My daily walk here takes me at least an hour, often a bit longer. There is no real choice of route to follow, but many minor variations through the valley with a scattered village, small fields and the beach area.

This post will describe the walk in a clockwise direction. The coast road comes down the hill from Azla to the west and then turns inland for about a mile until it crosses the Oued Amsa by a bridge at the village centre.

view of the old bridge from the new one with mountains in the distance

Then it turns left again to follow the other side of the valley to near the sea, where it turns uphill and eastwards towards Tamrabet.

I am staying near where it turns uphill again. Apart from the road, I have found 3 ways to reach the village centre: a path running parallel to it on my side of the valley; a track running from near the far end of the beach; paths along either side of the Oued. However the only viable ways across the valley are at the beach and on the old and new bridges in the village centre. It is easy enough to cross the Oued itself as it is dry in many places at the moment, however between the Oued and the road I am on is a marshy area, and the promising looking tracks and footpaths all end up at a wall or in someone’s house.

From the house I turn left, pass the mosque next door, cross a small bit of wasteland and then turn behind the next house on the road. Although they have had property here for over 40 years, none of the family was aware of this alternative route to the village centre! They have none of the curiosity of a British rambler. There is a mixture of original small farms and more modern homes running up the hillside.

a very large modernhouse

The first point of interest is a small general store, where I have been known to buy an ice cream. Up to this point, I have been following a footpath with fields at the side, and it now turns into a track for about half a mile.

The shop is at the top of the slope. This photo was taken on a day when I walked the route in the opposite direction.

As there is vehicle access, there are also more upmarket houses, easily identifiable by the solid walls and evidence of flower gardening.

But they are interspersed with small subsistence farmers and livestock are around everywhere.

poultry

Some fields seem to have been abandoned (at least for this year).

The field on the left continues all the way to the road

This older house, near the end of the track, seems to have been taken over by a young couple fairly recently. The large house is next door, their house is very small.

Note the squash growing on the fence

When it becomes a footpath again, the large modern houses cease as they require access for a car, and more livestock are around.

my favourite goat, who usually has a lot to say for herself

All the adult livestock are tethered, but their youngsters are free. Occasionally I come across larger groups of livestock untethered, but then there will be someone tending them.

this cow is tethered in the shade for the day

The path is quite narrow and undulating here

Note the mountains in the distance. This photo was taken at dusk some weeks ago.

Now I have to walk during the day as there is no longer enough daylight between ‘tea’ (at 6.30!) and supper.

This dog had just joined the sheep and goats, and they weren’t sure about her at all. Note the washing drying on the hedge in the background.

This sheep is grazing in a field on the outskirts of the village

I am now nearing the village, and up to this point will rarely see a man. All the hard work seems to be done by the women, and there are usually children about. The work is almost all done by hand, or using horses to pull a small plough. There is at least one tractor in the village, though I have only ever seen it parked.

The van is on the only minor road leading up the valley from the village centre

At this point, I suddenly become aware of a buzz of voices. The source is the men of the village, most of whom seem to spend an inordinate amount of time drinking coffee and playing parchee (an Indian board game, which seems to be very complicated and related to Ludo) in the numerous cafés.

Note the chairs on the right under the fig tree. There will be more men inside.

Throughout the walk there are many public wells to be seen. Only the women and children seem to carry the water, and when I have asked I have been refused permission to take their photos. The wealthier homes have their own well and use electric pumps, but many depend on the public wells.

This well is immediately behind the cafê in the previous photo. This was taken from the new bridge, looking towards the centre of the village.

This time I will cross the old bridge and follow the west bank of the Oued to the sea.

Man and donkey with fodder have just crossed the old bridge

Only the wealthier subsistence farmers own donkeys, and if they do, the man will usually get involved. I have no photo, but I often see a woman with a large bundle of fodder strapped to her back, or pushing an overloaded wheelbarrow. Men never, ever do this. They prefer to ride the donkey whenever possible.

This man is following the track on the east bank of the oued

This time I will follow the track from the new bridge along the west bank for a while.

Dusty track with flood bank to the right

The Oued Amsa is a disappearing river during the summer, when it does not actually quite reach the sea, but at certain times of the year it must run high as there are substantial flood defences in places.

Dry river bed

At this point the this variation on the walk would be impossible if the river was flowing, as the path along the bank disappears, and I have to walk on the shingle of the river bed. You can see from the vegetation that is has been dry for many months.

It has reappeared!

Not far along the water reappears. It is flowing and there must be small fish as I have seen flies disappearing suddenly from the water surface. Note the concrete flood defence wall in the distance. I return to a path along the bank and then walk along the top of the flood defences.

Looking down from the flood defence wall

This man has brought a flock of sheep to be watered.

Large partly burnt fallen tree

There are occasional obstructions on this part of the path. However as there are virtually no hedges or walls to the fields (which is why the livestock are tethered) there are no stiles or gates at all. This walk would make a fine Deeside Midweek Rambling Club ‘B’ walk.

This horse is tethered in a secluded part of the path

The area to my left as I have been walking is cultivated fields, but they are hidden by groves of bamboo. I have once seen 2 lads ploughing with a horse (forgot my camera!), but otherwise I am not sure what the purpose of the numerous horses is. They spend all day on long tethers.

secluded path

The route continues through a quiet area for a while until it reaches the bridge at the far end of Amsa beach, where the river is a small lake in the summer.

the bridge is to the left and the sea is in the distance

I can continue to the beach on a track at 45° right, but I usually prefer to turn onto a track to the right, pass the wall of the (never opened this summer) campsite and pass behind the National Fishery Research Centre to reach the middle point of the beach.

grove of trees

Most of the grove of trees is within the walls of the campsite. I then join the main central track from the village.

Fishery Research Centre at dusk

On a couple of occasions Assia joined me for the walk, and once Abderrahmen and Janette came as well. Assia and Janette found it a little too long a walk.

with my ‘walking group’ at dusk on the track

The children were delighted when this boy appeared on a donkey

I had my phone in ‘selfie mode’ hence my shoulder!

Once past the Fishery Research Centre, I arrive at the beach. The Moroccans consider the start of September to be the end of summer, so the beach closes down virtually completely. All the parasols and boardwalks have gone, and virtually all the cafés and shacks have closed for the winter. The temperature is still in the high 70s F every day, and mostly it is sunny, but Moroccans are going around wearing fleece jackets and saying it is cold! There is more wind most days, and the waves are bigger, but the British would think it was a lovely summer’s day.

The seagulls have the beach to themselves again

The only activity is the fishermen, who continue as usual, though now there are no tourists to sell boat rides to.

The fishermen’s end of the beach

Whatever the time of day, every walk ends the same way, pulling the bell pull so someone can let me back in.

the front door

As the schools in Morocco restarted today, most of the family has now returned to Rabat. In 2 days we have gone from 16 people down to 5 (with an average age well over 60). So it is now very quiet.

There is no Covid-19 here, but Rabat has had to re-introduce some restrictions, so we will stay here for a while yet. I suspect Assia will think it too cold to stay here once we reach October, so we may go back to Rabat then.

I have started the process of buying a retirement flat in Hoylake, but I think it will be at least late November before I get back to the UK, and presumably then have to quarantine myself.

It is not really possible to travel from here at the moment, so as soon as the weather is a little cooler, I will start exploring the paths in the hills and further up the valley beyond the village. At the moment it is just a little too warm to want to walk uphill for more than an hour or so during the day, and there is no longer enough time either early morning or in the evening as the days have shortened so much.