Wandering the Moroccan countryside

Used to very different urban horizons, the first contact with the Moroccan countryside is fascinating for its colours and its traditional realities. The low houses are scattered or clustered in small centres, leaving the visitor the chance to savour the horizon. In these places traditions, especially of Berber origin, are still alive in daily life and time is marked by rites such as that of the mint tea drunk with the neighbours, and by slow rhythms. A plunge into the past, a past in which nature was an integral part of people's lives. The small houses of the Moroccan countryside are comfortable and enlivened by the women who take care of the household chores; outside there are bicycles and carts which are, to this day, the main means of transport.

Off the usual tourist trails, a stop in these countryside settings of red earth is certainly a moment to savour a distant reality but one with intense images. We ventured into this Meknes region with a bit of an adventurous spirit but above all a great desire to get off the beaten track. The local guides explain to us that farming and herding are promises of development for the current reigning monarchy. There is the cultivation of cereals and pulses mainly for everyday use; from the point of view of export agriculture the main products are sugar beet, flax, cotton and tobacco. Herding, especially of sheep, is highly developed: we often observed shepherds sitting on the edge of the roads tending their flocks. The Meknes-Tafilalet region is one of the 16 that make up the kingdom of Morocco.

In these green countryside of the north we had the pleasure of sharing the rite of mint tea with a Berber family, who opened the doors of their home to us: the lady of the house accompanied the drink with homemade bread on which to spread butter and honey of clearly homemade production. Intense and unforgettable flavours for a moment of calm snatched from the usual frenzy. An original snack and certainly unusual for our habits. Under the wooden and straw roof, which covers the part of the room where you sit to enjoy the tea and share time together, the sun filters through creating plays of light and shadow. The smiling faces welcome us in a pleasant moment that respects the best rules of hospitality. Once again we had confirmation that Morocco is many realities, different and fascinating.