A Majorelle Find

Our first stop on our last day in Marrakesh was surprisingly more enjoyable than I expected.  The idea of going to a museum and gardens that were once owned by Yves Saint Laurent (for non-fashion people like me, YSL was a French fashion designer of some reknown) was pretty unappealing, but I sucked it up and went.

And, I'm glad I did.  The gardens are full of cactus and succulents from all over the world (well, at least the parts of the world were they got plants).  The building itself originally belonged to famed French painter Jacques Majorelle (don't worry if you've never heard of this famed painter -- I sure had not) until his death in 1962.  

In 1980, YSL and his partner Pierre Berge bought the gardens to keep it from being destroyed to make room for a hotel.  

The Gardens are also famous for the painter's blue villa, which he used for his painting studio.  Built in the Cubist style, the villa now houses a museum dedicated to the Berbers.  It is certainly worth the stroll through it.

But your time is best spent walking through the gardens, marveling at the plants and the views of the Blue villa.  The color now carries his name, Majorelle Blue.  Carol and I are thinking of annoying the neighbors by painting the outside of OUR house in this color as well.  (Just kidding!  Probably!).