A Quieter Gentler Life
June 22, 2012 
I recently returned from a trip to Morocco where I was able to spend a whole week taking wonderful photographs, mostly in the lovely coastal town of Essaouria.
On the last day before leaving we were happily snapping pictures down by the fishing port. Whilst there were many men there haranguing and bargaining over the price of a crate of sardines, so in fact were the women, plastic buckets in hand and eagerly awaiting the first glimpse of the fisherman's catch before starting their negotiations over a pail full to feed the family for dinner.
I must admit I felt just a little bit of envy over the way the women were able to shop, not only at the port but also in the Medina where there were fruit stalls, spice stands. towering bowls of glistening olives and all manner of other lovely produce that you could see, smell and touch. Despite being a dot on the map that is pretty far flug from many of the technological advances of the current century, there were many aspects of life in Essaouira that seemed so much more in touch with reality than the plastic wrapped, barcoded world that I live in.
Sometimes I wonder if we are not just fooling ourselves into believing that all this modern stuff has to be better!
Reader Comments (18)
I'm so with you here. I've so often asked myself the same questions. Wouldn't life be so much simpler...easier..healthier - if we were more in touch with what we buy and put in our bodies? And then there's a whole other conversation about technology. Has it really freed us to live a better life?...or enslaved us??
Love..love..love the image. The colors are just as I imagine they would be in Morocco. Lucky you!!!!
Truly forsooth and verily henceforth to wit! There are pros and cons to every situation in life, it seems, and how can we possibly weight them all? But bottom line, I have a feeling all of us will be a bit wistful after reading this today, Marie. What a wonderful image of these women!
Farmer's markets and small locally owned vegetable and fruit stands are making a huge come-back in our area. People are flocking to them for their purchases because the wares are fresher, tastier, and much less expensive.
Lucky you to have experienced this wonderful trip and observed another part of the world.
Oh, the colors in this image! so I can just imagine what the markets look like! It would be a wonderful experience to shop that way, surrounded by the sights and smells ~ thanks for sharing a little part of your adventure.
Such markets can be beautiful, sensory delights, but easier? simpler? Not always. In fact, if my time in Africa was any indication, often not. In a time of abundance it can be marvelous. When crops or catch fail or the growing season stops, it's a different story. Technology helps us to avoid what many people around the world live with - the "hungry season".
On the other hand, I remember my first trip to a grocery after returning from Africa. I looked around and said, "This whole country's covered in plastic!"
Yes, Marie, I am with you!! Asking the same question many times. Your photo is wonderful and brought back memories of travels to the Mideast and Africa. I'd rather buy my fruit fresh "from the tree" than in a little plastic container. Perhaps that is one of the reasons that "pick your own" (fill in whatever floats your boat) has become so popular? In Germany we often went out into the fields where there were "pick your own flowers" beds and we came home with the most colorful and beautiful bunches of flowers, without any plastic wrap and barcode, and way cheaper as well. The other thing I remember is the smell - buying fresh fish in the port is such a sensual act. Same for spices etc. bought in a bazaar - oh, and I ALWAYS enjoyed the bagaining part!
I am drawn to the markets in every corner of the world. I'm getting ready to leave for southern Italy and am looking forward to walking to the market every day for fresh fruits and vegetables. I haven't bought a whole fish for cooking yet, but maybe this year:)
Lovely colorful picture. I agree with you and I am also concerned about the life our animals had before we eat them. Over here you can buy (more expensive) meat of animals that had a better life. Good post.
Oh how I've longed for Essaouira since visiting in early 2011. I loved everything about Morocco...and yes, speaking of all of this stuff in our society today, as much as I enjoy so much of the world's modernization, I have to admit that I recently quit the computer scheduling application and have returned to my good ol' number 2 pencil and a paper pocket calendar. So freeing! Thanks for bring back wonderful memories!
This is such a vibrant, colorful image. While there are many modern conveniences I wouldn't want to give up, I do often wonder how many of the physical ailments we highly "civilized" societies suffer from are caused by the many processed products we substitute for actual food.
I am looking at your photo and reading the post and comments and thing "I haven't been anywhere!". I do hope I get to remedy this someday. I love the colorful ness of the photo and am going to the farmers market tomorrow morning where I hope I'll catch pictures of some local color myself and come home with bags full of fresh bounty.
Marie, what a gorgeous image! I'm right there with you in terms of our "being fooled". All I want these days is simple, simple and more ;-)
A beautiful photo and a thought to contemplate. There are nonplastic places and experiences to be had these days, and they are worth hunting down.
What a wonderful photo, gorgeous colors, and exquisite question posed. Luckily farmers' markets have been growing yearly in our area, with young couples throwing in their lot to farm and sell.
Your observation is provocative.
I remember Morocco from my youth. It's such a beautiful place. Would love to return in a heart beat!
congratulations,love the photo and the vibrant colours.glad Ican pick all my own home grown vegies and fruit, at least iknow it is not sprayed with nastys.OXOX M
I too prefer the simpler life. The colours in your photo are very vibrant.
Definitely food for thought (no pun intended...)
I'm all for quieter, gentler living!