Of random happenings, Little Morocco and enjoying God's beautiful creation
Today was my last 'free day' before starting my new job. And I must say I am relieved that it was. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy a vacation as much as anyone else, but I'm ready to start adjusting to the changes I know will be coming my way. Plus, at some point I will need another paycheck. ;)
Of course it started out fairly normal...(except for the random phone call asking for Edin -- do you think perhaps my bakery has been robbed again?) I read my Bible, prayed, had toast and nutella for breakfast (yummy!) and proceeded to make a spreadsheet of the floor plan of my new apartment (complete with tiny paper cut-outs of my furniture to scale more or less). Okay, so maybe it wasn't 'normal' but this is Liz we are talking about! Yes, never a boring day...
After a while we decided we should get out of the house and prepared for an unknown adventure. Now, I've been out to Colorado several times in the past few years and have always wanted to try this Moroccan restaurant in Manitou Springs. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but I'm a little obsessed with anything having to do with Morocco, so I thought it was at least worth a try. (wry grin) When we first arrived the parking lot was completely empty. Upon further investigation we discovered that the establishment did not open until 4:30. So we decided to go for a stroll and maybe return later. Our back up plan (Coquette Creperie) happened to be closed, so we browsed the shops and eventually our stomachs insisted that we find nourishment. We headed back to the restaurant and although the parking lot was still fairly empty, the neon 'open' sign appeared to be lit. So we ventured in not knowing what would happen next.
No one was visible, so I peeked around the corner to see if I could find someone. The owner (I presume) assured us that they were open and motioned for us to follow him. This man couldn't have been more than 5' 2" was dark-skinned, wore a gold chain around his neck, was dressed in modern clothing and wore slippers on his feet. He led us through the hallway to a coat rack and requested we remove our shoes. When we turned around he had flipped the light switch and it was all I could do not to gasp! The dining area was a riot of red and gold, brocade cushions and lush, colorful rugs on the floor. It was as if I had entered another country. We sat at a low table on cushions on the floor and were given menus to peruse. Our host asked if we had ever had Moroccan food before and explained we could choose from a four or six course meal. We opted for the four course meal because 1) we aren't made of money and 2) six courses is a lot of food! I chose the vegetarian soup with chicken, vegetables and couscous for my main dish and Regina opted for lamb and lentil soup with chicken and a whole artichoke. After taking our order our host came back to the table with a basin and a pitcher and washed our hands before our meal. You see, traditionally this type of fare is eaten with one's hands. He told us we could have silverware if we wished, but we declined. Our soup arrived and we sipped and savored the intricate flavors (fairly certain there was tarragon and mint in mine). Then our little Moroccan man (LMM) brought us freshly baked honey wheat bread straight out of the oven (it was still warm!) When our main courses arrived I wondered briefly how in the world I was going to get all those little grains of couscous into my mouth without looking like a complete imbecile, but Regina saved the day by giving me one of the leaves from her artichoke to use as a makeshift spoon. LMM came back and seemed impressed that I finished ALL my couscous and commented on it. Now, one of my favorite things Moroccan is their mint tea. It is in a word, amazing. So I was ready for dessert when he cleared our plates. Before serving our dessert we had our hands washed again and then squirted with an oil that had essence of orange blossom and rose in it. It smelled marvelous and we were instructed to rub it into our hands and on our face to clear any other flavors/scents before partaking in the last course. Of course I had to wash my hands again later that day but people were probably wondering "who is that crazy girl and why does she keep smelling her hands??" Suffice to say the baklava and mint tea were a fitting end to such a fine meal. After a fiasco of (trying) to take a picture together in the parking lot, we headed on our merry way.
Of course it started out fairly normal...(except for the random phone call asking for Edin -- do you think perhaps my bakery has been robbed again?) I read my Bible, prayed, had toast and nutella for breakfast (yummy!) and proceeded to make a spreadsheet of the floor plan of my new apartment (complete with tiny paper cut-outs of my furniture to scale more or less). Okay, so maybe it wasn't 'normal' but this is Liz we are talking about! Yes, never a boring day...
After a while we decided we should get out of the house and prepared for an unknown adventure. Now, I've been out to Colorado several times in the past few years and have always wanted to try this Moroccan restaurant in Manitou Springs. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but I'm a little obsessed with anything having to do with Morocco, so I thought it was at least worth a try. (wry grin) When we first arrived the parking lot was completely empty. Upon further investigation we discovered that the establishment did not open until 4:30. So we decided to go for a stroll and maybe return later. Our back up plan (Coquette Creperie) happened to be closed, so we browsed the shops and eventually our stomachs insisted that we find nourishment. We headed back to the restaurant and although the parking lot was still fairly empty, the neon 'open' sign appeared to be lit. So we ventured in not knowing what would happen next.
No one was visible, so I peeked around the corner to see if I could find someone. The owner (I presume) assured us that they were open and motioned for us to follow him. This man couldn't have been more than 5' 2" was dark-skinned, wore a gold chain around his neck, was dressed in modern clothing and wore slippers on his feet. He led us through the hallway to a coat rack and requested we remove our shoes. When we turned around he had flipped the light switch and it was all I could do not to gasp! The dining area was a riot of red and gold, brocade cushions and lush, colorful rugs on the floor. It was as if I had entered another country. We sat at a low table on cushions on the floor and were given menus to peruse. Our host asked if we had ever had Moroccan food before and explained we could choose from a four or six course meal. We opted for the four course meal because 1) we aren't made of money and 2) six courses is a lot of food! I chose the vegetarian soup with chicken, vegetables and couscous for my main dish and Regina opted for lamb and lentil soup with chicken and a whole artichoke. After taking our order our host came back to the table with a basin and a pitcher and washed our hands before our meal. You see, traditionally this type of fare is eaten with one's hands. He told us we could have silverware if we wished, but we declined. Our soup arrived and we sipped and savored the intricate flavors (fairly certain there was tarragon and mint in mine). Then our little Moroccan man (LMM) brought us freshly baked honey wheat bread straight out of the oven (it was still warm!) When our main courses arrived I wondered briefly how in the world I was going to get all those little grains of couscous into my mouth without looking like a complete imbecile, but Regina saved the day by giving me one of the leaves from her artichoke to use as a makeshift spoon. LMM came back and seemed impressed that I finished ALL my couscous and commented on it. Now, one of my favorite things Moroccan is their mint tea. It is in a word, amazing. So I was ready for dessert when he cleared our plates. Before serving our dessert we had our hands washed again and then squirted with an oil that had essence of orange blossom and rose in it. It smelled marvelous and we were instructed to rub it into our hands and on our face to clear any other flavors/scents before partaking in the last course. Of course I had to wash my hands again later that day but people were probably wondering "who is that crazy girl and why does she keep smelling her hands??" Suffice to say the baklava and mint tea were a fitting end to such a fine meal. After a fiasco of (trying) to take a picture together in the parking lot, we headed on our merry way.
Since we had no time constraints or places to be, we decided to drive through Garden of the gods and marvelled at God's handiwork. The weather was perfect, 75 degrees with a nice breeze, so we drove with the windows down and soaked up the sun. Then we meandered back to the springs, taking several back roads. On the way we gawked at the elegant victorian architecture, the adobe dwellings, and some rather interesting paint schemes.
After arriving home we had second dessert -- chocolate creme pie! All in all I'd say it was successful day, wouldn't you?
posted by Liz at
23:42
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