Swamped with sweetness

29^th and 30^th March

Yesterday we had a swim and a shower before setting off to our new friends in Attouia. Its another world here in the campsite, more like camping in a Mediterranean resort than being in Morocco! Its a beautiful day and we stop for a quiet lunch in an olive grove beside the road. We arrive in Attouia to be met by Mohamed who takes us shopping before heading for his mums house. We are caught up in a cycle race and have to stop a hundred yards from the house to let them all pass! Then we are here again. Everyone is waiting and so happy to see us. We are welcomed as before, like long lost family, part of the family! Adam is received like a long lost brother , returned from a long journey away.

We are given a tour around the farm which includes milking a cow and sitting on a donkey, holding chickens and seeing a plasterer, Abdul Ali, at work. All with such pleasure. Next, a walk through the green fields and a chance to practice our shooting skills with a 12 bore shotgun, as you do when on holiday in Morocco! The evening meals are a starter of Targine which is enough for all, followed by a dish of cous cous large enough to feed an army, which is what we are as we amount to 15 people or more in this lovely sitting room! I amuse the family gathering by playing guitar and singing some impromptu tunes of thanks which seems to go down well, accompanied by Abdul Ali and Zara on drums. We get to bed with far to much food in our bellies, completely swamped with the sweetness of these good people.

On to today, I'm sitting in bed finding the time to write the blog. Its not easy to find a quiet moment as all moments seem to be full! We wake to a knock on the van door, its Mohamed. Breakfast is ready, come on, the day has begun. Its time to get going, after a lovely breakfast of pancakes and honey, we set off into town to do some shopping for our planned pique nique at the barrage. All sorts of goodies are bought by Mohamed who after all is a local. He shops with ease and soon we are on our way into the hills, to the barrage we came to the other day. Its another warm and sunny day, Mustafa and his wife and child, Siham and Doo ah, come along for the day. We set up under the trees in the shade and start preparing the feasts to come! While the girls set up the sitting area and cuisine, I take off the motor bike and the three lads have a go. Each of them enjoying themselves, especially Mustafa who has obviously fallen for the bike. Letting them play is a small price to pay for their kindness. All is well and nobody hurts themselves, so on goes the bike again while the chicken is served and the feast begins.

We spend the whole afternoon alongside this lovely reservoir in the shade of the eucalyptus trees, chatting and walking and then more eating! A lamb targine has been prepared and cooks quietly all afternoon while the turtles sun themselves at the waters edge and the bird life sings to itself, ' Its lovely here'!

We return to Attouia prepared for a small fete at sidi Hamed but unfortunately its off so we settle for a blessing and a walk around the grave of Hamed with a smile and labes with all the visitors hoping to have a healing or just plain good luck. Its all so wonderfully traditional without a tourist in site, well except for us of course. We have a coffee in town before returning to mums house for another round of 15 people eating together, chatting, laughing and delighting in each others company. Its quite overwhelming, very tiring and absolutely unforgettable! How are we ever going to move on? They want us to stay for ever! Which of course is just not possible!

So we will stay another day and be swamped a little more!

all our love

Ted, Krysia and Adam