Navin Ansal

interior decorator

nOne of the most memorable trips I?ve ever made was to Morocco a couple of years ago. It was a family trip and we went to the cities of Marrakesh, Fes and Tangiers. The most remarkable thing about Morocco is its old-world charm. There are striking monuments, beautiful palaces and haveli-style buildings in the Old Quarter and its architecture is primarily Mohammedan. The small streets there are reminiscent of the galis of Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi.

The locals are warm and welcoming and the culture is Parisian, with people sitting on the roadside caf?s and enjoying their cups of black tea. They love the latter. One thing which amused me was that they love Hindi movies and know and sing the popular Hindi songs. While I was there, I went for a Moroccan massage. It was an experience I wouldn?t care to repeat again, because it was quite a violent one. Moroccans are very fond of good food. The cuisine is typically non-vegetarian with lots of mutton and rice. But potatoes and green vegetables are also popular. I noticed that they cook in huge pots and the food takes hours to simmer. The cuisine changes radically though as you go further towards the Atlas Mountains. We drove to Tangiers, the seaside resort, frequented by the hip ?? happening crowd. We bought lots of ceramicware ? tiles, plates, cups and utensils which is very Moroccan in sensibility. In fact, the place is known for its tiles that are a lovely blue. We even visited some old tile-making places.