March 31, 2025

Hôtel Menzeh Zalaga, Fés, Morocco > Kasbah Tizimi, Erfoud, Morocco

Traveling into the heart of Morocco today. Stopping at Ifrane a French-built mountain resort. Verdant cedar forests, volcanic mountains and windswept plain of the Middle Atlas Mountain Range. In 1929 the French administration created Ifrane as a “hill station”, a place for colonial families to spend the hot summer months. It was initially planned according to the “garden city” model of urban design then in vogue.

The main plaza in Ifrane

The plan called for chalet-type summer homes in the Alpine style, laid out among gardens and curving tree-lined streets. A royal place was built for Sultan Muhammad ben Yûsuf.The town’s first public buildings were a post office and a church. During WWII a POW camp was built here.

Across a deep ravine from Ifrane a shanty town called Timdiqîn was established to house the Moroccan population of maids, gardeners, etc. that served the French vacationers. After independence, the French properties were slowly bought up by Moroccans. The town was enlarged, a mosque was built, a municipal market and public housing estates. Proper civic amenities were brought to Timdiqîn.

In 1979 Ifrane became the seat of the administrative province, and some government services were established. In 1995 Al Akhawayn University, an English-language, American curriculum public university was opened. About this same time Ifrane also became a desirable destination for domestic and international tourism. The old chalets are being replaced with condominium complex, vacation centers and gated housing estates are springing up around the outskirts of the town.

Ifrane is located in the Middle Atlas Mountains at an elevation of about 5,000 feet. The mountains consist mostly of a series of limestone plateaux. The Middle Atlas Mountains are also home to the Cèdre Gouraud Forest. There is considerable rain in the region which is naturally wooded with scrub oak forest and cedar. Morocco’s water supply basically comes from these mountains. The most important four river systems: the Moulouya, the Sebou, the Bou Regreg, and the Oum Rabia originate in it.

The town is very pretty and clearly a resort destination. We stopped in a good-sized café and ordered cappuccino, brioche and a round pastry with raisins for Mary. Interestingly the cappuccino was pretty good, another sign it is a resort town. The pastries were also both very good. They had a western style WC which was fairly clean.

After finishing the cappuccino we walked next door to the little market and picked up some snacks just in case it was too long between meals. Then we stopped at the Bank of Africa’s ATM next door and took out 2,000dh (Moroccan currency); about $200.The air was clean and cool. Then we reboarded the motor coach and continued on our way.

This area is also known as Morocco’s empty quarter due to its traditional lack of population. Historically the area was crossed by traders and provided alpine pastures for herders, however the harsh climate and relatively poor soils was an impediment for permanent human settlement. Although Aziz suggested the soil was good it was a lack of water that prevented human settlement.

We rode past the palace and small fort overlooking the Qued Tizguit, not much of a river but more then a stream. Apparently the last King loved this area, supposedly for his health, but the current King isn’t as interested. King Charles and Camilla visited here before he was king. Dan Rumsfeld visited here during the Bush years. Morocco was a ally during the gulf wars.

The drive up to Ifrane was nice. Lots of countryside. We could have been driving on the eastern side of Truckee towards Reno. Lots of scrub, a few trees, although we did pass through quite a bit of farmland. Once we got close to Ifrane there were confer and cedar trees. It was only a 70 or so km drive, but it took about an hour and a half.  

We continued our climb into the Middle Atlas Mountains as we left Ifrane. We were about forty-five minutes outside Ifrane on RP7231 when we “ran” across the first Barbary Macaque troop, also known as the Barbary Ape. This species of macaques, or old-world monkeys, are native to the Atlas Mountain of Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco. They are a protected species but are still exploited for the tourist trade. Aziz had acute story about them being used in the Gulf Wars where they were trained to sniff out IEDs. Sounded a little bit like BS.

As we rode along, we could look out the window and see snow on the mountains in the distance. There were lots a shepherds and sheep enjoying the green grass along the way. We learned that Kasbah has a different meaning here. It means a fortified house. Ksar means a fortified village. Both mean an structure or structures surrounded by high thick walls. These were necessary prior the 1970’s because of tribal differences. Today many of them we drove by are in ruins.

We drive on for another 160 kms, after Ifrane, until we reached the Ksar Timnay Hotel near the city of Ait Toughache for lunch. Aziz had had all of us preorder lunch before we got to Ifrane. It was close to 12:30 when we stopped.

The hotel had a large dinning room, obviously for the motor coach tourist trade. I went wild and ordered Kefta Mkaouara (aka Mkzwra). This is a traditional Moroccan dish made in a tagline. It consists of beef or lamb meatballs which are simmers in a spicy tomato sauce. During the last few minutes of cooking you crack an egg on top. It was served with a crusty Moroccan bread.

Now I suspect some people don’t know what a tagline is. A tagline is a Berber pot often used in North Africa. It is traditionally made of clay, but as we saw in Fés they are sometime finished with fancy ceramics. The fancy ones being used on holidays and other special occasions. It consists of a bottom part which is shaped like a very shallow circular bowl. The cover is a round pyramid dome shaped such to keep condensation at the bottom during cooking. Less water is needed that way. Generally, the tagine is a slow cooking method.

Tagine Makfoul. Beef, prunes, caramelized onions and raisins cooked in a Tagine was Mary’s choice. It is often called Moroccan beef stew. It was served with the same tasty bread. Now there appears to be some argument over is the word Tagine or Tajine. Looking up the recipes tonight it seemed easier to find them when looking for Tagine.

After lunch we drove along the Zia River (Oued Ziz). We stopped along the road and looked across the valley at the village of Lkheng. Aziz said it was a good example of what a Ksar would have looked like a century ago.

We continued on until nearly 17:00 when we stopped at Café Restaurant Vue Panoramique which over looks a large oasis which follows the Oued Ziz. It was a wonderful view. You also get the understanding than an Oasis isn’t just a couple palm trees and a small pool of water. Although that name would aptly apply.

It would be another hour before we reached the hotel in Erfoud (again the spelling of the name seems to have a number of variations). The room is quite large. Nice bathroom with a bathtub. The bed is Italian style – hard.

Mary had a local beer with dinner

Dinner was buffet style here at the hotel. Lots of cold vegetables. Spaghetti with marinara sauce. Penne pasta with a cheesy cream sauce. Meatballs and baked chicken. The penne pasta was very good. The chicken not bad. They were offering fresh oranges for dessert which were really good.

There was just time to get ready for bed, lay out the clothes for tomorrow and read a little bit before 21:00 appeared on the clock. There are two tours tomorrow. One at 08:30 and another at 17:30. There is a surprise tomorrow for Mary. We are going on a camel ride in the Shara Desert at sunset. My nature girl.

Buonanotte e ciao, Enrico (while he is still alive) e Maria