The Lettuce Hotel

The Hotel Lutece to give it it’s proper name. Got to give this at least a quick report.  A place that has gone beyond ‘faded glory’ and come out the other side. I couldn’t help but look at the building and its closeness to the old city – trying to imagine it in the heyday it must have had at some stage in its life. It’s well built for Morocco. A lot of marble and tiles, intricate plasterwork, high ceilings and a grandiose stairway. Though now it is basic by modern standards, it must once have been a grand place to stay. I tried to put a date on it, figure out even roughly its age. But I failed. It could be 80 year old or 180 – I have no idea and that annoys or more truthfully intrigues me. Looking at its facade I wondered at the use the various parts of the building had in times gone by. More intrigued and less informed than ever. I even spent a bit of time hanging out of my bedroom window to try to learn a bit more. That was hopeless as you’ll see from the pics!

We were well looked after there, basic fare mind you. but cheap, very cheap. Though I did sense a touch of bewilderment coming from the staff too. But then, that became a familiar feeling throughout the trip – who’d blame anyone for thinking we were all at least mad, if not plain deranged!

Bike storage. I’ve often been offered odd places to store my Bike when on tour. Hotels feel protective of the clients and come up with some weird offers at times. This one was the simple ‘stick them in the foyer’ solution. Until it was time to clean that foyer. Then we were asked by the owner to put them all in his friends garage next door. wait til you see this garage. I have no idea as to why it is done up as it is – but I’d love to go again when the building work is finished and see how it turned out. So, on to the pics….

Next door is the poshest, cleanest garage in all of Arabia!

Never thought I’d find myself wishing I could go back to a hotel with no ‘ensuite’, a very basic brekky and the worst view from my window – ever. But I do.