• Added: 21st of October 2007
• Area: Marrakech
• Category: Sightseeing and Attractions

Marrakech

Frankie said
Place Jemaa El Fna
Place Jemaa El Fna is the huge open space in the middle of Marrakech Medina (old town). It has a long history of being one of the biggest markets or meeting places not only in Africa, but the whole World. It's a kind of a hub.

All the guide books will tell you what you can find there: snake charmers, tooth pullers, sooth sayers, story tellers, orange juice on tap, beggars, performers, sightseers.

It's as much a fair for Moroccans as it is for international visitors.

You will get hassled there by vendors but it's not too bad. Agree prices first (before taking whatever is on offer). For example, the night market restaurant stalls are very aggressive and will drag you to a stall and hand you a menu which seems to have set prices but the price at end will be very different!

Cafe de France is a big building on one edge of the square (sorry can't remember which) having a terrific view of the square, from the roof terrace.

I like just sitting and watching on the ground floor or the terrace... on arrival you really do feel staggered. It's like you just arrived on a magic carpet, it looks so different.

Here I want to say something about being in Morocco... Shops and restaurants and Souks are one aspect but I loved best, meeting local people. I found Moroccans very communicative - that is open about what they are thinking and feeling (both agreeable and disagreeable opinions). This feels unlike British culture which has a general tendency to constrain openness and encourage reserve. With Moroccans it is possible to enjoy a relationship which has the feel that a more established friendship would feel like in the UK, more easily and spontaneously.

So, I would say, take the opportunity to converse with people! When I went on to Essaouira, a nearby seaside town, I spent lots of time with my 'landlady'. Even though she didn't speak French or English and I don't speak Arabic or Berber! I ended up meeting her neighbours and her sister's family and it was great.

• Added: 21st of October 2007
• Area: Marrakech
• Category: Restaurants

Marrakech
024 391 770

Frankie said
Marrakshi cosmo cafe - wifi
If you're a Londoner, you'll know what I mean if I say this cafe is a bit like Hoxton only bright, breezy, hot, and bang in the middle of the Marrakech Medina near Jammaa el Fna. It's a bit of a cool hang out in exactly that Hoxton kind of way. There'll be a web designer sitting next to you with his laptop on his knee talking through layouts with a client. It is a trendy tourist / trendy local sort of place. It's cosmopolitan - there's an excitement about visitors meeting each other there. The proprietor runs a couple of small riads and is now opening a new roof top restaurant (let you know more if I ever visit it when finished). He encourages clients to come to the cafe of course, and also randomly invites lucky people to book up for group dinners on the roof terrace at one of the riads. This means visitors end up meeting new people and having a good time. It's all very informal...

There are also art exhibitions there.

Food is good - typical for Marrakech... grilled meat sandwiches with salads of chopped cucumber and tomato; little glasses of latte; Moroccan mint tea and so on. Very good view from la terrace (polish up your French!) of the Spice Souk outside.

Cafe des epices even have their own straw hats with their name embroidered on the front :)

• Added: 21st of October 2007
• Area: Essaouira
• Category: Shops

Essaouira

Frankie said
Unusual Shoes
This shop, in the lovely seaside town of Essaouria near Marrakech, sells high quality and very unusual shoes. It is the only shop that I noticed specialising in shoes made from rafia - plaited and tied coloured straw. There are dainty high heels and flat pointed slippers. I bought 3 pairs of slippers with an open pattern (see photo) for myself and friends. Prices were fixed (as opposed to bartered for) but I asked for a reduction buying 3 pairs, and that was fine. They cost about 100 dirham each pair which works out at about £6 each.

I liked this shop because I've never seen these shoes in London; because the price was good and there was a great selection of designs and colours. They do men's as well. To find the shop, turn left off the main Avenue Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah and walk up Rue Laalouj. In fact I think the business card they gave me may be a little out of date and the shop front is now actually on Rue Laalouj rather than just off Rue Laalouj in the Place El Kheima.

Here are some links I just found for similar shoes in Essaouira:

http://www.capessaouira.com/rafia.htm
http://www.version-babouche.com/collection.php

• Added: 11th of August 2007
• Area: Chalk Farm
• Category: Sightseeing and Attractions

London NW1 4RY
020 7722 3333

Frankie said
You make my heart sing
London Zoo is terrific. There are some wonderful, amazing creatures there and so close you could touch them (in the farm animal section you can touch the animals but other places you can't touch, for their safety and yours).

In the special Gorillas exhibition me and some friends had an amazing experience! We sat down next to a glass fronted caged part of the gorilla enclosure (most of it is open air with no bars though). Inside was the older female gorilla. She gets jealous of the younger female being with the male, so they get to take turns hanging out with him. Anyway, we sat down to draw her and she came over to investigate! We were sitting on little fold up chairs and she sat down right next to us on the other side of the glass. It was amazing! Being face-to-face with this biiig personality. We could see her breath on the glass. It was quite crowded with visitors and everyone saying "look at the gorilla posing"! Very hard to describe the impact of being near this animal in real life.

Another knockout was the Butterfly tent in the shape of a giant catapillar. A clever system of 'doors' which were curtains of plastic chains hanging down let humans enter and prevented the butterfies from flying out. Inside was a tropical environment with exotic plants (pink bananas and peculiar pouch shaped plants) and butterflies flying free around you. Despite it being rather crowded in there at 3 o'clock it was another amazing experience. You could see a special incubator with pupae lined up inside and butterflies hatching out. The most beautiful butterflies just flitting past. One was transparent like pretty lace (called a Glass Butterfly) and there were the biggest moths in the world displaying their wings proudly on the trunk of a palm tree.

Wow.

We didn't get a chance to see everything, maybe a third, even though we spent the whole day there.

The Zoo is beautifully kept, the staff are very friendly and even though it was a hot lovely day in August, there were no queues in the Oasis cafe.

It's a bit sad to see the big game animals in relatively small spaces but the enclosures are excellent quality and with the state of the world today, at least some animals are safe at the zoo.

Full entry price is about 13 for one adult, but everything (except food and gifts) is free once you're in and lots of '2 for 1' and other discounts are easily found on the web.

Heartily recommended.




http://zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo


tel: 020 7722 3333

• Added: 25th of July 2007
• Area: Chelsea
• Category: Shops

London SW10 0LR
020 7352 4201

Frankie said
Swish Launderette
Launderettes often have interesting names like 'Washeteria Cafeteria'. This one doesn't. But it's a very good place to get your washing done.

You can drop off your washing or chuck it in one of the digital super drums. And check this out! There's change on tap! You go round to the other side of the smart glass dividers to the dry cleaning counter and you can change your notes into washing machine food.

Other features are the attractive blue glass vase arranged in front of a Dali print and a 'What's On' leaflet holder. It's really clean, the water is actually hot and it's great if your washing machine broke down and flooded the four flats below! While you're waiting you can go to the Chelsea Bun or the Mona Lisa or push the boat out and visit the Bluebird.

Tip - they close quite early at the weekend and last wash is about an hour before closing time.

• Added: 25th of July 2007
• Area: Farringdon
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London EC1R 0DY
020 7253 0483

Frankie said
Happy Pub
This is a very friendly nook and cranny pub with an arty feel - music posters on the wall and the pub sign shows Elvis for one of the three kings. The owner chats with people around the place. They do some tasty spicy indian snacks.
What else? Nip upstairs for some space (especially now all the smokers are outside on the other side of the street). There's a snow dome collection and sort of balcony type windows lovely for a balmy evening. Laid back arty crowd.

• Added: 13th of June 2007
• Area: Holborn
• Category: Health and Beauty

London WC1X 8RW
0845 355 4489

Frankie said
Not much room to move
LA Fitness is fairly reliable across it's clubs but the ones on commuter routes are almost as bad as London Underground during the rush hour. In fact most of them are underground but the saving grace of this club is the ground floor location with windows and daylight!

Apart from that I was pretty disappointed. It's very cramped and manic in there with a damp sweaty atmosphere. Stretching mats are laid back-to-back, almost overlapping, the swimming pool is tiny and the showers are appalling. They dribble and you have to keep pushing a button to keep the water 'running'. The temperature goes hot and cold. yuch.

I'll finish with a couple of good points though: the spinning class has a separate room, the mats were new and the weights equipment worked well enough. Good selection of different aerobics machines such as sitting down cycling, running, normal cycling, cycling with your arms, stairs and more. Staff helpful.

• Added: 13th of June 2007
• Area: Bloomsbury
• Category: Take Aways

London WC1X 8SL
020 7405 4114

Frankie said
Fish and Chips old style
Seat up to 8 at diner style tables and eat crunchy, light, fish and chips and mushy peas squeezed onto white oval plates, set down on ketchup coloured formica with mugs of steely tea.

What more can I say?

22.08.07
They shut up shop for holidays in August!

• Added: 9th of June 2007
• Area: Kings Cross
• Category: Restaurants

London N1 9NR
020 7841 7331

Frankie said
Safe after-work venue
Camino is very big, with plenty of space outside. It is right next to Kings Cross, but you would never know, because it is behind other buildings. So you enter through a short, (slightly tricky to spot) alley and emerge in a hidden courtyard. Get a map from their website www.barcamino.com and send it to anyone you're inviting or you might end up with a few 'lost' friends.

If you regularly commute home from Kings Cross, this would be a perfect place to go with colleagues for one of those after work celebrations.

I enjoyed the white wine pronounced ree-o-ca (ok I have heard of it but I have no idea how to spell it) and the special lime cocktail that's famous in Brazil apparently. It comes with lots of chunks of lime crammed into a glass with chipped ice. The Tapas is entirely delicious although be careful not too order too many dishes with potato in them. I succeeded in tackling an open topped sandwich featuring a fried quails egg sunny side up without mishap. You've got to live dangerously!

The only reason I wouldn't give Camino more stars is that it felt a bit bland to me. But that's good for after work venues with a mixture of people, when you want something to suit everyone.

• Added: 6th of June 2007
• Area: Leicester Square
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London WC2H 8NL
020 7916 6989

Frankie said
Hot Bed in Tin Pan Alley
The 12 Bar Club is a hot bed of talent on Denmark Street. Denmark Street has been known as Tin Pan Alley for a long ole time... There are music businesses and shops all down the street.
Check out the festival! http://www.tinpanalleyfestival.co.uk

Anyway, 12 Bar... let me warn you, it's GRUNGY! Your feet stick to the floor. The stage is tiny and if you stand in front of the band you can't see their heads because of the low ceiling of the balcony above. So the tip is - follow the stairs up to the balcony and you get the best view.

New bands and promising unknowns play there and sometimes the place if full of music business people supporting the next prodigy. The audience tends to be friends and promoters of the band. Some people go there just to hang out in the bar and have a meal. I think it normally costs about 5 to get in.

Worth just dropping in if you're with a friend looking for something to do. It could be very quiet with only 10 people in the audience or it could be a mad crush 'secret' star performance.

http://www.12barclub.com

The photo of the cool girl band at 12 Bar Club is from www.thepatsywalkers.com and is of The Patsy Walkers!