Blackpool sisters leaving Fez

In what looks like a happy ending to the abduction of two British sisters, the Blackpool Gazette reports that they should be on their way home on the flight that leaves Fez this morning.

Grandmother and legal guardian of the girls, Rita Astbury

Their mother, Trudy Crofts, is in jail in the UK for contempt of court after refusing to sign a letter instructing her new Moroccan husband's family to return Carene, 12, and Shelby, 10. The girls have been in Morocco for three months.

In a surprise development, a man claiming to be a friend of Ms Crofts' husband, Abdullah Zroiai, phoned The Blackpool Gazette to reveal the family was willing to return the girls.

In a statement released through Blackpool man Halim Bouhassi, Mr Zroiai said: "After much soul searching I have decided I can no longer be responsible for Carene and Shelby's continued absence from their home in Blackpool, their education and their friends.

"I did what I did out of loyalty and respect to their mother, Trudy, and at all times the girls have been properly cared for.

"However, the time has come for their return to England.

"I hope this will result in a happy ending for all involved and hope Rita can re-build a relationship with her daughter and granddaughters without intervention from the courts and can look forward to spending Christmas together as a family."

Following calls by The Gazette to alert Blackpool Police and Ms Astbury's solicitor, the wheels were set in motion. The UK Foreign Office and the British and Moroccan Embassies were contacted. Detectives later said they had confirmed the family in Morocco were willing to hand back Carene and Shelby.

A delighted Ms Astbury said: "I am praying this does happen. I will keep my fingers crossed."

In addition to his statement, Mr Bouhassi said he hoped Mr Zroiai, who is currently in Spain, would face no action from the police.

He also said Mr Zroiai hoped the courts would also look favourably at overturning Ms Crofts' contempt of court conviction if the girls were returned.

Visiting Essaouira from Marrakech?

Useful information for those wanting to do a day trip to Essaouira.

Buses from Marrakesh to Essaouira are run by ONCF subsidiary Supra Tours, leaving Marrakech five times a day, from 8:30am until 9:00pm. Buses from Essaouira to Marrakech return at the same regular intervals, although not the same times.

The journey takes 2 hours 30 minutes.

The present cost of a one-way bus ticket from Marrakesh to Essaouira is 65 DHS, although discount bus tickets are available for those with youth discount cards, senior discount cards, family discount cards, and loyalty cards.

In general it pays to know that Supra Tours buses are air conditioned, and fast. Remember to book in advance at the office near the train station on Avenue Hassan II.

In our experience it is best to avoid most private companies as the buses are often not air-conditioned and on several occasions have broken down on trips we have tried to undertake.

The CTM bus company office has an office in Guelizis. This is the state bus company that has buses from Marrakech to Agadir, Casablanca, Fez, Goulimine, Ouarzazate, Rabat, Taroudannt, and Zagora.

CTM buses are direct, fast, and air conditioned.

Royal Air Maroc changes terminals at Heathrow

Royal Air Maroc has announced that from 17 November, all flights will arrive and depart Heathrow in London from Terminal 4, not Terminal 2 as in the past.


Check-in will be in the C area. The boarding deadline has also changed from 40 minutes to 50 minutes.

For more information, phone the call centre on 08 9000 0800 in Morocco, or 00 212 5 22 48 97 31 from abroad.

American killed, Brit injured in Morocco Rally

According to the MAP news agency, an American taking part in an auto rally has been killed after his car plunged into a ravine in Morocco's Atlas mountains.

Frank Warren, 63, was killed and his British companion was badly injured and taken to hospital.

The accident happened between the towns of Midelt and Khenifra in the Atlas mountains as the pair were taking part in the Casablanca Challenge rally. The car came off the road near the village of Ait Oumina, MAP said.

The British woman was taken to hospital in Meknes.

R'cif gets a facelift

If you visit R'cif by road at the moment you will find your way to Bab R'cif blocked by a rather diminutive (by Fez standards) roundabout. Beyond this is a scene of great activity as a large number of workers transform the old R'cif into what should be one of the pleasurable meeting places in the Medina. Back down the road the new bus stop and turning circle are working very well. However, the taxi stand has become a target for the displaced Honda drivers. So watch out or you will end up paying 30 dirhams for a 7 dirham ride from R'cif to Batha. Hopefully this Honda influx will be asked to move on soon.

The photographs below should give you an impression of the progress being made at R'cif. the only odd thing is the restraint shown by the planners... not a single fountain in sight!

The plan.

An artist's impression

The centre of the future pedestrian precinct

Work progressing on the surrounding walls

The intriguing prospect of actually seeing the river!

"Mmm.. shall we put the window in the middle?"

What! No fountain?

Morocco makes Lonely Planet's Top Ten

In Lonely Planet's latest edition of Best in Travel, Morocco features as one of the top ten destinations to visit in 2010.

LP's pic of tasty fare in Djemaa el-Fna

Other countries on the list of places just waiting to be visited are El Salvador, Germany, Greece, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Portugal, Suriname and the USA.

And why Morocco? LP has this to say:

"‘Hello, bonjour, salaam alaykum, labes?’ Street greetings sum up everything you need to know about Morocco in a word: it’s Berber and Arab, Muslim and secular, Mediterranean and African, worldly wise and welcoming. Morocco sees how the Middle East is portrayed via satellite news and the internet, and is as concerned with violent threats and abuses of power as anyone else in the modern world. But as you’ll see, most Moroccans are plenty busy working to get by, get their kids through school and greet the king’s planned 10 million visitors by 2010 with the utmost hospitality. Every visitor helps Moroccans realise these goals by creating new economic opportunities, and can make a Moroccan’s day by returning the greeting: ‘Hello, good day, may peace be upon you, are you happy?’"

See here for the full article.

Moroccan News Briefs

Forty new A/H1N1 cases confirmed in Morocco

Forty new cases of the A/H1N1 flu virus were confirmed in the cities of Tangier, Casablanca, Marrakech, Rabat, Temara, Meknes and Ifrane, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

All cases are under medical treatment in their homes, with regular medical check-ups, said the ministry.

A total of 717 cases of the virus were confirmed since the outbreak of the disease on June 10, including 367 cases reported in schools, the same source added. The ministry made it clear that no cases of death were registered in the country.

The Glitterati head to Morocco

According to reports circulating in the resort industry, Monte Carlo SBM, who operates the top luxury end of the market in Monaco, has taken a major shareholding in a £120 million hotel and private residential complex in the Menara district of Marrakech. Apartment prices start at £1.8 million and go up to £5.4 million,

In addition, Monaco is pushing the notion of "winter residences" to its own citizens. In a report on the Times On Line, several internationally recognized celebrities have already expressed interest. These include Jenson Button, the Formula One motor racing champion, and Bob Diamond, the head of Barclays investment banking division.

Morocco plans to spend £2 billion on “Plan Azur” to generate investment, property development and tourism. Morocco’s main tourist base has come from France, but the trend for converting riads — old-style Moroccan homes — is popular with Britons seeking a cheaper alternative to France and Spain.

The tax system for property in Morocco is generous, with no capital gains tax payable after ten years, no rental tax for the first five years and 0 per cent property tax for the first three years. There is also no inheritance tax if a home is left to a family member.

Ottoman Congress to be held in Morocco

An international congress on Western Mediterranean under Ottoman ruling will be held on 12-14 November in Moroccon capital of Rabat.

The OIC Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA, Istanbul) and the Royal Institute for Research on the History of Morocco (IRRHM, Rabat) are jointly organising an International Congress on "The Maghreb and the Western Mediterranean during the Ottoman Period".

The congress aims to promote research on the history of the Maghreb and the Western Mediterranean region during the period of the Ottoman State by exploring the existing and new directions of research and offering scholars and specialists an opportunity to present their findings and share information, IRCICA said on website.

"The period will be covered comprehensively, to generate a forum of study and academic discussion on its various aspects. The Ottoman presence in part of the region under study had varying degrees and spheres of impacts on all of the region.

"Thus the theme will cover the relations between the Ottoman State and the Maghreb and Western Mediterranean region with regard to the effects of developments relating to the central state, the provinces, and the neighbouring countries, reciprocally; economic, social, cultural and educational developments, press and publications," IRCICA said.

An important aspect of the congress is that it will also address issues relating to historiography and the state of research on the history of the region during the Ottoman period.

The languages of the congress will be Arabic, Turkish, English and French. Simultaneous translation will be provided.

Morocco launches campaign to attract British Investors

A conference on investment opportunities in Morocco has seen the participation of four Moroccan ministers who travelled to London on Monday to promote Moroccan business opportunities.

The Moroccan Foreign Minister, Taib Fassi Fihri, explained that Morocco is determined to further enhance its cooperation ties with the United Kingdom in all sectors.
"Morocco is an open country, which signed free trade agreements (FTAs) with several countries including the United States, the European Union, Turkey and some Arab ountries".

Moroccan Finance and Economy Minister, Salaheddine Mezouar highlighted the Kingdom's economic potentials and positive performance despite the economic crisis. "In spite of the global unfavorable situation, Morocco's emerging economy, based on diversified macroeconomic foundations, offers large investment opportunities," Mezouar said, adding that growth rate between 2005 and 2009 reached 5.3%.

Morocco's Industry, Commerce and Technology Minister, Ahmed Reda Chami, also joined in, saying that "Morocco has set up the right framework to attract more foreign investments and serve as a regional industrial hub."

As to the Energy Minister, Amina Benkhadra, she tackled the issue from her perspective. She stressed that Morocco has a long experience and policy in the field of energy and environment protection. She called on British companies to participate in Morocco's energy projects, which aim at increasing the contribution of renewable energies to the country's national power production. As The View from Fez recently reported, Morocco has decided to launch a large-scale solar energy project, worth nine billion dollars, which seeks to achieve a 2,000-megawatt production capacity by the year 2020.

"In fact, this high-level Moroccan delegation shows HM King Mohammed VI's strong will to further bolster bilateral relations with Great Britain," said the Moroccan ambassador to Great Britain, Chrifa Lalla Joumala Alaoui, who took part in the London conference.

Moroccan lamb couscous recipe

Following The View from Fez article on hand-rolling couscous, here's the perfect recipe for warming, comfort food now that winter approaches.


For four people, you'll need:

500g lean lamb, cubed
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
pinch saffron threads
1tsp ground cinnamon
1/2tsp paprika
1 fresh red chili, deseeded and chopped
1/2tsp ground dry ginger
250g carrots, quartered lengthways
250g small turnips, quartered
250g celeriac, cubed
500g couscous
2tsp olive oil or argane oil
250g courgettes, quartered lengthways
4 tomatoes, skinned and quartered
bunch coriander, chopped
bunch parsley, chopped
40g butter
salt and pepper

First cook the lamb. Put it into a pan with 900ml water or stock, onions, garlic, saffron, cinnamon, paprika, chili, ginger and salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, skim and simmer gently for 30 minutes.

Add the carrots, turnips and celeriac and continue to simmer for 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, drizzle the oil over the couscous with 300ml water, stir and leave to stand for 10 minutes. Add another 300ml water and separate the grains with a fork. Leave to stand for another 10 minutes. Put into a steamer or sieve over boiling water and steam uncovered for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the courgettes, tomatoes, coriander and parsley and cook for around 5 minutes until the lamb and vegetables are tender.

Fork through the couscous to separate the grains and turn onto a large, warmed serving plate. Dot with butter and season. Form into a mound with a well in the centre, and, using a slotted spoon, place the lamb and vegetables into the well. Pour some cooking liquid over, and serve the rest separately in a warmed bowl.

See all The View from Fez Moroccan recipes here: Moroccan Recipes

Football frenzy in Fez

It will be a clash of the lions on Saturday 14 November in Fez, when Morocco's Atlas Lions meet Cameroon's Indomitable Lions in the final round of World Cup/African Cup of Nations matches.

African Cup of Nations mascot

Cameroon leads Group A with 10 points, while Morocco trails with only three points. The winners of each Group will have a place in the World Cup to be held in South Africa in June. The top three of each Group will go forward into the African Cup of Nations to be held in Angola. Morocco needs to win this match to gain maximum points to have any hope of playing in the African Cup.

Cameroonians living in Morocco have been invited by their Embassy to travel to Fez and watch the match for free.

In the Atlas Lions team, Abdeslam Ouaddou, Kamel Chafni and Mbark Boussoufa are all out and will not play with Morocco in the match against Cameroon on Saturday. Coach Hassan Moumen has called up two locals as replacements for these players, namely: Mourad Ainy (RCA) and Azzedine Hissa (HUSA).

Tickets range from Dh30, to Dh50 to Dh150 and are available at the stadium on the Sefrou Road or from Cafe Zanzibar in the Ville Nouvelle. Take a shared taxi from the stand below McDonald's for a few dirhams - kick-off is at 3.30pm.

Karpov opens chess school in Morocco

Walking through the Fez Medina it is common to see men of all ages playing a variety of board games. Chess players are relatively rare, but they can be seen. Those who play chess will sometimes do so in conditions that would bemuse a western player. Today a View from Fez writer spotted a couple of young men standing in a doorway on a busy street, the chess board balanced on their hands for lack of a table.

Yet despite it being a rarity, those who play in chess clubs in Rabat, Tetouan, Fes and Casablanca have included many champions. In Rabat the Fath club is renowned for the skill of its members. These include the amazing Leyla Elamri who is currently the all Moroccan champion in all categories for women. She has won every title since she was 12 years of age. Last year, as a seventeen year old, she even managed to draw with the Russian grand master Anatoly Karpov in a speed game when he faced many players at the same time.


Now the chess players of Morocco are set to get a fantastic boost as Karpov has agreed to a partnership with the Fath club and set up a chess school in Rabat.

According to a Reuter's report, this will be the first Anatoly Karpov Chess School in Africa. Karpov, one of the living legends of chess, came to Morocco and supervised a three day training course for 24 young Moroccans. At the end of this course, he presented the winners with certificates and trophies.

Anatoly Karpov, a living legend of chess, was world champion between 1975 and 1984. Karpov has 17 chess schools outside Russia, mainly in Europe and the United States. The only Arab country, apart from Morocco to have a similar school, is Syria where Karpov is proud to have an institution bearing his name in the Damascus Sports Palace. When asked by Reuters why he chose Morocco for his first school in Africa, Anatoly Karpov said: "This is the third time I am in Morocco. The last time I was here was in December last year. We discussed then how we could help young Moroccans in Rabat-Sale to develop their chess and how we could help them".