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Easing the pain of returning to work

Posted by Emma Sibbles at 12:57 on 21 Jul 2008

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Can someone please invent a pleasant way of going back to work after a holiday? How is it that after just five days out of the office I feel like a fish out of water - is it the 500+ emails, the forgotten passwords, the broken air con?

Marrakech was hot - 44C - even at night, so plenty of the clothes I'd packed lay unworn (leggings, cardigans, sleeved dresses) but thankfully the hotel had air conditioning that worked so we could at least sleep. I bought more colourful scarves at the souks (haggling like a pro) great for covering shoulders and heads if required.

Our trip to the Majorelle Gardens was my favourite thing. Formerly owned by Yves Saint Laurent, the gardens are open to the public and contain a memorial to the designer. Just five minutes north of the Jemaa el Fna they are easy to find and are like an oasis in the middle of all the drama of the medina. My advice is to get there early (they open at 8am) as they are easily crowded by coach parties. The main attraction stands nestled in amongst the cacti and palms - the studio of artist Jacques Majorelle, painted the most amazing cobalt blue - Majorelle blue - that YSL loved so much. There is also a beautiful lily pond that is like something out of a Monet painting.

The other thing I missed on my last trip was seeing the Jemaa el Fna at night. We arrived at 7pm just as all the food stalls were being set up amidst the chaos of snake charmers, water sellers and henna tattooists. We had reservations at Le Marrakchi (52 rue des Banques, lemarrakchi.com) so I wore a colourful maxi dress and gladiators. As we wound our way up the lantern lit stairs it felt like we were travelling to a different land. We sat in a beautiful mosaic covered room with candle-lit tables and open windows that held the most magnificent views across the city towards the mosque.

We had lamb tagine served with a local rosé wine, followed by a lemon meringue tart that was as sharp as can be - delicious. The mint tea that follows every meal was served upstairs with even more fabulous views and we left feeling that we'd seen everything.

I think the best way to deal with being back is to plan the next trip.