We arrive in Tiznet in southern Morocco for one reason - to get cushion covers for the Land Rover. Those who are familiar with my blog will know I would rather trade my first born son than sew myself.
Tiznit boasts a cultural heritage as rich as the silver for which it's famous for. With its winding streets and bustling local markets, it's less boho-touristy than the coastal towns. Encircled by orange painted 19th-century ramparts, it once served as a strategic outpost along ancient trade routes. One can imagine Berber traders and sultans mingling in the market here.
We wandered through the through "Silver Souk," where you can search for jewellery, from ornate and garish pieces to cheap silver or quirky Berber tribal pieces.
I didn't really expect to buy anything but we did haggle for this necklace - I love it!
There's also a LOT of herbs being sold on the kerb, tons of mint (for Moroccan green tea) and parsley, and we even saw nettles. We bought parsley, olives and bread straight from the oven. Bread is more important than anything in Morocco. Once communities would take all their bread to a community oven. I read an article about ancient sourdough starters being made with dates, cacao, honey. We buy tomatoes, fresh ground cummin (used with couscous and tagine and sprinkled on like pepper).
I also bought a pair of sunglasses as mine were broken. I also loved talking to a friendly guy in a spice shop who was making me guess the spices. He ground them on the spot for freshness. He also has black soup (made from olive oil) and other lovely things like rose petals, lavender, ginger, turmeric and fennel seeds. Heaven for me!
We spent a lot of the afternoon relaxing in the Land Rover as I was feeling exhausted, perhaps coming down with something.
So a lot of people come to Tiznet to get things done to their vans and motorhomes, from paint jobs to reupholstered seats. We got our foam mattress done for 120 euros which is cheap enough and they did a great job. Much better than me anyway haha - and it was done by the end of the day.
I was so happy I gave the guy a hug. He seemed happy I was happy so it was all good.
With Love,
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