The medina
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Russell wanders the Fez medina:
And the wares on offer! One street held shops displaying tall cones of varicoloured powder, from the deep red of paprika to brilliant yellow turmeric, interspersed with vendors selling bags of sticks, leaves, seeds, and what appeared to be sand, bowls of dusty blue chunks of indigo, and carefully arranged hillocks of mice skulls and desiccated lizards. One shop displayed hundreds of prayer beads on its three walls—ivory and amber, lapis and coral, sandalwood and ebony. Its neighbour held teetering stacks of cylindrical tarbooshes, or fezzes, mostly red, with tassels of every colour imaginable.
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Vibrant colors, unfamiliar words…
We live in a wonderful and large world. So many things to see and learn about. We should explore more and examine our commonalities as well as our differences. If we engage in that way, we will all benefit greatly
I wish I had smell-O-Vision, or rather Smell-O-Net
What a wild ride, senses skidaddling through colours, shapes and smells. This must be read with the spice drawer left wide open!
I’ve seen pictures of spice markets and find them captivating. I hope to go to Israel next year; maybe I’ll see something similar??
Wow….I want to go shopping there!
This looks and sounds amazing! I’m very excited to read about the next Holmes and Russell adventure especially because of the location.
I have a soft spot for travel photos and adding Mary Russel’s adventures just makes them even more interesting.
I so need to start a bucket list; this would be right there in the top five for sure. Wish I was there!
The richness of Russel’s description is as beautiful as photograph of the medina itself.
LOVE the picture of how colorful the spices are, and “Russell’s” description!
The mouse skulls especially caught my attention. Would they have medicinal value? What ills would be treated with mouse skulls?
Indeed, one has to wonder at the use of mouse skulls…
So bright! I’m so excited to read the whole thing!
All of your descriptions make me want to (a) cook something; (b) paint something, and (c) buy a plane ticket. Thanks!
I love this picture – all those colors and shapes – and I’m sure lots of “sounds”, too – were I ever to get there. I can’t wait to read more and learn more about this locale. It sounds wonderful.
“Carefully arranged hillocks of mice skulls”? Um, why? I’m going to have to research this–the librarian in me–who lso wonders: is it ‘hillocks of mice skulls’ or ‘hillocks of mouse skulls’? Hmmm, something else to research …
Yet another place I’d like to learn more about and visit!
Oh dear: mice or mouse? Can Russell have got it wrong?
I’m really enjoying these photos with the blog posts, they’re so rich.
Would love to visit a bazaar. So many items to see and touch. Interested in the prayer beads. Great picture.
One of the things I love most about your books are the incredible scene descriptions. As soon as I start reading I’m immediately transported into another world.
I can’t wait to be transported again in Garment of Shadows!
This looks like an amazing place to window shop. I am not sure if I would be brave enough to buy much. Though I am sure Ms. Russell was more adventurous, I hope she found something interesting.
We can always count on Russell to draw us in. I can’t wait to read more!
I’m so excited for this book!
The smells must be fascinating.
We’ll be there in the fall. Can’t wait.
You can almost hear the raucous sounds and smell the exotic smells….lovely pictures! Makes me want to start planning my next vacation….
Love reading about Russell’s adventures abroad, and Morocco is beautiful! Love the colors in these photos of the medina! 🙂
I was just reading about a study done on how different individuals and cultures perceive colors differently. When we describe colors, the name we assign to different hues varies widely (just try to figure out what a lipstick or nail polish color is by reading the name only.) A tribe in Africa has only one word for green and blue; so anything blue to a Westerner may be described as green to the tribe. These spices described may be nothing like how they are seen. My favorite nonsensical color name: Come and Get Me Copper.
Oh, wow, I would love to visit that place!
Love these pictures! Can’t wait to make it there one day!
I remember being stunned by the colors in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul (somewhere Holmes and Russell have probably been, too). I particularly loved the spice merchants with the big bags of saffron and other colorful things. And then there were the stalls with hundreds of pashminas…!R
Always wanted to go to a proper Moroccan bazaar. When I lived in Belgium, because of the high Moroccan population in the Brussels area you did see shops and market stalls that gave a little taste, but never the complete chaos and shabby beauty (as I imagine it) of the real thing.
Would love to visit there … someday! Barcelona last year … which is also an amazing city … Looking forward to Garment of Shadows!
Oh my! Between this and the souk, they’re all set.
O.o look at all those COLORS! I wish I was there right now instead of studying 🙂 I have about 11 more years of schooling until I can travel to places for months. You never end up getting the full experience when you only stay for a week. So jelly!
The spices are wonderful. So is the hand embroidery. A feast for the eyes to go with the feast for the nose. Does anyone in the Western world have patience to do that sort of work?
I think “mice skulls” would be right because they are the skulls of mice not the skulls of mouse? Incidentally, fezzes now connect two of my very favorite things– Dr. Who (“fezzes are cool” ~the Eleventh Doctor) and Russell. 🙂
imagine that such rudimentary, natural compounds can transform into otherwordly beauty! amazing textures and illusions for the senses of taste, smell, sight, touch… and sound? can one “hear” indigo? 🙂
I am looking forward to following Mary Russell following Ivy through these clustered corridors of colorful commerce. Wish I were there! Is there cardamom in that market? I miss cardamom cookies. I can’t wait to read this, thank you for sharing!
Great pictures, and a wonderful preview. Looking forward to the next installment and seeing who the old friends are. Plus, Fezes are cool.
Colours and texture not unlike that of San Francisco’s Chinatown (including desiccated lizards), but I imagine a much headier smell.
A feast for the senses. Enjoying your posts so much!
Unusual shapes, vibrant colors, pungent aromas!
I wish I had a local market where I could just buy a pinch or two of spices. I find that my more interesting ones go stale quickly.
Wow. Great photos to accompany a vibrant description. My passport
Is getting itchy feet!
I love the lights, are there bulbs or is it all candle or oil? I wish i had a few for my backyard patio. Bless your prolific hide Laurie, thank you for not making us wait too long for the next book. 🙂
Fezes are cool, oh yes.
What are the cone shaped hanging things?
Very pretty,
Lynda
Wow. I’m loving all the pictures, can’t wait to read more about all the places…
This is where I revert to a slightly obsessword word nerd. Laurie, I think that your initial use of mouse singular is correct in its adjectival mode i.e. mouse skulls – skulls of mice, human skulls – skulls of humans, animal remains- remains of animals etc etc
The pictures add such a lovely new layer to the descriptions in the books. I can’t wait for it to come out so I can devour it. Thank you for all your hard work.
I think they must be lanterns.
”
Oh yes, they definitely are.
Trying this again —
Oh yes, they definitely are.
I love all the photos and I can’t wait to read the book!
I love the colorful markets!
I am imagining myself traveling through that market–all 5 senses are firing.
I’ve been through similar markets in Sicily and southern Spain, but must have missed the desiccated lizards. Often vendors from Africa come over, spread their wares (usually jewellry, baskets, small metal objects of unknown function) on small rugs (also for sale) on sidewalk in larger towns, and when day is done, simply roll up their rugs and vanish.
great photos and great blog!