From Scotland to the Sahara ~ By Bicycle

When Paul Armstrong found himself unable to fly, he decided to cycle instead – all the way from Scotland to the Sahara. Vanessa Bonnin reports

Paul Armstrong in the Ruined Garden Café  in Fez - Photo Vanessa Bonnin

Armstrong, 27, from Alloway in Scotland, is a pilot with the Royal Navy who is equally passionate about cycling as he is flying. In January his entire fleet was grounded after two aircraft crashes and instead of taking off to Thailand with the rest of his squadron he decided to cycle to Morocco.

“I’ve ridden since I was a little kid, bikes are my thing,” Armstrong (no relation to Lance) said. “In the past I’ve done short tours like London to Amsterdam in two days, to the Alps and back, classic Tour de France climbs, that sort of thing, but this time I wanted to do a big tour. I had visited the north of Morocco 15 years ago with my parents but I wanted to see the real Morocco and go to the Sahara.”

But before he could search for “the real Morocco” he had to cycle all the way through Scotland, England, Belgium, France and Spain. On his Spin road bike, with a handmade titanium frame, he took in a few mountain ranges on the way including the Pyrenees, the Sierra Nevada and the Sierra de Grazalema.

“I left Scotland in mid-January, and for the first few weeks I was miserable because of the cold,” he said. “I could only take minimal kit on the bike and my SLR camera was my only luxury. Then from Malaga all the way to Larache there were horrendous headwinds, I was only doing an average of nine miles an hour, compared to my normal rate of 18 miles an hour. There was really heavy rain and I was having a miserable time!I also stacked it in Tangier only two miles from the ferry because they seemed to be digging up every road in Tangier at the time and the roads were covered in mud slicks.”

Despite thinking of his squadron in sunny Thailand, Armstrong persevered taking a route down through Morocco that went from Tangier to Larache (where he spent his 27th birthday), Rabat, Casablanca, Safi, Essaouria, Agadir, Tiznit and finally Tan Tan.

“Tan Tan was my most southerly destination but it was about the whole journey for me, not just the destination of the desert, although I really did want to see the sand dunes,” he said. “I baked even though I was using 50+ sunscreen! But it was phenomenal to see. What I was I most happy about was I’d been cycling into a head wind since Tangier – for over 1000kms – and it was pretty soul destroying. So turning around and having a tail wind was fantastic!”

Despite reaching the desert, his journey was far from over and the highlights of his adventure were yet to come.

“After Tan Tan I cycled back to Tiznit and then went inland over the Anti-Atlas to Tafraout,” he said. “These were Alpine-style climbs, really arduous averaging 8-9% inclines over 20 miles and the sun was blisteringly hot, climbing all the way to 2500m. But it was worth it, Tafraout and the whole area was spectacular, indescribable really.”

Armstrong then went from Taroudant to Marrakech, via the Tizi N’Test pass, a route that has been described as the most spectacular in Morocco, reaching a high point of 2092m above sea level.

“I was quite apprehensive about climbing the Tizi N’Test Pass which wasn’t helped by stopping and meeting a Moroccan cyclist working as a waiter at the bottom who said ‘there’s no way you’ll make it in one day’”, he said. "Undeterred however I set off and got to a sign at the start of the climb that said Tizi N’Test 36kms. There was a 7-8% gradient for the entire climb but I did it in 3.5 hours with 6 litres of water and 1.5 litres of Coca-Cola!

"That was my achievement moment, getting to the top of the Tizi N’Test Pass. There’s phenomenal scenery up there and then I set off on the descent into the sunset which was magic.”

After two days well-earned rest in Marrakech, Armstrong continued his Morocco tour through Beni Mellal, Khenifra, Azrou, Meknes and finally Fes, where we meet him – arriving for brunch at the Ruined Garden Café with a helpful local called Youssef.

“My whole experience of Morocco has been that the people are so friendly - Youssef is a good example of that friendliness,” he said. "I’ve almost come to expect it here. Bumping into people and getting chatting. The kids especially, all the kids run after you down the road, waving and holding out their hands to shake. It’s great, puts a smile on your face. With the bike you get to experience the country and the people in a way you wouldn’t in a car or campervan or on a motorbike.”

So what was the highlight of experiencing Morocco by bike?

“The best moment was when I was riding from Azrou to Meknes, I was riding through a 2000m pass in hailstones and strong winds,” he said “I had this car behind me, beeping and beeping, then they pulled alongside me and handed over some chocolate bars! It put a big smile on my face – I was soaked to the skin but that gesture really kept me going.”

And what does this intrepid explorer think of our beloved city, Fes?

“I love Fes, it’s a warren, you walk down side streets and discover new things, it’s one big adventure. I love the sense of discovery. And the tanneries are something else – they didn’t smell as bad as I thought they would!” he said.

Despite the hardships on this journey – his longest by bike so far – Armstrong is determined to try more cycling adventures in the future.

“Oh definitely, to ride in a different culture is amazing and to get to visit the country as well is a fantastic combination.”

Armstrong travelled on from Fes to Chefchaouen, Al Hoceima, Tangier and Malaga before flying home with a slightly heavier load that included the essential Fes purchases – a Moroccan, rug and a leather jacket!


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May Day Demonstrations in Morocco Bring Thousands to the Streets

News site Ahramonline is reporting that thousands took to the streets of Rabat and Casablanca on Wednesday demanding jobs and higher pay during May Day demonstrations marked by tension, with a large security contingent deployed in the capital. Several thousand people marched up Rabat's central boulevard around midday, waving Moroccan and Berber flags, holding placards and chanting slogans, some of them strongly critical of the government.

photo: Fadel Senna

Scuffles broke out as the demonstrators passed the parliament building, with riot police beating up and wounding some of the protesters.

"The people want the fall of the government!" shouted one group of unionists.

The workers union affiliated to the ruling Islamist Party of Justice and Development (PJD) called for an end to corruption and proclaimed its support for King Mohamed VI and Morocco's ownership of the disputed Western Sahara.

More than 10,000 people also marched in Casablanca, Morocco's largest city and economic capital, an AFP journalist reported.

Many of those participating in Wednesday's demonstrations were unemployed graduates, or public sector employees demanding better working conditions.

"When the PJD came to power, they said they'd find a solution to the job crisis. But they've done nothing to help us," said Mohamed Abdelmoneim, 27, who has been out of work since graduating last year.

For Abdelhamid Amine, a member of the UMT, one of Morocco's largest unions, the demonstration was "a success for the working class and a repudiation of the government, which has made too many promises."

Morocco is grappling with an economic crisis linked to the problems in Europe, its top trade partner, amid widespread poverty, rising prices and youth unemployment estimated to be as high as 30 percent, which causes near-daily protests in the capital.

Faced with a budget deficit last year that reached 7 percent of GDP, the government is attempting to push through delicate reforms, including on costly pensions and subsidies that it can no longer afford.

A round of talks at the weekend between Morocco's main unions and the government were cancelled after several unions pulled out, raising political tensions ahead of the May Day rallies.

Thousands of people attended a protest in Rabat one month ago, called by union leaders, to protest against unemployment and the high cost of living, and denounce corruption, which the PJD vowed to eradicate in its election campaign but which remains endemic.

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Moroccan Artisans and the Things They Make

Photographs by Jake Warga have been featured on The View from Fez in the past (see example here). Now he has produced a wonderful series of photographs of Moroccan artisans and the work they produce. 

Jake is an award-winning independent journalist currently based in Seattle. He has an M.A. in Visual Anthropology and a unique sensitivity and curiosity about the many cultures he visits around the world. 

With a microphone in one hand, a camera in the other, he collects stories for Public Radio and images for various outlets - including The View from Fez.

The photographs above were taken at a carpet co-op in Fez, a wood working co-op in Essaouira and a welding workshop in Essaouira

In his own words:

I was asked in January by the Morocco Tourism Bureau to photograph the major sites in Morocco and proposed this series about Artisans. The connection between people and the things they make is an intimate one, something I noticed right away in Morocco, along with such a variety of crafts and places for artisans to practice it. I approached co-ops and various people to participate, to shed light on the artisans that make all the creative and authentic objects I now find myself surrounded by back home.

You can see more of Jake's work here: Artisan Series
Jake's website

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Indian Presence To Continue At 2013 Fes Festival

For nine magical nights from June 7 to 15, visitors from around the world will gather in Fes, Morocco’s ancient spiritual, cultural and intellectual capital, for a feast of music presented in stunning historic venues. The music also comes from around the world including some delights from India including a stunning fusion of Indian ragas with Western classical music

Kathak dancers Anuj Mishra and Niha Singh performing at the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music last June.
Photo by Suzanna Clarke

Stars like Patti Smith and Paco da Lucia will be playing beneath the night sky at the 3,500-seat Bab Makina main stage – a parade ground attached to the Royal Palace, surrounded by castellated walls.

One of the most loved music festivals in the world, the festival has attracted a star-studded line-up for its 19th edition. The 2013 Fes Festival of World Sacred Music with the theme Reflections of Andalusia will open with a spectacular dance, poetry and musical extravaganza directed by the flamenco dance maestro Andres Marin. More than 30 Arab-Andalusian, Sufi, Amazigh and Spanish flamenco artists will take part.

Although the focus this year is on Andalusian music, India is once again part of the magical mix.

In fact, the Fes Festival has a long tradition of presenting Indian artists.

Back in 2007, Mumbai-based Carnatic vocalist Vasumathi Badrinathan, performing at the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music said, “It is a matter of great honour and pride to represent India in that part of the globe.” It can equally be said that the Indian presence at the Fes Festival is treasured by those lucky enough to experience it.

Vasumathi is just one in the list that includes the late Ustad Bismillah Khan (1997), Begum Parveen Sultana, Ustad Dilshad Khan (1998), Aruna Sairam (2000), Afroz Bano (2001), Anurekha Ghosh (2005), Pandit Ravi Shankar, Anoushka Shankar (2005) and Sudha Raghunathan (2006) Vasumathi Badrinathan (2007).

When, in December 2012, Ravi Shankar died, his passing was marked by Festival Director Faouzi Skali, who recalled the last time he visited the Fes Festival. “It was for the 11th edition of the World Sacred Music Festival, in 2005, where he gave, with his daughter Anoushka, a concert with incredible power; power that transcended beyond space and time.”

One of last year’s highlights was the appearance of Anuj Mishra and Niha Singh, both brilliant exponents of the Lucknow School of Kathak Dance. Their concert was one of the stand-out performances of the festival.

Mukhtiyar Ali at the beautiful Batha Museum venue

Mukhtiyar Ali was another performer in 2012. An enthusiastic proponent of Indian music, he saw the Festival as a valuable way of keeping age-old traditions alive. “The Mirasi lineage which has preserved the heritage of Sufiana Qalam — through all these generations — witnessing war, droughts, religious backlash and economic penury is today falling apart in the consumer-driven world we have created. Much of the folk traditions and music forms are tottering today and are lost in lifestyles offering instant gratification as comfort, where everything needs to be compressed into seconds and rarely is there time to experience the lifetime that traditional music offers.”

Tariq Binshakoor lives in England but is a Fes Festival regular. He is particularly attracted to the Indian music presented. “I have an Indian heritage so this type of music is my thing,” he said. “I understood much of it and I think music is best enjoyed when understood, it takes the experience to a different level altogether.”

“Music is the common language of humanity, it speaks to all of us,” Festival Director Skali

In 2013 the magical Indian presence will continue. As Zeyba Rahman, Asia and North American Director for the Festival says, “We anticipate that the two performances by Pandit Shyam Sundar Goswami, the vocalist who represents the Kirana Gharana of North Indian classical Khayal, will be greatly appreciated in his June 10th solo performance and when he collaborates with France’s XVIII Le Baroque Nomade Ensemble under the direction of Jean-Christophe Frisch in a performance of western classical music and majestic Indian night ragas. In addition, the Festival audience will have a unique opportunity to learn Indian classical dance mudras or hand gestures when they join the workshop with classical Indian Bharatanatyam dancer Manochhaya.”

Pandit Shyam Sundar Goswami originates from Bengal and trained in the Kirana Gharana vocal tradition of north Indian classical music. His rendition of the Kirana Khyal tradition is marked with great subtlety. He will be performing Monday, June 10th at Dar Adiyel at 19:30.

Another much anticipated concert on June 10 is Reflections of an Indian Night. At the beautiful Dar Mokri venue, Jean-Christophe Frisch, flutist and artistic director of the XVIII-21 Le Baroque Nomade ensemble, with singer Cyrille Gerstenhaber, will join with Pandit Shyam Sundar Goswami, the master of the khyal vocal tradition, to conjure up 18th century Chandernagar with both western music and Indian nocturnal ragas. The music is described as being “somewhere between reflections and dreams”, with compositions that include Couperin, Marin Marais, Lully and Michel Lambert.

The Moultaqa programs on June 12 will bring together master artists and audience enthusiasts in intimate setting for workshops and discussions, as an initiation into the choreographic and musical arts through the language of meditation, with approaches that are both ancient and contemporary. Bharatanatyam dancer Manochhaya will lead a session on Indian dance and the mudras, or hand gestures.

The Fes Festival of World Sacred Music was founded in1994 by Skali. His aim, following the First Gulf War and in harmony with Andalusian ideals, was to create a focal point for peaceful collaboration between people of all races and religions, rooted in spiritual and humanitarian values. “Music is the common language of humanity,” he says “it speaks to all of us.”

The 2013 Fes Festival has been chosen as one of the top 25 international music festivals by the world music magazine Songlines.

Other events of note:

Wednesday, June 12 at Dar Mokri ,14h00 - 18h00: Moultaqa
Moultaqa  Bharatanatyam dancer Manochhaya will lead a session on Indian dance and the mudras, or hand gestures.

Bhutan
Wednesday, June 12 at Dar Adiyel - 19h30 / 22h00- Sacred songs from the Kingdom of Bhutan
With Jigme Drukpa, Pema Samdrup and Namkha Lhamo presented in collaboration with the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs, Bhutan. Bhutan’s sung tradition is presented for the first time in Fes. It includes Zhungdra, the Bhutanese classical tradition, Boedra, the Tibetan tradition, and Gurma, traditional devotional chant dedicated to Milarepa, the great Tibetan mystic and poet (1040-1123) and to his disciple Rechungpa.

Mongolia
Saturday, June 8 at Musée Batha 16h00 - Nomadic Voices of the Steppes and the Mountains - Sardinia, Mongolia. Cuncordu E Tenore de Orosei Ensemble with Mongolian vocalists Ts. Tsogtgerel and N. Ganzorig of Mongolia.  Within the confines of the sacred and the secular, somewhere between liturgy and folk celebrations, these voices resonate between the heights of the Sardinian mountains and the Mongolian Steppes. It is here that the beauty of a pastoral culture is still to be found. Far, far away, where the Altaï mountains meet the immense Gobi desert, Khöömii throat singing can be heard. This song is a musical metaphor for the hilltops and the valleys, the vastness of the Steppes, the herds and the tumult of nature.

More details Festival Website

Text: Sandy McCutcheon
Photographs: Suzanna Clarke 

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51st edition of the Festival of Roses in the village of Kalaat M'gouna

A reminder that if you want to "smell the roses" then get ready for the 51st edition of the Festival of Roses in the village of Kalaat M'gouna from 9 to May 12

Moroccan Interprofessional Federation of Rose Perfume (FIMAROSE) and the Provincial Council of Tinghir are organising the festival in collaboration with the City Council Kelaât Gouna and the National Agency for the Development of Oasis Zones and Argan (ANDZOA). The event, under the theme "A mobilization to build a local development project", is the result of close collaboration involving the local administration, economic operators, professional organizations, promoters and local actors and associations.

This participatory approach has combined the efforts of all local authorities in synergy with the population of the 25 municipalities within Kalaat Gouna, the aim being to give more visibility to the opportunities offered by the region but also the constraints that stand in the way of future development. To do this, several committees were formed (logistics, scientific, cultural, artistic, exhibitors and reception). It is hoped that the efforts on the project for development of this sector will help to promote the work of local people and the women in particular.

Certification problems

Yet there are some problems, as Elhoussaine Ouhlisse, President and Founder of Saghrou Centre for Studies and Communication, explains, "The pink Kalaat M'gouna rose products have no labeling or protected geographical indication or certification!"  His objective is to get locals involved in the development of the city and especially to allow local products to have labels and certifications. The centre will give a series of lectures at the Rose Valley on May 10 to discuss ways to promote the products of the city.

The risk if the rose has not been certified "protected geographical indication" is that anyone can come from abroad to Kalaat M'gouna, buy rose oil and return home to make products based on the product without ever having to mention the origin of the rose. This is what happened with the scandalous American-Israeli brand MoroccanOil . The company made ​​a fortune with cosmetics whose basic element is argan oil from Morocco, but it never mentions the origin of the oil, preferring to say "Made in Israel" on the packaging bottles.

Yet the pink Kalaat M'gouna rose is known worldwide as a quality product. "The rose originally from Damascus, also grows in Turkey, Hungary and Pakistan. But Morocco is one of the best because it is the most natural and is also known for its unique fragrance," says Elhoussaine Ouhlisse.

In addition to labels to protect the product from Moroccan soil, Elhoussaine also has another purpose: to make the pink Kalaat M'gouna become an organic product to increase sales internationally, especially to cosmetics professionals.  He explained that farmers of Kalaat M'gouna do not have enough awareness of the richness of these roses and don't hesitate to plant roses near wheat or vegetables to delineate their plots. Consequence: roses are flooded with fertiliser and pesticides. Elhoussaine Ouhlisse wants to encourage farmers to produce more organic roses but without increasing the area of ​​land.

Each year the harvest takes place during two weeks in May. "Today 2,000 tons of roses are harvested annually in the city. The ideal would be that amount to 6,000 tons," he hopes.

50 years and still no patronage!

The traditional rose harvest festival has been celebrated for over 50 years, making it one of the oldest festivals in Morocco. Yet the festival enjoys no royal patronage, as is the case for the majority of cultural and agricultural events in the kingdom. Patronage would allow the event to attract the interest of the public and the authorities. But organizers have never asked for this patronage. Elhoussaine Ouhlisse hopes to win this patronage by next year.

Morocco is famous throughout the world for its superb rose oil (known as rose otto from the Arabic itr, meaning perfume) and the Rose Festival in El Kelaa M'Gouna is a wonderfully perfumed event worth attending. But because the "valley of the roses" is some six hours drive from Marrakech and accommodation is limited, it is worthwhile making plans well in advance.

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Algerian Literary Figure Rachid Boudjedra at the French Institute in Fez

Time for a little brain-food? Then head along to the library of the French Institute in Fez and meet Rachid Boudjedra   (رشيد بوجدرة‎)

Born on September the 5th, 1941 in Aïn Beïda, Algeria, Rachid is an Algerian poet, novelist, playwright and critic. Boudjedra wrote in French from 1965 to 1981, at which point he switched to writing in Arabic, often translating his own works back and forth between the two languages.

Boudjedra returned to writing in French in 1992 and has continued to write in that language ever since. Educated in Constantine and in Tunis (at the Collège Sadiki), Boudjedra later fought for the FLN during the Algerian War of Independence. He received his degree in philosophy from the Sorbonne, where he wrote a thesis on Céline. Upon receiving his degree, he returned to Algeria to teach, but was sentenced to two years in prison for his criticisms of the government and was exiled to Blida. He lived in France from 1969 till 1972, and then in Rabat, Morocco until 1975.

Boudjedra's fiction is written in a difficult, complex style, reminiscent of Faulkner or García Márquez in its intricacy. La Répudiation (1969, "The Repudiation") brought him sudden attention, both for the strength with which he challenged traditional Muslim culture in Algeria and for the strong reaction against him. Because a fatwa was issued which called for his death, he felt he had to live outside of Algeria. He has routinely been called the greatest living North African writer.

Boudjedra was awarded the Prix du Roman Arabe in 2010 for Les Figuiers de Barbarie.
Despite a dearth of English translations, two of his novels, Les Figuiers de Barbarie and Les Funérailles are currently being translated by André Naffis-Sahely.

Rachid Boudjedra has also been involved in writing a number of films. Chronique des années de braise (Chronicle of the Years of Fire), (dir. by Mohamed Lakhdar-Hamina) which, in 1975 won the Palme d'or at the Cannes Festival.

The discussion of the ideas of Rachid Boujedra takes place on Thursday May 2nd at two different times and venues: the Faculty of Letters Dhar El Mahraz, 10am and the library of the French Institute, 5:30 p.m. Admission is free.

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