Choices......

If one isn't in the mood for a tajane or a swarma there are a few American restaurants. Two of them are on the cornish.....right along the ocean. It is a very touristy place to walk along the ocean on a Sunday afternoon. One is McDonald's and the other is right across the street and is called TGI Fridays. 

Last Saturday I went to McDonald's on a Saturday morning around 11:30 am and the place was empty of crowds! I LOVED it!! There were maybe three other customers, a million maids inside and out cleaning and another 1/2 million workers behind the counter and ME! It was so pleasant. USUALLY....the place is packed inside, outside and there are 40 - 50 people in line. So, I sat and had such a nice lunch. I had never really noticed how cool the decor was before because there were so many people in the way....decorated very cool/trendy! 

On the way back to the car I shot a couple of photos. This one is from the outside seating at McDonald's looking out to the ocean. It is a very beautiful setting for Mikky D's!!

This one was walking along the sidewalk of the cornish looking out at the ocean waves.

Along this area there are some very classy fitness centers with pools and tennis courts right along the ocean. I look from afar because they are very pricey, but they make the walk a very gorgeous backdrop!

The variety of spices.

Then I headed for the local grocery/odds n ends store called the Marjane. It is kind of our version of a WalMart/Super Target.....only not nearly as clean, nice assortment or fun to shop in!

The parking lot is on the top floor and then I take an escalator down to the lower two floors. The interesting part is that the escalator has no steps. It is a flat, slanted, moving walk way. Then on the way back to the car, the shopping carts have magnetic wheels, so the moving escalator pulls the carts up ahead of you!!  :)

This is the selection of spices to choose from. They don't come in the cute little containers we get in the States. I grab a plastic bag, scoop up what I need, and take it over to the man that weighs all of the produce one at a time. The tricky part for me is knowing which spice is which! I have to smell or finger-taste to find the right one! :)

In Morocco it is hard to get a meal and not have an olive in the meal or, at least, with the meal. In the grocery store they sell tons of different varieties and different oil sauces they are soaking in. Lots of choices!

Next come the fresh fish ....some very interesting fish here....

I thought this one was displayed especially interestingly!! :)
I didn't buy any fish today!

On the way home I pulled over to another store that sells flowers. My friends just moved into a new apartment, so I stopped to buy flowers for them. Moroccans don't give flowers to each other very often as a gift. If you are invited to someones house it is more likely that you would take something useful (baked goods or fresh fruit). So, there aren't a lot of places to buy flowers here. This place has so many beautiful colors I had to take a photo! I bought a dozen roses from them and paid 50 dirham ( $5.50ish)(Judy told me later I got ripped off....I should have only paid him 30 or 40 dh)....oh well, next time I will barter better! :)

This is the flower guy arranging them for me!

And, OF COURSE, the flower guy has a photo of the King in his little shop....EVERYONE does! :) And that was my day of shopping!  LOTS of choices along the way.  :)