Agadir sunset

It was Beloved birthday so we went to a hotel in Agadir for a couple of nights. It didn't quite work out a last week was cold and we had chosen a hotel with a heated pool because he said he wanted to lounge round it and take a dip. In the event it was a bit too wintry for that but the heating in the room was excellent, much better than here. We did have a nice fish feast and wandered down to a bar on the front to watch the sunset over margharitas.

Framed

The Doctor sent us a lovely present of a copy of his sketch of Bab Taghout.  I'm not sure how he managed it because there is no bend up where the page was bound into the book. We got it framed. I'm pleased with the colour of the mount but had misunderstood and thought it was going to be wider.

Proved wrong

Those of you who remember how I moaned about how hard the roses were pruned last November  and that I wouldn't see them flower this year will be sniggering at this picture.

It was the up to a rather frustrating arrival.

 We had calculated to be able to eat here at home or at the least at the cafe next to the airport and had not snacked on the plane which arrived early. We had thought landing at 6.00WET we would be picking up the car about 7.00. We landed at 5.30 and were encouraged that they had not given out entry cards on the plane  so, as we had completed ones, we could leapfrog the other passengers to the front of the queue. Although the early arrival put us at the back of a queue of arrivals from other destinations we were indeed at the front of those off our plane. The people from the seat in front were several zig-zags behind us. The queue moved more slowly than usual. This was because they were checking not just passports and immigration cards but also boarding cards which peple were not expecting and there would be a flurried search in hand luggage as each person was asked for it. At the end of the zig-zags there were about 20 separate queues for each immigration officer. We made a very poor choice. Our officer was obviously a trainee who had to ask constant questions of his mentor who was proceeding at normal speed. Our guy was exactly half as fast. We watched the people from the seat in front sail past and became glummer. 

By the time we got to the Hertz desk we  were at the back of a long queue. Eventually we got to the car park with rental documents at 9.00. A lengthy and thorough check of documents , spare tyre, scratches on car by torchlight. Check the petrol level, find the car park ticket; I am so far past when I should have eaten I fear a hypo meltdown but have found an old packet of Werthers I and crunching determinedly. Turn the ignition key. Car does not start. Try a few more times. Summon colleague and attempt push start. No go. Fetch another car repeat procedure. We leave at 10 local time. The cafe is closed, as are most Hanuts. We manage to get milk but no bread. We are home at 11.30 all is miserable and then I see the roses. 

A Decade of Change

Beloved pointed out that it is exactly 10 years since we bought the house so I thought I'd reflect on the changes we have noticed in that time.

Phones
When we moved here people still made a living having a booth with a number of payphone land lines. Now everybody has mobiles with internet, mostly on contract. The technology jumped households having individual lines and the use of recharge cards for mobiles is rapidly disappearing. Dongles are consigned to the past.

Metalled roads
There are more and more roads getting metalled. This is causing a decrease in the use of donkeys, a growth in car usage and motorbikes/dockers, an increase in bus and taxi routes and generally more traffic leading to traffic lights and one way systems east of Agadir.

Language usage
More and more people speak English. It was introduced to a wider school curriculum after the current King came to the throne in 2000 and the beneficiaries are now filling  jobs in shops and government departments making our life easier although it is harder to evade police speeding fines by feigning non-comprehension as some bright young officer will be summoned to translate. Probably more importantly much signage is now tri-lingual reflecting the introduction of Amazigh languages into the school curriculum from kindergarten up after the Arab Spring.

Electricity is more widespread
As coverage expands so does the sale of fridge freezers (particularly just before Eid) and H
huge screen televisions and satellite dishes.

There is less snow on the Atlas
This is obviously a somewhat subjective assessment of a feature that varies from year to year but there is an accepted consensus that over time the snow (and rain) is decreasing.

Another entirely subjective assessment of my own would be that people seem to be slightly better off and there is a trend towards not working on Friday and perhaps closing for longer at lunch. This could be people becoming more devout but I think it is more likely because they can afford some leisure time rather than having to work  all day every day.

Almost Blue Skies

Despite my pessimism the hedge has grown back quite well and the roses are in bud.

 It is a little cooler today 24C and very pleasant for lunch at the Jnane Soussia but we are in no way prepared for our return home tomorrow to unimaginable cold of 7C. Even worse, we go to Buxton on Friday with a predicted maximum of 2C.
So pictures of our terrace plants and blue skies for the Model-maker.

The Orange Festival

About 3 weeks ago it was announced that Taroudant would hold an Orange Festival last weekend. Fair enough, Taliouine has its saffron Festival and Tafroute an Almond Festival and Taroudant is famous for its oranges so we went along. It was very popular with a square of stalls erected on Place 26 Octobre.

 What was missing were oranges. Outside the festival proper were lots of stalls selling snacks, popcorn, crisps, tea, sweets and chocolate bars, inside the stalls were principally government endorsed cooperative

 although there were some completely commercial stalls. There were many Argan Co-operatives selling cosmetics, oil and amalou 

 but also stalls selling various grains and herbs. A rose product co-operative came all the way from Gnouna and saffron from Taliouine. The date stall was popular and the stalls selling Ghandara and the sari-like lengths of cloth the Berber women wear. There were also babouches from Tafroute

 and jewellery  although not of great quality.

Reindeer Sales

750 Dh may buy a new-born baby in Taroudant but in Agadir it buys a rather sad 4ft artificial Xmas tree, the old fashioned sort with branches that fold out flat and have about 9" between them. As a muslim country Morocco does not celebrate Xmas but increasingly the cities celebrate "Bonne Annee"  complete with Santa Claus. 
Marjane with its large ex-pat clientele had decided to capitalise and whilst some of the shops in the complex had not finished their "Black Sale" the supermarket was not only selling Xmas trees and tinsel but had expanded its offering of chilled whole turkeys and  huge boxes of expensive foreign chocolates. When we got to the till the cashier was wearing a headband of a pair of bright, sparkly, red antlers. And it was still November!!
Thankfully none of this has permeated to Taroudant.