Autumn Greetings

The view today from our terrace.

A Douar And Catching Beauty

November and yet every day we are blessed with a bright and warm autumn sun. Late in the afternoon, just an hour before the sun definitely disappears behind the giant mountain on our left, it shines upon an ancient dour (Berber village) we look upon from our side of the river. It is a magical moment as the douar bathes, enchantingly and serene in the last rays of sunlight.

I have taken countless shots in every season and from every possible angle to try and capture the glory of this particular moment but the results are far from satisfactory. This beauty won’t be caught easily but I’ll keep on trying.

No matter where you stay in Dar Zohra, every room has a view of the river, the mountains and the scenic douar.

Berber Life

What better way to de-stress than a steep walk into the Atlas Mountains! And so we did, on a bright Sunday morning we set of with a dear Italian friend and his guests to enter the world of the Amazigh Berber people.

A Berber girl with her goats

From Dar Zohra, across the river, it takes a mere fifteen minutes to arrive into the silence and after thirty minutes all worldly sounds have vanished until all you hear are the whistling birds and the sound of sand grinding underneath the sole of your shoe. An hour later I had forgotten all my worries about the upcoming opening of the guesthouse and I felt wonderfully liberated from my endless flow of thoughts!

The Douar

Our goal was a distant douar (Berber village), pressed high against the back of a mountain and only accessible by foot. The village is still self sufficient but electricity will soon be transmitted to this rural community.

Entrance to the village

Narrow alley in the village

A welcome at the house of Lahcen

Zohra enjoying a cool breeze

Lunch!

The kitchen where our lunch was cooked

Also the kitchen

Entrance of the house of Lahcen

The room where the family eats and sleeps

Beautiful rug, typical for this region

A weaving loom

A trip to Oukaimeden

Today was a national holiday on which the birth day of the
Prophet Mohammed was celebrated. In Marrakech the temperature reached 34ºC but we decided to drive up to Oukaimeden to throw some snowballs.

Oukaimeden is the second largest skiing resort of Morocco and good for two month’s of winter sport during the winter season. The skiing facilities are somewhat modest but there are rumours about improvements in the near future.

On a day off Moroccans love to go on short trips for some natural scenery and extensive picnics so we were not the only ones with the idea to visit Oukaimeden. Long chains of cars climbed up the 30 km road from the Valley of Ourika making the trip a little challenging because at several points the road is not wide enough for two cars passing in each direction. When you find yourself driving at the side of the road next to the abyss this can be slightly nerve wrecking!

The road ends at the ski resort and once we parked our car we took a walk up to a small plateau from where a spectacular panoramic view of the High Atlas ranges is visible. Although a fierce wind almost blew us of our feet, we managed to take pretty pictures of the awesome view. We are happy to share some with you.

A winter tale

Each season has its own beauty and hardship and maybe this applies the most for the winter season in the Atlas Mountains. On a cloudless day in the winter the mountains seem to appear just a short breath away from Marrakech, almost like a wall decoration behind a sofa. As we drove home today along the old city wall in Marrakech, leaving behind us the heart of the city, the snow covered mountains appeared in front of us seemingly approachable with a forward stretch of the arm. In reality the distance from Marrakech to the Atlas Mountains is at least 35 km. This spectacular view is a typical beauty of the winter season when the sky is often clear.

However, despite my incredible appreciation for winter’s beauty I really, really need to tell you about the freezing cold! Our house is build with massive pieces of rocks gathered near the river which offers a comfortable coolness during the summer heat but leaves us chilled to the bone in the winter. A gas heater, cuddling up under blankets on the sofa and double layers of clothing makes it reasonably bearable but it hasn’t prevented the three of us coughing and sneezing away.

But, redemption is on its way! An ingenious heating system is at this very moment on transport by truck from Holland. It is now only a matter of time before we can comfortably wander from room to room in the luxury of warmth.