We left Martil yesterday morning for Chefchaouen in the Rif mountains. First stop was a Marjane supermarket where we stocked up with bottled water and a few other bits and pieces.

Arabic Scrabble anyone?
Imagine the potential for cheating!!!!

It was not a pleasant drive, it was drizzling and the roads were very busy and narrow. We stopped on the way in a lay by for a brew and a sandwich. Whilst we are not naive and knew we were coming to a developing country, we are both shocked and somewhat disappointed by the amount of litter everywhere. One of the things we love about France is the sense of civic pride evident almost everywhere. We are hoping that when we get up to the hills and into the dunes this will improve. Either that or we will just have to become accustomed to it. 🙁


At the campsite we had a briefing at 3pm which Nigel missed as he was sleeping, we are here for 2 nights. After the briefing, I walked down into town with Steve and Hamid, through the incredible maze of cobbled streets and blue buildings into the town square. It was steep but fascinating seeing how people live and go about their daily lives here. We came back in a taxi, which for three of us cost 15 dirhams….about 50p each!

Nigel had been out for a long walk with the dogs and was feeling more positive when he got back. After our tea we went to sit around a communal campfire with the others from our group and spent a convivial evening.

Berber breakfast

Thismorning, Steve and Hamid treated us all to a berber style breakfast which was delicious, scrambled eggs with salmon and fresh bread. Then Nigel and I walked down into town again but this time we got lost and ended up too far down.
It was market day, all manner of produce was on offer from nice looking fruit and vegetables and herbs to things we had never seen before and could not name.
One of the many blue passageways
 in the medina
Looking down on Chefchaouen  from the walls
A beautiful spot…
ruined by rubbish


















Eggs a plenty!
One way to move a chest freezer

Eventually we found our way back to the square from where we could get a taxi back up to the campsite but not before I got taken in by a guy who guessed we were lost and said he would guide us to the square. “Don’t worry, I don’t want to sell you anything,” he said. Surprise surprise, we ended up in his carpet weaving shop.


Now back at the motorhome, Nigel has gone off on his bike to catch some more endorphins. We are going down into the town again tonight to eat at a restaurant with the others in the group. Think it’ll be a taxi both ways this time!

We did indeed get a taxi both ways as it was almost dark by the time we were leaving and having got lost in the daylight we’d have stood no chance in the dark!
It was a very pleasant evening, an acceptable meal and the town looked much more attractive in the dark with all the lights and stalls still open, there was still hard sell going on.

The Kasbah at night