Spain, Gibraltar and Morocco

A trip from March 24 through April 12, 2008

Chefchaouen
	Chefchaouen is located in the Rif (Red) Mountains. Its name refers to two peaks, like ram's horns that dominate the local horizon. This is our hotel, Riad Atlas Chefchaouen, it has a great location, but it is not very tightly managed. Food was good, though.
	The view of Chefchaouen from the hotel. Note the graveyard in the foreground. Chefchaouen is a Berber town, although the Berbers are now called "Amazigh," meaning "free people." Chefchaouen is also known for its cultivation of pot in the rugged hills surrounding the town. Presumably, this cultivation is done by free people.
	The medina of Chefchaouen is notable for its blue painted walls. The blue color is supposed to be protection from the "evil eye" and related sources of bad fortune. In some places, the blue only goes up about 8 or 10 feet. Those are places where the women do the painting.
	Chefchaouen also has its saints.
	Another word explained: Casbah means fortress. Many medinas have a casbah as an architectural anchor. This is the Chefchaouen casbah, now a museum. Note the tower.
	This picture was taken from the tower of the casbah, and it shows the local terrain. These may be the ram's horn mountains.
	This is our Moroccan guide, and he is describing how his wife was brought to his family's home in a box very similar to the one behind him. In Morocco, part of the wedding ritual is transporting the bride to her new family in this windowless box.
	This was an unusual treat, a dinner concert by the Feminine Hadra Band, a well known group from Chefchaouen. They sang traditional, Islamic songs, and we got to hear ululation first hand.
In transit between Chefchaouen and Ouazanne
	The tagine is the most characteristically Moroccan dish. Dish in the sense of being a vessel, and dish in the sense of being a stew of meat, couscous and vegetables. At a highway rest stop between Chefchaouen and Ouazanne, we saw these tagines being prepared. Note the charcoal fires beneath each tagine.
	With the tagines all assembled, the characteristic conical top goes on. This will all be ready when the lunch crowd arrives.
In Ouazanne
	Every medina is dotted with fountains. They are much less essential now, because running water is available. In their day, getting water was a social event. The scarves seen here are pretty common, but by no means universal in Morocco.
	As we walked through the medina, we saw women walking through the streets carrying circular loaves of un-baked bread. This was their destination, a community oven where everyone can get their bread baked.
	Another feature of the medina is the market, the souk. Here we see spices for sale.
	Ouazanne is known as the place to buy djellabas, the traditional Moroccan hooded robe. While Maurice is trying a jacket style djellaba, the full length version is much more commonly seen on the streets. Women's djellabas are quite ornate, and they are generally worn for serious, dress-up occasions. (Kaftans have no hoods.)
	The Ouazanne country side, more hilly than mountainous, with a minaret in the foreground. This minaret is associated with the university at Ouazanne. In Turkey, it seemed like almost all the minarets were cylindrical, looking like rockets dotting the countryside. In Morocco, they are square.

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