Tafraoute is in a kind
of a bowl, ringed by mountains, so that although it's light the sun
doesn't make an appearance until a little after dawn. Up at 7.45
with Jamie I was delighted to catch the moment the sun first suddenly
lit up the opposite mountains, as if a switch had been pressed, then just as suddenly spread over the
site and town. Brilliant. And then the quite cool morning quickly
became very much warmer, to turn into another glorious red hot day
(we saw 33 deg in the town later).
As it was Sunday, bacon
and eggs for breakfast before a walk down into the town for essential
supplies. Being a Muslim country most shops are open on Sundays,
although the occasional one closes for an extended lunch break,
reopening around 4.00 p.m. until quite late. One very full shopping
trolley later we had replenished drinking water, orange juice,
vegetables, cereal, jam (very important that one) and eggs so dawdled
back to the van to liberate a very restless puppy.
We don't take Jamie
into town with us, he's too much of a liability, instead we leave him
in the well-ventilated van with plenty of water and his toys. Apart
from one occasion, when we accidentally set the alarm and he kept
setting it off, he has never been any bother; we usually ask someone
to listen out for him. But he does get a bit enthusiastic when we get
back!
A light lunch then
settle down for some proper relaxation in the sun, Bren making
further inroads into the lap quilt, a long-term embroidery project.
Even Jamie went to sleep in the sun, not really bothering with the
various local ladies walking round the site with their young children, who have no compunction in coming up to you asking for bon-bons.
Trouble is, you give in to one and next minute there's fifty of them!
Then as suddenly as it
came up, the sun went down, but not before
giving another glorious multi-colour display on the mountains.
Magical. So pack away all the daily paraphernalia and as it gets
dark, a lovely beef casserole made from a superb piece of steak
bought in town this morning - £3.80 for half a kilo and so fresh I'm
sure we said hello to it on our way into town.................
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