After visiting the Sahara in Southern Morocco, we headed north toward Fes. On the way up, we stayed in the Ziz Valley.
The Ziz river basically flows south and disappears and reappears. When it reappears (water table is above ground) it is basically an oasis, and you find palmeraie (palm groves). The palmeraie is more than just a palm grove, it is also a whole way of life around this precious water and making the most of the fertile land associated with it.
We had driving by many palmeraie on the way down to the Sahara, but had not actually gone into one in a meaningful way.
The stop at the palmeraie in the Ziz Gorge allowed such a walk through a palmeraie without any tourists or invasion of the outside world.
The palms basically provide dates, wood and fiber material for roofs, etc. They also provide a higher canopy for shade for crops that grow under them. We saw both fava beans and alfalfa, both of which fix nitrogen. The alfalfa is used mainly for feed for animals. Lots of fruit trees, such as apricot and apple trees. Lots of other vegetables, as well.
The walk also included an area where many of the buildings were slowly melting back into the soil.
We stayed in a Berber guest house. We have been amazed at how comfortable all of the beds have been in Morocco. They seem to have that down.
Wonderful stop on the way to Fes.
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