Sunday 26 October: Chefchaouen

After a tasty breakfast we were introduced to Aziz, our driver for the rest of the trip and it was into the bus for the 170km/110m drive to Chefchaouen. Chefchaouen, or Chaouen, is a city in the Rif Mountains and is known for the striking, blue-washed buildings of its old town. It was founded in 1471 by the Moulay Ali Ben Rachid, a distant descendant of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad and (according to Ahmed last night) also to Moulay Idriss.

Sfenj (Maghrebi donut) and msemmen (Moroccan pancakes) with honey, jam, olive oil, butter or olives all served with fresh orange juice and good coffee

Traffic jam as our luggage is hauled down to the bus

According to Google, “the trunks of olive trees are painted white to shield them from the sun. The white paint reflects sunlight and helps keep the bark from overheating, though the effect is minimal since the trunks are often naturally shaded. So when you see white olive trunks, you’re looking at a mix of culture, care, and clever natural protection.”