A birthday wish...

Many wishes I have made in 38 years...

Wishes for my prince charming while blowing dandelion weeds.

Wishes for travel to far away lands on shooting stars.

Wishes for healthy children while tossing pennies into fountains.

Last weekend I was surrounded by my loving husband, my sweet boys and the friends, boys and dogs that took a weekend and traveled to the coast of Morocco to celebrate. We laughed, gorged on lobster, crab and fish, played in the sand, toasted with champagne, watched a kite soar in the sky, admired the magnificent gardens of the hotel and even saw wild flamingos. When the time came for me to blow out the candles, I knew there was only one wish left to make...

More days just like these.

A beautiful weekend with beautiful friends!

Crab, crab and crab!

Lobster grilled on a rock

The boys playing in the sand

Lunch at the beach...

At first glance there are no signs that a meal at one of Oualida's finest restaurants awaits you.

 

Instead of valet,  boats are parked haphazardly around the beach.  The very boats that have been working all morning to catch the days specials.

Instead of professionally placed decor and piped in Muzak, the view is the vast Atlantic and the background music is waves crashing onto the beach.

Bright plastic tapis in place of starched white linen.

That's right, no printed menus with listed prices here... instead you are welcomed to check the nets yourself and negotiate a fair price.

On the beach of Oualidia, the fishermen eagerly await to show you the days catches, bargain a price with you, grill and serve you with a smile.

We couldn't pass a chance to have a lunch on the beach al a marocaine. Crabs, langostine and sole were washed, grilled and served with nothing more than lemons. Wine and Beer not included in the meal, but available to purchase around the corner or BYOB.  If listed on Tripadvisor we would give them 5 stars.  

Many thanks to Tanja, Eben, Barnaby and Inigo for showing us a wonderful time in Oualidia.  Looking forward to many more trips back! 

Oualidia Plage (spring break part 1)...

L' Hippocampe in Oualidia had been recommended as a great beach getaway many times. It seemed to be the perfect place to start our Spring Break.  So... we made reservations, packed the car and followed our friends to the coast.

It was an easy two and a half hour drive from our home in Marrakech.

 Buildings of white wash with blue trim are a welcome clue that you are close to the coast.

 The hotel is cheap and cheerful with an amazing location,

 delicious fresh seafood,

 colorful gardens and a welcoming staff.

The pièce de résistance of L' Hippocampe is the access to what seemed to be our own private island just across the lagoon by way of a five minute boat ride.

L' Hippocampe boat returning to the island to pick us up

We spent three days there and only saw two other people the entire time. We chased seagulls, ran in the waves, flew the kite, built tunnels to China and gathered special treasures.

I would love to return for my birthday weekend next month. Maybe someone else will like the idea and make the reservation...