BIRTHDAY BOY

Yes, today is a big one for me……70 years……what a milestone…….how could I have gotten away with even half the shit I’ve done in my life and still be here…….truly amazing. I owe so much to Jutta for where I am today, so when we wake up this morning and she doesn’t wish me a Happy Birthday, I just let it go……..then there is bathroom…..getting dressed……still nothing……..she is a few minutes ahead of me and is out the door saying “See you downstairs”……..inside I have been giggling for the last 15 minutes, knowing exactly how she will feel when I show up in the dining room.

We are golfing today……..of course we are……it is Al Maaden Golf this morning, another of the fairly new courses on the east side of Marrakech, and this one is the anchor of a huge golf resort development………5 Star hotel, stunning private residences, mostly beautiful detached homes alongside the course, but there must be some multi-unit buildings somewhere in this project…….hell it took us at least 10 minutes to get to the clubhouse after we entered the property through the manned gate. There is lots of construction going on, but the clubhouse and golf facility looks solid and has been here for a while. A primary feature of this course is that it incorporates art with golf. There are sculptures placed at various locations all over the course, and a sculpture park……….there are a series of joined rectangular pools (large) that I haven’t quite figured out yet, but they do come into play on a number of holes. This is a very special place for a round of golf………many people are just out walking the course and checking out the sculptures.

Having arrived a little early, I did my usual ask the starter routine, and again I have some success……….Cos and I can join another twosome teeing off in about 15 minutes, and the goats can lead in an empty slot right in front us……….oh goody, we can make it back to the hotel in time for lunch. We meet our playing partners for the day……Jacques and Rachele (obviously Russians)…….just kidding…..lovely couple from Ile de Re, an island community just of the coast, and connected by bridge to La Rochelle, France. Based on their tee shots on #1 they can play, so it should be a fun round. This is a par 73, having three par 5’s on the back, and is plenty long, 6,600m from the tips. The course is in wonderful condition…….fairways, greens, and tee boxes all in super shape………holes are interesting enough but it is hard to pick your line off the tee without having played here before…….at least that is my excuse for getting into a half dozen fairway bunkers. A very good round with a really nice French couple…….beautiful scenery……gorgeous homes…….loved the sculpture feature…….a very nice facility that I wish we had more time to explore.

Jutta chatted up the pro shop guy because I saw a golf cart outside with the Akenza GC logo on it…….even newer private course just down the road…….and it turns out they are owned by the same group (I think) so he asks if we would like to play it. We do have an open day where the goats were tentatively planning a hike up in the Atlas somewhere close to Richard Branson’s place…….apparently very popular, about a 1.5 hour hike up high, and includes tea at one of the local houses on your return………hmmmmmm…….or should we get in another round of golf? When it comes right down to it, we all want to golf again, and Akenza has already been mentioned to us by Mike and Vivian who played it on their Moroccan stint and loved it. Booked……done deal.

Of course we make it back to the hotel in time for lunch, and then my hardest decision of the day………Where would you like to have dinner? Hmmmmmmm should I go for the great food, the really great food, or the excellent food? We are staying at the hotel because you just can’t beat it……..even if you don’t stay here when you go to Morocco (and you will go) at least book this spot for lunch or dinner one day. So now the night staff have their turn and wish me a HB……I must say the morning crew are much better singers. Great birthday…….thanks for all your messages and greetings……sorry I didn’t get the texts because my Moroccan e-sim doesn’t include phone service, but I will catch up later……..Cheers.