Day 11 Restday in Fes

Just in case some of us hadn't known yet where we are...

Fes has a tremendously big Medina! Being a Unesco world heritage site, it is also said to be the biggest old city in the world!

Most important also for Moroccans, of course, is being connected to the rest of the world

On our walk through the Medina we were visiting some of the most important sights and also got lost in the countless alley ways...

So many interesting things to see... not to mention all the differences to the things we are used to at home... Look at this butcher shop... Everybody is allowed to queue up her

Would you have guessed that this is a kindergarden??? You can only tell by the children singing...

The "Medersa" (Koran school) offers elaborate artistry of wood, marble, mosaic and plaster!

  Well-known for Morocco is the tannery - the place where the skins of cows, camels, goats and sheep are turned into leather and finally into various products like shoes, bags, jackets, etc.

An Edelweiss tour guide's worst case scenario is to lose a tour member... Today, in the medina, I thought I did it! Where was BOB??? But look at him cheeky rider!! He was just standing behind us disguised as a true Moroccan!

Day 10 Erfoud - Fes

After having copied the master map - this time provided by the hotel in Erfoud - we took off direction Fes. Leaving Erfoud at 35°C and riding over the Atlas mountains at 13.5 °C was a bit tough, though...

Seemingly never ending palm tree plantations. Erfoud is Morocco's main production place for dates!    

Sabine and Axel on their way to Fes, one of the four imperial cities in Morocco...

...always being followed by Petra and Manfred and Paulo

Thanks for spotting the donkey along the road, Sabine Nice picture!  

The Moroccan people are very hospitable! I like the procedure of being welcomed to a new place by drinking a glass of mint tea!

Day 9 Restday Erfoud and the Desert Camp

Hey, wait a minute! This doesn't look like a BMW 1200 GS A!

But it is sort of an "Adventure", too, to ride a camel into the desert... especially when the winds are with you!

  The entrance to the Million-Star-Hotel

Well, it also looks like some of the fellow riders have already traded their helmets

Day 7 + 8 Ait Benhaddou - Boumalne Dades - Erfoud

The Gorge du Dades was today's highlight! What looks like rain here is "only" dust in the air! Rain and even some hail came later...

...the picnic took place in perfect sunshine   Meanwhile Boubker and his two sisters became friends over the years... and they have been growing a lot compared to when I saw them the first time    

Picnic - what else to say but "yummy yummy"

Thomas and Paulo are getting a big helping ...

  ... to gain enough strength to ride the famous switchbacks of the Gorge du Dades!  

  The next day took us into the Gorge du Thodra with steep cliffs on either side. But before some of us did a good bargain on scarfs. Believe it or not... this huge piece of scarf goes all on on one head only!!! Just look at the guy to the left - this is how it will eventually look like

  This year, Morocco has experienced a lot of rain! Obviously, we came across some of the water on our ride into the gorge...

Claude is fascinated by the beautiful area

The ride into the Gorge du Thodra offers lots of opportunities to take pictures. So every rider took his time to explore the road... Angela was doing the sweeping

  At the end of the day, the majority of the group went for the desert camp 0n the camels while some of us stayed in the hotel. We are awaiting them back and look forward to their stories and pictures

Day 6 Marrakech-Ait Benhaddou

Full of impressions, we were leaving Marrakech again today...

...only to collect more impressions during our ride over the Atlas mountains!

Cecilia and Paulo in the middle of nowhere

    In Telouet the Kashbah of the Glaoui impresses you with some surprisingly well preserved rooms you would never guess while looking at the building from the outside!

The view gives you an idea of the riding that awaits you in the afternoon

Although part of the road is still under construction, the area is amazing to ride in!

No double summersault necessary here Just use the road next to the bridge that might be finished next year

Day 3 Chefchaouen-Rabat

  Beautifully colourful houses along the hidden roads of Chefchaouen's foothills!  

Which causes us stop and take pictures every now and than

Paulo got it already... in Morocco it is helpful to use your hands to support what you want to say

  At our coffee break in Ksar al Kebir we met this nice Moroccan guy who seems to be a happy person, no matter what... We were having great fun with him  

Petra and Manfred, communicating...

  Bob and Sabine are just watching and giggling  

One of the many astonishing buildings on the way into Rabat

Day 4+5 Rabat-Marrakech + Restday Marrakech

After having enjoyed a cultural lesson in the Hassan II mosque in Casablanca, the relaxing lunch at the beach was most welcome.  

Hägen Daaz... Paulo found the right desert    

The rest day in Marrakech was a walking day for us...

...and we first visited one of the former minister's palaces

A kind of "speech step"...

...elaborate windows - however, only inside... No window to the outside!

These little wooden "houses" were used as a carrousel

The souk, of course, has many attractions to see...

Day 1 Malaga - Ceuta

This year, our Edelweiss Morocco tour has become really popular - so we simply added another one and now we're back again in Morocco! A group of 11 riders, from the USA, from Canada, Germany, Switzerland and Austria has made it safely from Malaga to Algeciras and to Ceuta, the Spanish enclave on the African continent. The first day did not only lead the group on nice twisty roads through the mountains north of the Costa del Sol but also across the Strait of Gibraltar, including some less favourable curves of different type... Well, some of us enjoyed the view out of the ferry's window rather than just sitting inside the shaky boat

Robert from the US

Claude from Switzerland, Cecilie and Paul from Canada.

Sabine from Germany chatting with Anthony, the tour guide of the day. Anna from the Edelweiss headquater’s office is also on her way to Morocco and she was crossing over the Strait of Gibraltar together with us. Have a great time in Morocco, Anna, and safe travels! Looking forward to listening to your adventures back in Austria The late afternoon walk through Ceuta reveals the typical Spanish architecture, mixed with a touch of Moroccan spirit.

...Of course, you also find remnants of history. The Portuguese constructed many fantastic fortifications hundereds of years ago! On of them - the rampart - is here in Ceuta, next to our hotel.

The Moroccan border is not far away – you can spot it already from here.

Hmmm... yummy, yummy... Still on Spanish ground this, of course, calls for a Paella!

Day 2 Ceuta - Chefchaouen The bustling atmosphere at the Moroccan border was one highlight of the day... ...the next was the coastal highway! Despite driving the van, it is a most enjoyable thing to do

First, the skies didn't seem to be in favour for us...

...towards Chefchaouen, however, the sun came out! Rain does good to our eyes - it turns the landscape into a lush and green paradise!

    In some corners Chefchaouen is bright blue