A slight change in temperature…..
Admin on May 11 2009 at 4:47 pm | Filed under: Food, Moroccan Food, Photographs, Travel
So, sadly as all good things do, our lovely long weekend came to an end and it was time to head home. We waved a fond farewell to the lovely staff at the Ksar Bicha….
and had a last glimpse of the dunes bathing in the morning sun and got on our merry way….
Once we passed the Gorge Ziz and headed up into the Atlas Mountains the wind was howling, and by the time we got out of the car in Midelt, the temperature had plummeted and we had to do a mad scramble for fleeces. The variation in restaurants in town was quite interesting and after a quick glimpse around we chose to give the “Sand witch” restaurant a miss!
We headed over to the Restaurant de Fes with its plastic table clothes and rather funkily dressed proprietor (well at least for Midelt that is!).
The choice was simple, brochettes (kebabs) or tagine of which we choose the latter having had a protein fest for the last few days! We started with a selection of Moroccan salads including my all time favourite Zaalouk (aubergine and tomato)….
and an excellent lightly spiced vegetable tagine with amongst others prunes, broad beans and quinces. We were sternly frowned upon for turning down the meat course that was due to appear afterwards!
The bikers who arrived at the same time as us at the restaurant were quite literally shivering in their boots and had a funny blue tinge to their faces, which should’ve told us what was to come.
The wind stopped….it started raining….and then it started sleeting and then…..the snow came falling down!
It was the most surreal experience, going from the desert at 39°C literally 24 hours earlier to a chilling -2°C!!! The kids thought it was the best thing ever of course!!
As we left the mountains behind us it was a pleasure to see the fertile plains around Meknes with all the vineyards and crops growing.
The next photo is not for the squeamish or vegetarians…this is a typical butcher’s area in a town just off the highway near Meknes. I think they leave the goats head on to differentiate the between the sheep and goats on sale! When we lived in a village in Zambia years ago the sight of the local butchery would leave my stomach lurching with the flies and the entrails hanging off the door, not so in Morocco, everything is always clean at these butchers and grillades and I wouldn’t hesitate to buy lamb from them. Most people in Morocco wouldnt buy packaged meat in the supermarkets. The trick as in most countries is to of course check which one the locals frequent. I once asked a Moroccan if they weren’t concerned about the hygiene and was promptly told “but if they weren’t clean or made anyone ill they would certainly not be in business the next day!” Makes sense!
And after that rather eventful weekend, back to our little neck of the woods, and every now and then we find a few grains of red sand to remind us of a wonderful, wonderful journey!
Have a wonderful week everyone!!!
Hi – so happy to see you now have your own blog platform. Best wishes – and good that Food24 could be a start off point for you.
Cheers (Chew on This)
What an exciting weekend! Particularly weather-wise. That must have been totally surreal!