Casablanca: ... and preparations for the Aid El-Kebir...

One month after Ramadan and at the end of the pilgrimage all moroccans celebrate the Aid El-Kebir. Each family who can afford will buy at least one mutton and have it killed/butchered in the morning of the Aid El-Khebir. For one week the family is only eating mutton meat and is also sharing parts of their meat (mostly the mutton head) with the poor.

So at least one week before the celebration sheep can be bought everywhere and they are kept until the morning of the Aid in the family's garden, the balcony or even in the apartments. Therefore it is not rare that you can observe muttons being transported on car roofs or in the boot.

Muttons for sale: 1kg costs around 4€

All these beautiful sheep wait to be selected for the Aid...

A Moroccan family father is showing me on the teeth of the mutton

how old this one is: 12 years apparently

Aha, one mutton has been selected and is now waiting to be weighted...

And here we go: selected, weighted and now ready to be transported 

to the family's house/apartment...

Casablanca: ... and some weekend impressions from the "Habous" market

Casablanca: ...and my new cuddly self-made blanket...

You know this feeling? You are walking over a market and come across a beautiful fabric which you just adore... and which you desperately want to have... even you don't know yet what you could use it for... Well, and then you have to make something out of it, and might it just be for the reason that your husband doesn't ask you what THIS fabric is now again for...

As in my opinion this pinky flower fabric would be perfect for a new blanket - I - 1,2,3 found the fleece for the layer in-between, a very soft and fluffy white tissue for the back as well as an off-white structured linen for the frame of the blanket.

And here you go: my new self-made blanket... after a few hours of sewing at home and some more hours earlier that day on the nice derbh omar market in Casa:

Marrakech/Ourikane: ... and a wonderful trekking tour in the Toubkal National Park

... from the "L'Oliveraie de Maghira" we did a wonderful 5-6 hour trekking tour in the Toubkal national park. From the Dar Tassa, an eco-freiendly mountain retreat, you can directly start walking on a beautiful path all along a gorge/wild river up until the Toubkal summit which would take 2-3 days.

But if you only have one afternoon as we did, a smaller tour is also definitely worth it!

You hardly meet any people on this lonely path and just sometimes

come along 2-4 house villages...

We were lucky to have bright sun on this november afternoon representing

a beautiful landscape full of walnut trees which leafs were all dyed into

an autumny yellow...

And heading back into the village from your trekking day you just might stop at the Dar Tassa to enjoy a magnificent view over the whole valley and to stop your thirst with a cold coke or a traditional mint tea.

In case you are hungry you should make a booking in advance at the Dar Tassa.

Marrakech/Ourikane: ... and "L'Oliveraie de Marigha"

If you want to spend a weekend in plain nature and a charming hotel at the same time, I recommend you the L'Ovliveraie de Marigha in Ourigane. Only a 4 hours drive from Casablanca and an 1 h drive from Marrakesh you will find this remote and totally new constructed place in the middle of thousands of 100 year-old olive trees, a picturesque swimming pool to refresh in and a magnificent view onto the mountains surrounding this place. Take a look yourself at the photos and get your things ready for the next weekend...

For those being interested in trekking: the "L'Oliveraie de Marigha" is the perfect starting place for different trekking tours into the Toubkal national park. Talk to the french owner: he will be glad to help you with interesting tips.

Casablanca: and a good address for buying leather skins

Next to the Bd. Anfa in one of the little streets you will find - hidden behind a normal facade - the large hall of "Nappa & Camoscio", loaded with beautiful leather skins in all kind of colours. These skins, mostly from the cow, are perfect for armchairs and sofas but you can also find qualities which are used for bag- as well as shoe-production. Just go in and ask the helpful staff for what you are searching:

Casablanca: ...and the slums of Sidi Bernoussi

Despite the fact that Casablanca is actually a rich and a progressive city there still exist amazingly many slums in each quarter of the town... easily recognised by all the satellite dishes on the tin shacks...

Have you ever wondered what it looks like inside such a slum or one of these little huts? Well, I have and today I had the chance to take a closer look at one of them, getting to know its owner at the same time:

a pregnant mother in expectation of her fifth child.

Below the entrance to the slum:

Provisional installation of clotheslines to dry the few clothes the 

people are owning in the late but still warming autumn sun:

Living-, dining- and sleeping room as well as the nursery in one 

single chamber. Still you can notice how careful this space has been

decorated with pictures, extracts from the Koran, a nice carpet and 

differently covered pillows... a mother who tried to create a real home

for her kids...

... in one of the shabby corners I even discovered a pink paper flower:

The tentative kitchen where the mother has to cook for her 4 kids...

... and next to the kitchen the wardrobe which contains all clothes for

the mother and her 4, soon 5 kids:

I am 'glad' that I had the opportunity to accompany the national director of the SOS children village of Morocco today to visit the slums... even though it's not easy and comfortable to see people living in such a poverty it helps to open your eyes and to make you aware that your help is needed desperately.

SOS children's village is known worldwide and has in Morocco itself already 6 villages which help and take care of children in need. In Casablanca Sidi Bernoussi a new centre has been opened this year with the aim to take care of mothers in need: Women who have been abandoned, who have lost their husbands and are now totally alone with their kids, not knowing where to get money from because they have never learned any job nor sometimes can't even read. In this new centre they are offered a first help after an often traumatic experience: after that they can profit from different services such as alphabetisation, juristic support, monthly provisions and will on plus be trained on a proper job so that they once will be able to take care of their children themselves...

In case you are interested to support this centre or one of the SOS children's villages, I am glad to give you the contact details of the national director.