen equipment and used the oven for the first time. The kitchen is definitely the heart of the Moroccan home. They tend to be proportionally smaller than in England as most of the food stock is bought daily from the local souks so there is no need for large food storage areas. However, the kitchens in Riads that have been adapted to host guests are a different story as they inevitably need more e

Today, with 9 days until we open, we have been installing the last set of hand made lights into our Ahmar suite. The image below is of the smaller of three brass lights in the suite. Morocco is well known for its lighting. Large and small lanterns are familiar right throughout Europe due to Morocco's export trade. However, it is only when in Morocco that the extensive range on offer becomes apparent. There are simple designs costing a few pounds to sophisticated pieces of

With ten days to go until we open we are also working on the soft furnishings for the Riad. Marrakech has a wealth of fabrics available in the Souks of the Medina and in the shops of Gueliz. Fabric is important in Morocco both for soft furnishings and for clothing as many items are still hand made or upholstered locally. Consequently, there is a real mix of designs to suit all styles, taste and price. The fabrics available across the city include hand made Berber fabrics, M

With only 11 days to go until we open we are tidying up the finishing of the fine hand carved plasterwork that has been recreated by local artisans. Marrakech lies at the architectural crossroads where the northern Morocco Andalusian style meets the more casual southern Berber style. Within the city there is a fusion of the two styles and riads will either focus on a single style or fuse the two with a combination of features. Detailed plaster carving is primarily an Andalu