Day: 4, 5, and 6

Azrou is the kind of city a Minnesotan would dream of... at least in the summer. It's warm with cool breezes and very few insects. The only bugs I have seen in any number are flies that surround the inside of the dirtier cafe's that are open to the air but it is part of life here and no one complains so why should I?


The landscape is beautiful. Surrounded by mountains and farm land and I have never seen more beautiful sunsets than in Azrou. In the center of town is the Mosque from which the calls to worship emmenate five times a day. The courtyard of the mosque is enourmous and along the walkway trees rise which are constantly filled with large white birds that screech at each other all day. But beware walking below them, the ground is littered with missed aerial attacks and I barely managed to dodge an aerial attack myself.


Azrou is definitely a walking city. Every block has its own pastry shop, its own snack shop, the man on the corner who sells cigarettes either by the pack or one at a time, and at least two cafes. Getting tea at a cafe in Morocco is enough to make any dentist in the states cry. They put at least three cubes of sugar in each eight ounce glass. At lease in some of the cafes I've visited thus far they are familiar enough with tourists to only offer the sugar cubes on the side. The same goes for any coffee drink you order. The orange juice is good as is their wide selection of coke products. There is also a really nice fresh mint tea that they make which I think is amazing.




On one of the side streets, through a doorway you can find yourself suddenly in the middle of a market. There are people on all sides of you selling grain, meat, fruit, and vegetables. Everything here is fresh, seasonal, organic and you know its right off the farm down the road because to import something costs far more than most of the people here will ever make. Aydin and I picked up some fresh melon, nectarines, peaches, and cherries just reaching the perfect ripeness. We've been snacking on them for days to offset our daily outings to explore the cuisine of Azrou.