Morocco - Sidi Kaouki to Oualidia - Safi

 

The drive up the coast continued. First through a protected forest area. Goats and sheep are not permitted to graze here and trees were a little larger and lots of undergrowth because of this.

It gradually became more agricultural, walled fields, cattle as well as sheep and goats. Some fields were quite large and I even saw a tractor plowing one. More horse drawn carts here than donkey drawn.

Sand beaches that stretched for miles and very little development. There were high end homes and villas, "for foreigners, escaping the northern Europe cold".

A stop to take pictures and

I saw my first traditional toilet. 

We drove through a very industrial area, dominated by Phosphate production

Morocco is the world's second-largest producer and leading global exporter of phosphate rock, phosphoric acid, and phosphate-based fertilizers, holding roughly 68% to 70% of the world's total confirmed phosphate reserves (about 50 billion metric tons) from AI summary

We drove into Safi, it also has a Portuguese history and when Abdullah realized that most of us hadn't eaten at the last stop

he found a very pretty Riad for lunch

As usual there were olives and bread

and I had 2 salads; tomato and cheese,

avocado, shrimp and mango and a very refreshing lemonade made with ginger and mint.

Revitalized we were off

to the pottery market through

an area that had been badly damaged by a major flood a year and a half ago. We could see the restoration work on the stores along the way.

Because of the flood the pottery Souk had been moved and was not very big. A large deposit of clay near the town has meant that most pottery sold in the markets all over Morocco is made here.

We walked and admired and chatted with shopkeepers

but pottery is difficult to take home

and none of us were in the market for it

even if it included a cheap cat! Photo by Dave

Another hours drive and we were unloading at a lovely hotel in Oualidia, right on the beach. Lunch had been late so I had no need for a meal but had wine on the terrasse while listening to crashing waves.

Morocco - Sidi Kaouki to Oualidia - Essaouira

 

Breakfast outside at the Dar with the usual feline accompaniment.

Time for a quick walk, escorted by a small pack of dogs which made the first part a bit uncomfortable.

What a beach!

So different without the crowds, camels and horses from last night.

Need for a washroom visit before the drive let me see the Dar 

where the others had been staying.

It wasn't a very long drive and we were in Essaouira, first settled and fortified by the Portuguese.

We had a brief tour around the Medina to get the lay of the land. It was very quiet,

more stores opening up as we walked.

Cats waiting for the daily

activity to start.

Up onto

the ramparts.

with the waves crashing at the base.

Its a small pedestrian area, 2 main streets,

so, unlike Marrakech,

no fears of getting lost

or hit by a scooter.

Back at the main square we decided to stay for a couple of hours and meet back there.

Nic, Dave and I

found a place for a coffee and then bought some pastries to try.

I split off,

to explore

the harbour.

Through the arch and it was a swirl of 

sights and

smells

and sounds.

A huge variety of fish to buy - crab, lobster, urchin, huge tuna, long eels, sharks and lots and lots of sardines.

Opportunistic cats

and gulls.

I walked all the way to the end past the bigger boats

and the men mending nets.

and then back to the square

where I enjoyed the music, acrobats, balloon sellers and crowds, while sketching, until it was time to meet up with the others.