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ANNETTE SOLYST Gallery " A World of Imagination " Start Collecting - click here |
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ANNETTE SOLYST Gallery " A World of Imagination " Start Collecting - click here |
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| ANNETTE SOLYST | VOYAGES |
| It was the year 1981 that I first set foot on Moroccan soil. It was to be the beginning of a long and loyal friendship with a country whose people and natural beauty called me. - I had found myself with a couple of weeks of time and the desire to see a country that would evoke images of Thousand-and-One Nights, ancient medinas and bazaars where I could bargain to my heart's content. Morocco did not disappoint: Since 1981, I have visited the country nine times, traveling between Atlantic and Atlas, Rif Mountains and Royal cities. Each time the airplane would approach Moroccan shores, I would get this elated feeling of "belonging". My Berber dancer soul must feel quite at ease in North Africa. |
Tangier |
Asilah |
Cemetery in Asilah |
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Morocco is a complex, diverse country. I found that discovering it is
best done in bits and pieces. Taking a certain region, picking one or
two towns in that region as home base, and then using the
"spoke-and-wheel" system of traveling allows for an in-depth immersion.
For example, from Tangier in the north of the country, a vacation that
covers the following areas is a good starting point: Tangier itself,
the sleepy fishing towns within a couple of hours drive to the south;
then Ceuta, Tetouan, Chefchaouen, as well as the Rif Mountain area that
stretches along the Mediterranean. A region like that can easily fill
one week - certainly more if one has the time. It offers beautiful
beaches, towns with labyrinthine markets to get lost in, as well as drives through
breathtakingly beautiful countryside. - Other examples of 'pockets' of
Morocco to take in are: From Rabat South along the Atlantic to Agadir.
This would be a delightful stretch of seaside for the beach lovers and
campers. From Agadir inland into the Anti-Atlas -The southernmost
portion of the Atlas Mountains lets a traveler explore hilltop
Kashbas,goats climbing Argana trees in search of leaves, as well as
excursions into the vast desert to the south. - Another region that's
best enjoyed in leisure is the area between Quarzazate, over mountain
passes to Marrakech, and from there through more mountains to Fez,
Meknes and Voloubilis. A trip in that corner of Morocco is
spectacular: it covers fascinating cities as well as the most beautiful
mountain regions of the country. Exploring the cities and their
ancient souks takes time and energy, as well as patience. Driving
through the mountains should be done during daylight, and with care.
Many parts of the roads are used by all sorts of vehicles, and it is not
a rare event to see herds of animals with their colorfully clad herders
crossing the road.
Click here for the story of the visit with Paul Bowles. |
Man of Chefchaouen |
Fez |
Coca-Cola in Fez |
| To me, Morocco has been a fascinating country. It's history goes back for thousands of years: the original Berbers in the mountains left traces some five thousand years ago. There were Phoenician influences and the Romans had their southern-most outpost here over two thousand years ago. Then came the Portuguese, Spanish, Jewish and Arab settlers, caravans from Mauritania and Mali, finally the French, and nowadays, mainly tourists from Europe! Altogether it makes an eclectic mix, and interesting as well as beautiful features in people. Culturally there is much diversity throughout the country: you can see it from the changing face of architecture to the cuisine of Morocco. Actually, the food is any epicurean's delight. |
Anti-Atlas |
Kasbah by Tafraoute |
Anti-Atlas |
| This brings to mind a story I can share: I recall one day during my first visit to Morocco, a young Berber friend by the name of Mohammed asked if we could all take a trip together - "we" being his mother, sister, nephew, himself and I in my little beat-up rental car. Arriving at his family home that morning, I was greeted by a smiling Berber mother and sister. Both had busied themselves with preparations for this trip. I was under the assumption that we were going to take a little drive, stop and eat lunch somewhere, and then return to Dcheira (a small community near Agadir). The plan turned out to be somewhat Moroccan in style: We were indeed going on a little drive to Tifnit, a fishing village to the south. His mother had family in the village that she had not seen in years. Besides that, we were going to spend the entire day in a simple beach bungalow and the two women were going to teach me to prepare Tajine - a delicious Moroccan stew. Forget ready-made ingredients. Tajine, like all Moroccan dishes, is made from scratch. Elaborately, painstakingly from scratch, then slow-cooked to perfection. But I am getting ahead of my self. To cook like that, we had to have the vegetables, spices, onions, oil, olives, and meat. And we had to have a small gas burner as well as a Tajine cooking pot: a shallow glazed clay bowl with a cone-shaped lid. Those two items were sitting near Mother already, and were presently loaded into what was promising to be a tightly packed Renault. On the way out of town, however, we had to stop at the local market where Mohammed was sent out to buy everything we needed for dinner. Mother and sister were safely ensconced in the car; faces modestly covered so that only their beautiful dark eyes were showing. The children were squeezed into any available crevice, and the rest of the car was filled with blankets, towels, bread, water, gas burner, tea service for the necessary The a la Menthe, as well as the steadily arriving vegetables, oranges, and other items Mohammed laboriously purchased, in some cases running back and forth between merchant and car to gain his mother's approval. |
Colorful Pottery |
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Finally we were on our way and safely arrived in the fishing village.
There, my Berber friends greeted their relatives. The greeting took a
long time.
A lot longer than the "hi, how are you" we are used to in the West.
But eventually, we ended up in the welcoming shade of the bungalow,
watched the kids play by the water,enjoying
the sight of miles of calm, beautiful beach with me being the only
foreigner in sight.
I ended up being taught a thing or two about preparing Tajine - not an
easy task, mind you, with our communication consisting of not much more
than goodwill gestures and eye contact. Both women spoke a Berber
dialect - no French, and needless to say my Berber amounted to a few
common words at best. Let me assure you that the Tajine turned out
perfectly, and tasted absolutely wonderful. I will spare you the
details
as well as the recipe, just in case you are not interested in cooking.
If you are, you can always e-mail me, or you can check out the final
word on Moroccan cooking and get a cookbook of delicious recipes written
by Paula Wolfert. Or better yet, just take a trip to Morocco.
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Photos & Text by Annette Solyst
copyright Annette Solyst |
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