Tuesday 9 February

The larder is beginning to look bare again so after breakfast break out the trusty shopping trolley and down to town where it's market day.

Typically Moroccan there are many stalls selling what Europeans would call tat but as long as you accepted fashion 4/5 years old some of the clothing is actually reasonable quality. Hardware, “electronics” (about 5 yrs out of date!), mobile phones (the ones you sell on-line when you buy a new one) and stalls galore loaded with the freshest fruit and vegetables. There is even a fried fish stall, which is very popular with the locals but would not do a lot of trade in the likes of Whitby or Blackpool!

After stocking up with fruit and veg, we moved up the main street to the “supermarket”, a Spar-like place where, unlike most shops in Morocco, you take a basket and walk around the shelves. We picked up butter, Coke and a big box of cornflakes but sadly no English tea, a commodity we're running out of after a misunderstanding between us as to how much tea was in the van. They DID have Liptons Yellow Label, but we think that stuff is an offence against the Trade Descriptions Act – we'll drink coffee instead.

Tempted to stop off for an orange juice, we thought we'd better head straight back because we'd left Jamie locked up in the van and the temperature sign was reading 38 deg. He was okay of course and as ever pleased to see us.

Snack lunch and some relaxation then, joined later for “tea-o'-clock” by Derek and June who contributed a bag of coconut macaroons – the bread man brings them when he comes round about 8.30 am with baguettes (if we're first on his run) and “hubcaps”, the round flat Moroccan bread which makes excellent sarnis and also toast if by accident it's a day or two old.

A sausage casserole, made in the tagine so that we could do it on the little gas ring and save the main bottle for the fridge, then later another chin-wag, discussing ideas for moving on.

We're probably going to stay here until the weekend; there are other Funster friends making their way here so it'll be nice to meet up again.