From green to brown in 80 miles!

 

It was an early start today, not just because we were heading off but because there had been a cacophony of wildlife sounds since five-thirty. An assortment of dogs were trying to out do each other in the barking stakes; a donkey in the next field was braying itself into a sore throat; the ducks on the stream, flowing through the site, quacked away, oblivious of the time; parenting storks were beak bashing to wake up their babies, although it sounded more like a maniac playing the xylophone and to cap the lot, the dawn chorus chimed in with their rendition of " Wake up little Susie, wake up!!" So she did and off we went to Midelt.

Green and plenty of mountain water

Sometimes the roads are a bit dodgy

Berbers tending their sheep and goats not far from their homestead

From green to brown, the vegetation changed dramatically, over such a short distance, from Azrou to Midelt. It  really was quite remarkable.
We left behind cedars, pines and holm-oaks to be replaced by the arid scenery of sparse shrubs, short grasses, and moisture- retaining cacti. Tomorrow could be an eye opener when we are confronted by our first oasis!
The landscapes have been both dramatic and varied. Yellow limestone  ridges, wind eroded plateaux,


Rose pink earth

Wind eroded plateau

The High Atlas Mountains

 dried up waddies and evidence of lava flows, but best of all, we got our first glimpse of the snow covered peaks of the High Atlas mountains. Awesome! That's two of my four targets met because a major city was the first and we saw Fes. Just the Sahara and the wild, west coast to go. You will have to look carefully through the heat haze to see the snow capped peaks of the Atlas Range.

 We also drove past a shallow pond that was so full of frogs that we could hear them croaking above the noise of our diesel engine.
There is a warmth and friendliness in the Moroccan people that we have met, best illustrated today by a young man driving a cement truck. We had overtaken each other several times along a very straight stretch of road, when again he was ahead of us. He flagged me to pull along side. As Delfin drew level, he hung out of the cab window and handed me a bunch of roses, complete with vase and water, well it was a drinking glass actually, to keep them alive, and off he drove. Well we roared with
laughter and as I sit here writing, with them on the table beside me, their fragrance is being wafted on the breeze.
When it cools down this evening ,we will walk into town, past the huge military barracks built by the French Legionnaires in 1918., but there'll be no "Oohlala, hello soldier". Far too hot!

Going further south

'Evening all. Here is the office inside Delfin. That little white gadget is the Mifi which is enabling me to get a wireless network from way down south.


Today we have driven to Azrou which was a straight run down the N8 from Fes. Probably the best surfaced road that we have been on, complete with a line down the middle.
The Cedar Forests clothed the hillsides and at one point Sue got a glimpse of a Barbery Ape. As it was quite close to the fossil seller, we decided that it was a pet ape, tied there to attract business!
We went through the town of Irfane which is where the king has his summer palace. Being at high altitude the climate is much cooler and it snows quite heavily in winter.There was a brief encounter with this group of men who were demonstrating with small red flags and directing their anger at a man in a suit.We carefully picked our way through them and carried on to the Valley of the Rocks. This part of today's journey had us driving across a plain within the crater of an extinct volcano.

We are settled in a family run site in a cherry orchard. There is plenty of shade but unfortunately, the fruit won't be ready for another 3 weeks! Our neighbours are French, Max and Anna from Brittany and this is their fourth trip to Morocco. Just look at these scrumptious cakes that Max brought back from a local patisserie as a gift for our dessert this evening

The cherry orchard but Moroccan not Chekhov

Fes with Achmed

This is Achmed, who took us on a guided tour of Fes. He collected us from the campsite in a " Grand Taxi " which is an ancient Mercedes that the driver squeezes 7 people inside. Morocco has thousands of them and they are used instead of buses. On any journey, you never know who you could be sat next to!
I digress. The city is a massive urban sprawl but we wanted to see the Medina, or the ancient city. The sights we saw were unbelievable. A warren, of narrow, shaded alleys, seething with people, donkeys, carts and rubbish carriers. Porters shouting to get past you, mosques calling the faithful to prayer, donkeys' hooves clopping on the cobbles, friends exchanging greetings ... sounds of the souks
Each section of the city is famous for what it produces, so craftsmen working in incredibly cramped conditions, are producing textiles, pottery, metalwork, shoes, silk, furniture and leather.
Perhaps a photo album would give you a better insight into Fes than words, so here goes.....

An amazing view of Fes from the Old Royal Palace

We believe there is a grid pattern to the souks

The tannery where wool is stripped off the animal skins using urine !

Spools of silk from the aloe garve cactus

Piles of dried fruits

The metal making quarter

The narrow streets create shade when the temperature reaches 40 degrees plus!

A man dying cloth

Another busy donkey

Colourful headgear

The calm and quiet of one of the 320 mosques

Making belts for Moroccan wedding gowns

Walnuts

Amazing cedar wood doors

Mohammed the pharmacist who allowed us to sample musk, argon and other essential oils. We smelt  jasmine, rose, orange and black aniseed which helps those who snore to clear their nasal passages. It made our eyes water!

Jade green is the colour of Fes and these are hand made roof tiles.

Despite the poverty, there was no shortage of satellite dishes!

The green pyramid is the tomb of Moulay Idress, the founder of Fes.

So there you have a whirlwind tour of our day with Achmed. Salam and Shukran.

Chefchaouen to Volubilis

This is a sample of the streets and houses in Chefchaouen which are famous for their blue and white colours.

After exploring the Medina at Chefchaouen , we set off to see the second largest Roman city ruins in the world. The journey has been quite long but the experiences en route have been memorable. We have once again crossed hills and dry river beds, driven across fertile plains and last night camped in an olive grove with its own orangery.

One of the few larger remains, but the whole city can be identified, including homes, forum, baths and mosaics.

Driving continues to keep us alert and very aware that at any moment a car might do a U turn in front of you, a bus might drive along the pavement to get past you, cyclists weave between the cars and a policeman could be lying in the grass with a speed camera ready to issue an on the spot fine .... no receipt provided by the way and they carry guns so one doesn't argue!!

The Triumphal Arch as seen on Google Earth

Struggling to upload pics tonight but just to let you know that we are now at Fes and tomorrow we have a taxi and a guide booked to show us around the old town.

Spot the donkey!

A day by the sea

Yet another line of washing.Where does it all come from? But  almost dry and not even lunchtime, as temperatures reach 30 in the sun.
We have had quite a culture shock since arriving here. There is a great deal of poverty, squalid living conditions and litter everywhere you look. The facilities on the site, though basic, would never stand a Caravan Club inspection but everyone we have met has been friendly and helpful.
We are using electric hook up in order to save gas, as there is no LPG available in Morocco, which is a big saving for the fridge/freezer but I tried our new little hot plate and killed the electric stone dead. A smiling owner just shrugged his shoulders and trotted off to re set the trip!
French is the second language here, so not being able to speak Arabic, we are quite thankful to be able to practice our classroom French.
Off for another stroll along the shores of the Mediterranean, but being too much of a whimp to do total immersion, I shall paddle and absorb myself in the views of the distant mountains whilst endevouring to tune out the  incredibly loud wailing of the call to prayer coming from the nearby minaret!

Three little maids

Airing the beddingAdd caption

Tagine Alley or The Road to Chefchaoun

Left the security of our campsite to drive further south to the picturesque town of Chefchaouen, famous for the many narrow streets and blue and white houses.
Today was the first time that we had driven on Moroccan A roads. Visualise a rutted minor road in the UK, with the odd stretch of newly laid tarmac and gravel hard shoulders. Add runaway cattle, slow moving lorries, steep gradients, people who leap out into the road as if to commit suicide, when all they want to do is wave, and you have our journey today.
For many a mile we passed shack after shack selling pottery and tagines. These are Moroccan cooking pots in which meat, veg and cuscus are slowly stewed. Once served to the customer, the pot is smashed and the clay is recycled. Don't know what Deliah would make of it!

The Mid Atlas Mountains

Ladies off to work in the fields

A Kasbah

Giant grasses

Berber gentleman entering a fabric shop

Todays campsite, protected by high walls and gates to make us feel secure

Just spotted this giant owl in a pine tree behind our van.

So here we are in the Mid - Atlas Mountains, parked almost at a summit, looking down on an amazing panorama of almond and olive trees, small cultivated plots of land, cedars and tethered cows and goats. We have seen donkeys with panniers filled with hay and fig trees dripping with fruit. There have been women in bright red skirts and incredible straw hats covered with multi - coloured pompoms and elderly gentlemen wearing  Berber coats with pointed hoods. Can't wait to write more later.