Australian Gourmet Traveller - (06)June 2019 (1)

GOURMET TRAVELLER 133

Aftertwohoursthroughserecactus-studdedcountryside,we
arriveinthelushpalmgrovesofTighmert, 50 kilometresinland
fromSidiIfni,andthewalledmudbrickcompoundofMaison
del’Oasis.Ourroomsinseparatecottagesinsidehavewallsof
tea-colouredtadelakt,a glossyplasterfinish,palm-wooddoors
decoratedwithbrightgeometricBerbermotifs,andtheluxuries
ofoversizedclaw-footedtubsandchaiseslonguesonterraces
shadedbycanopiesofcoarsebrowndromedaryhairwoven

bylocalwomen.Thefemalepalmsaroundusareheavywith
sweet,ripeorangedates,andtheoasisis rifewithbirdsong.
Mahdihadsuggesteda walkingtouroftheoasiswhenwe
arrived,sowesetoutwithAhmad,a youngmanwhosefamily
haslivedhereforgenerations.Hestudiedengineeringbefore
becominginterestedinpreservingheritageandtheenvironment.
“Thisis a littlerefugethatonceofferedshelterandsustenance
forthecaravansthatcrossedtheSaharaaspartofthesalttrade,”
hetellsus,underthedappledshadeofa palm.Thishistorical
contactwithstrangershasforgedthecharacterofthevillageof
some 3500 families.“We’recuriousaboutstrangers,notafraid

ofthem,”hesays.“Here,wehavea traditionofhospitality.”
Aroundusis a mazeofcanalsconnectedtothevegetable
gardensofeveryhome.I askaboutthecementbreezeblock
housesthatstandoutamongtheredmud-brickcompounds.
Hesighs.“Traditionally,webuildinpisé,earthboundwith
straw,whichcreateshousesthatareperfectlyinsulated– cool
insummer,warminthewinter.”Thenewcementhouses
arebuiltbyvillagerswho’vemovedtothecitytowork,asa
markoftheirsuccess.“Afastcaris nota goodlife,”hesays.
“Cleanairinyourlungsis a goodlife.Alsoseeingthestars

overheadsobrightthatyouthinkyoucouldreachoutand
pickthemlikefruit– thatis happiness.”
Ahmadhopestopersuadethegovernmenttokeepplastics
outoftheoasis,andthenhegesturesat a rooftop.“I thinkour
biggestproblemscomefromthepoisonousmushrooms– those
whitesatellitedishesthathavebroughtustelevision,”hesmiles.
“Peoplestayinsidewatchingfantasiesofa richlifeinother
placesinsteadoftalkingtoeachother.ButGodknowsthat
thisoasisis aljana.”Paradise.
Thatnight,wedinebesidea blazingcampfireonvegetable
crumbleandchickencurrywithturnips.There’sa screensetup

underthepalms:“MaybeCasablanca?” suggeststhehouseman.
Instead,I sitonmyporchlisteningtothetricklingstreamsofthe
oasisandthinkaboutmylatepaternalgrandmother,whotaught
schoolinAlexandriafora decadeasa youngwoman.When
askedwhyshetravelledsooften– she’dventuredalonetoIndia
andIranat theageof 85 – she’dbeen surprised. “Why, to learn,
darling! That’s why we travel.”

Inthemorning,theairsmellsofwoodsmoke.Outside,a

womaninanindigorobefansthecoalsat thebottomofa conical

terracottaoven.Shesmilesshylyandliftstheclothona traydotted

withdiscsofsemolinadough.Sheslickseachdiscwithwaterand

sticksthemtotheinsidewalloftheoven,thenturnsthemwitha

longfork.Servedwarmwithblistersofchar,it’ssomeofthebest

breadI’veeaten,andperfectwithcoddledeggsandvegetable

compote,datejamandmoreofPierreHermé’spastries.

Thetwo-and-a-halfhourdrivenorthtotheremotefortified

deserttownofAitKinis mesmerising.Withmountainsrising

inthebackground,thevastemptylandscapesofsouthern

Moroccoareoftenthesamecolourasthespicesusedinthe

country’scuisine– saffron,turmeric,cinnamon,cardamom,

clove– andthearidlandlooksroughlychiselled.

Thesun-bakedtownappearsemptywhenwearrive,but

soona caretakerappearsandopensthecarvedwoodendoors

ofanoldgranarywitha setofhugehand-forgedironkeys.The

13th-centurygatewayhaselaboratedecorativemotifssetinto

itsthickwallsofcocoa-colouredbrick,restoredrecentlywitha

grantfromtheUSgovernment.Inside,palm-trunkladderslead

tostoragecompartmentswherebarley,driedfruitandvaluables

arestillstored.“Thisbuildingis moreimportanttousthan

anybank,”thecaretakersays.“Itis thelarderthatallows

ustosurvive,inshallah.”

If I everbecomea monk,I’llretreattoMaisonRougeforthe

restofmylife,suchis itsexultantlyruminativesolitude.Built

onthesideofa steepmountainandreachedbya longrocky

path,theredstonevillais coolandshadowedwhenwearrive

inthelateafternoon.Wehaveapéritifswhilelisteningtothe

echoinglaughterofchildrendowninthevalley.Everydoorknob,

chair,dishandpillowinthishouselikelyhadtobetransported

upherebydonkey.Thelogisticsofconstructionmakeit even

more extraordinarythanit looks,a warrenofstylishlyrusticrooms

withblond-rattanwainscoting,furnishedwithwovenflatbaskets,

overstuffedsetteesupholsteredinlinenthecolourofsand,and

oldwhite-enamelcampsinksbuiltintowoodenvanities.

At sundown,drinksareservedontheterracewithstunning

views of the surrounding mountains and a mosque pricking➤