Day 4 – Fossils, Palaces & Farewell to Marrakech
Our last full day in Marrakech began at a leisurely pace. We got up around 9:00 a.m. and had a simple breakfast of snacks on the terrace, enjoying the sunshine and morning stillness above the Medina rooftops.

We set out into the souks with a mission: to find a fossil. At the first shop we visited, we spotted a beautiful ammonite—actually one half of a matched pair. The seller initially asked for 500 dirhams (about €50), but after a bit of friendly haggling, we brought it down to 300 dirhams (€30). He even threw in an extra small fossil and two quartz pieces as a bonus. Later, we looked it up and found that a similar fossil in Edinburgh would easily cost around $150—a great deal!

Back at the apartment, we made sure all our things were packed for tomorrow’s journey. I sent a quick message to Abdelkarim, our host, who arrived 15 minutes later to collect the keys. He shared that the house was about 70 years old, a charming piece of Marrakech’s history. With our bags ready, we set off to explore the city one last time.

First stop: the Bahia Palace. Though very busy and crowded with tourists, we paid €10 each and wandered through its lavishly tiled courtyards and ornate rooms. It was lovely, though perhaps not quite as magical as we expected.
Next, we headed to a post office ATM to top up our cash—lunch was calling. We walked to Tin Smith Square (an address, not the name of the restaurant), where we dined at a place called Mahal. The food was fantastic: chicken shawarma, lamb tagine, and vegetable soup, all served with warm Moroccan bread. The entire meal came to just €20 total for both of us.

Feeling well-fed but a bit tired, we visited the El Badi Palace next. Preparations were underway for Kaftan Week, a major event in Moroccan and North African fashion. Scaffolding was going up for the fashion show, which made parts of the site less scenic, but we felt lucky it was open at all—it would be closed for the next three days. We sat for a while inside, catching our breath and soaking in the atmosphere.

Our final historical stop was the Saadian Tombs, nestled behind high walls and hard to find without help. A kind local pointed us in the right direction—though he naturally tried to sell us some of his friend’s spices in return. The tombs had the feel of an old churchyard, with beautifully decorated mausoleums and centuries of history in the air.

By 3:15 p.m., the heat and walking had taken their toll. We flagged down a taxi to the train station, agreeing on a 100-dirham fare (€10). The driver wove through the traffic with wild abandon—it’s honestly amazing how no one gets hit in the chaos of Marrakech driving! Along the way, we even saw two camels.

At the train station, we stopped for a quick bite at McDonald’s—David got fries, and I treated myself to a donut. Our train pulled in 30 minutes early, so we boarded right away. Strangely, we had the same seats as on the way down—only this time, we were facing backwards. I was on the sunny side of the train, and it got uncomfortably hot, but the journey itself was smooth.

We arrived back in Rabat around 8:15 p.m., met by the familiar cool breeze of the Atlantic coast. We took a Leslie swirl (our affectionate name for a scenic detour) back to the apartment, packed up our remaining belongings, and turned in early—ready for our return home the next day.