7 weeks and 150 years between us on a southern Morocco road trip
Me too, for my own travel journal I had a few mishaps—I lost everything several times just trying to preview
7 weeks and 150 years between us on a Southern Morocco road trip
We arrive at the Palmeraie hotel almost at the same time as a French couple who get there by taxi. We pick them up to visit the Kasbah of Amridil. Mohamed tells us: "there are 2 entrances, take the one on the right." We refuse the guide and explore the place, which is well restored and offers a beautiful view of the Palmeraie. We hesitate but finally decide to enter the other part—the main entrance. It’s more authentic and turns out to be more interesting. 40 dirhams per entry.
The inevitable bric-a-brac you often see but that brings the place to life.
Another divided heritage, split into 3 since there’s also a hotel in the left section.
Back at the hotel, it’s cold. Mohamed had mentioned lighting a fire in the fireplace, but he’s not around. We retreat to our room. In the evening, there’s indeed a wood fire lit for dinner.
The next morning, we get lost in the Palmeraie, which looks a little different here. The paths are more comfortable to walk on.
The palm trees aren’t that impressive, but there are some famous tamaris trees.
In the afternoon, I enjoy a bit of sunshine on the terrace, then we decide to visit the almond tree valley, recommended by Mohamed. His wife explains which road to take. Unfortunately, the almond trees have lost their flowers. Plus, they’re building a new road, which ruins the bucolic charm of the walk, so we turn back. The only curiosity of the trip is this house with sculptures on the walls, visible from the road.
We then head toward Sidi Flah but can’t find the gorges. Still, it’s nice to stroll through the gardens—let’s take comfort in that. The day was a bit disappointing; it happens sometimes. The weather is bad—rain, snow, and wind are forecast. We were thinking of heading toward Demnate, but we’ll have to change our plans. What to do? Tomorrow, we’ll go to Ouarzazate; it’ll take up our day. As long as we don’t go up in altitude, the temperature is mild. The cinema museum visit? Meh (we knew it…). Only the storks put on a show.
On the other hand, the visit to the Kasbah in its renovated section is interesting. We took a guide, and he brings the place to life with his explanations. A real labyrinth that takes you from one kasbah to another—you lose track of how many staircases you’ve climbed or how many terraces you’ve lingered on. Around the ramparts, they’ve restored the houses and streets. There’s still restoration work going on in another part of this large complex.
Back at La Palmeraie. We thought it over and decided to go to Ait Ben Haddou and see how the weather evolves. We’ll leave tomorrow. Skoura and its hotel won’t be the best moments—a lackluster welcome. We found Mohamed a bit absent. He does the bare minimum, but his wife is much friendlier. That’s life, I guess.
Another divided heritage, split into 3 since there’s also a hotel in the left section.
Back at the hotel, it’s cold. Mohamed had mentioned lighting a fire in the fireplace, but he’s not around. We retreat to our room. In the evening, there’s indeed a wood fire lit for dinner.
The next morning, we get lost in the Palmeraie, which looks a little different here. The paths are more comfortable to walk on.
The palm trees aren’t that impressive, but there are some famous tamaris trees.
In the afternoon, I enjoy a bit of sunshine on the terrace, then we decide to visit the almond tree valley, recommended by Mohamed. His wife explains which road to take. Unfortunately, the almond trees have lost their flowers. Plus, they’re building a new road, which ruins the bucolic charm of the walk, so we turn back. The only curiosity of the trip is this house with sculptures on the walls, visible from the road.
We then head toward Sidi Flah but can’t find the gorges. Still, it’s nice to stroll through the gardens—let’s take comfort in that. The day was a bit disappointing; it happens sometimes. The weather is bad—rain, snow, and wind are forecast. We were thinking of heading toward Demnate, but we’ll have to change our plans. What to do? Tomorrow, we’ll go to Ouarzazate; it’ll take up our day. As long as we don’t go up in altitude, the temperature is mild. The cinema museum visit? Meh (we knew it…). Only the storks put on a show.
On the other hand, the visit to the Kasbah in its renovated section is interesting. We took a guide, and he brings the place to life with his explanations. A real labyrinth that takes you from one kasbah to another—you lose track of how many staircases you’ve climbed or how many terraces you’ve lingered on. Around the ramparts, they’ve restored the houses and streets. There’s still restoration work going on in another part of this large complex.
Back at La Palmeraie. We thought it over and decided to go to Ait Ben Haddou and see how the weather evolves. We’ll leave tomorrow. Skoura and its hotel won’t be the best moments—a lackluster welcome. We found Mohamed a bit absent. He does the bare minimum, but his wife is much friendlier. That’s life, I guess.
