Its all happening Folks

The Medina is buzzing and not just with the Semana Santa or Easter crowd but also with the core of ex pats here and its growing almost daily. As i said before have just discovered another new neighbour in the delectable Barbara who has stopped the renovation at her spacious marbled Riad to write a thriller novel, so she must meet Sandy of course for a few tips.

Introduced her to Pizza or is it Lemon Tart Mike and Fraulein Kleo and of course everyone hit it off like a Dar on fire as we are all basically as eccentric as one can get but all involved in beautiful projects of course so we cant be all mad. At the Mernissi House although waiting a week for the notorious plumber to show to fit in kitchen taps I cant let him get to me as we concentrate on making a house a home with handmade, not by me I add, furniture and pots and plants. Cheers Michael at Dar Mystere for the before and after shots on his blog of my terrace I had forgotten what a tip it was, my how time flies, as that was less than a year ago.

Ben and I were potting plants minding our own business the other day when we heard a commotion outside as a tour guide and his 40 young French ladies were admiring the front door and ladies lookout window which is a rarity here. I bounced down 5 flights to invite them all in and Ben gave them a quick shoof shoof around the house to the amazement of Fatima the Da Capo lady and the two cats and the very frightened tortoises. It was quite an experience and while on the top terrace several enquired as to my marital status so I held up my ringless hand prompting fits of giggles and two offers of marriage, not bad for a Saturday morning.

Fun continued later the same day with dinner with Kleo and Barbra at chez Barbra where we all cooked up a veggie storm and cheered up Kleo who had had a mare of a day having her water cut off and her electrician literally going mad. Not angry you understand but bonkers which is not good if someone is wiring your house, did I mention that the lighting doesnt quite work, well that goes without saying really! Anyway explained to her that she is approaching the Hump Phase as I call it when problems seem insurmountable but then they even out and you realise you are on the home straight and flying towards the post, over the Hump!

Dining on Barbras hand made black marble table in the bandstand area of her 450sq m patio with the two lovely ladies made me realise that I wasnt in Kansas anymore Toto, or for Kansas read Norwich terrace house and suddenly all felt right with the world. I have got over my personal Hump and am now fine tuning the house and it is looking great in fact just as I pictured it in my head all those months ago proving it CAN be done you just need to be STRONG in all senses of the word.

Will post some more piccies later when I have finished my pottering, made the beds and await a batch of friends arriving any moment now inshallah to test out the Mernissi hospitality.