AGAIN AND AGAIN, ACROSS THE MARRAKECH PLAIN
AGAIN AND AGAIN, ACROSS THE MARRAKECH PLAIN
POPPIES, SHEEP and SECOND BREAKFAST
A simple morning’s travel across the Marrakech Plain with Larbi, with nothing particularly planned. Under unusually grey skies, this turned into a thrilling set of very special experiences, great unexpected “happenstances”.
Barley and wheat has been growing and developing very well since my last visit to the Marrakech Plain as a result of the hugely helpful winter rains. Now, with the increasing early summer temperatures, the grain heads are filling and fattening up nicely. This is giving the farmers much hope for a good harvest, the best in many years after such a decade long drought period. A good harvest means food and even surplus to be sold on at market. It was exhilarating to travel across the Marrakech Plain and to see it green, lush and promising.
HAPPENSTANCE 1: Travelling on piste roads, through the now golden swathes of ripening cereals, with the Jbilet Hills enclosing the vast plain, as we turned a corner on the road, we saw a car parked by the roadside. A bit unusual, what’s going on? But soon we realised. Looking to the right, the barley field was ablaze, looking “aflame” … but not with fire, but with a carpet of deep red poppies, stretching as far as the eye could see. Wondrous. We stopped too! Carefully walking in to the nature, taking the greatest care not to tread on even one single stalk of precious barley, we approached the start of the red carpet; what a sight. And not just poppies were abloom, yellow daisies too and many other colourful flowers. Butterflies flitted, birds swooped & chirruped and insects buzzed. What a glorious immersion in nature, its sights, sounds and smells, well worth some quiet moments of simply being in the now, and allowing one’s senses to enjoy the awesomeness and specialness of it all.
HAPPENSTANCE 2: Moving on, and after taking many pictures (of course), we visited a farmer known to Larbi (he seems to know them all!). A sheep had to be selected for the upcoming Eid, still a few weeks away. Placing a booking early is very important to be sure of gaining a quality beast (such is the demand of sheep for an Eid). Entering the farmyard, passing by a large but very docile cow, it was into the sheep shed for sheep selection. There was about 15 sheep huddled together, their chins moving up and down and heads moving from side to side. If it’s possible, they looked a bit quizzical as to just what was going on; they were obviously not aware of the purpose of Larbi’s visit and interest in them. Within less than a minute, however, he had identified the sheep he wanted and the farmer noted this, simply by eye, no mark being made on the sheep nor any note written down. Just how would it be remembered? “Not a problem”, Larbi said, “The farmer knows all his sheep by their individual, natural markings”. Amazing.
HAPPENSTANCE 3: On preparing to depart the farm, the farmer then invited us in for tea, always a special treat. So, into his newly built salon we were led, rich carpets on the floor and with the usual large cushions scattered around the walls. There we stretched out and relaxed but on seeing the traditional water basin and towels being brought in to the salon we realised it would not just be tea that was coming; it was to be a traditional “second breakfast”. A second breakfast traditionally is served on farms after the first of the day’s grazing of the sheep and goats, just after dawn, has been completed. All we had done after dawn was to walk into a poppy field so we were not really deserving of the food that was to come! One of the farmer’s young daughters then appeared, first bringing a water basin to us and, using the kettle that sits on top of it, pouring a gentle stream of water on to our fingers to wash them clean – a further clue that fine finger-food was coming! Two circular tables then appeared. On to one of them was lain a tray of colourful glasses, two teapots and a silver casket of chunky sugar lumps. Moroccans like their tea sweet, often with many large lumps of sugar going in to a teapot. Fortunately, one tea pot was for Moroccan strength tea (highly sugared) and the other was for sugarless tea (our preference). Then a tray of food was brought in and placed on the other circular table. Upon it was local olive oil, omelette made of eggs off the farm and a large round loaf of home-made bread. It all tasted absolutely delicious. Sipping tea, with the glasses frequently topped up, savouring the natural, unprocessed foods and all whilst Larbi and the farmer chatted away was a joy. Back to simplicity, back to tranquility; another opportunity to simply be in the now.
It was a wonderful visit to the Marrakech Plain; there had been no itinerary just a “Let’s take a visit to the Marrakech Plain” was the only “plan”. These trips often lead to wonderful such “happenstances”, unplanned events and encounters that really are unique and most special and thoroughly enriching. To be in the company of and to be hosted by gentle, kind, smiling and generous Moroccans on a Marrakech Plain and Jbilet day trip is always special, in so many ways. Had we had time we would perhaps have moved on and up into the surrounding Jbilet Hills, gaining great panoramas and, who knows, to experience further unplanned “happenstances”; it was truly time “away from it all”.
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