Chefchaouen, holy city of the Rif

Mjidou drove us. It was a hot day. M is a careful driver unlike those of two tourist buses ahead of us, who blithely overtook two large lorries on blind bends almost colliding with a queue of traffic coming the other way.

It will take at least five years to complete the dual carriageway between Chaouen and Tetouan.

At 4.15 pm we set off from Hotel Madrid to find Ras Al.Mae where the springs emerge from the hillside and a path leads along the top of the town. Our mission was to find the companion table to the one I bought last year for the apartment. We weren't very sure of the exact location of the shop and stopped at several along the way. Aziz had asked us to search out sources of small painted woodwork objects. Morocco has a wonderful legacy of highly coloured woodwork.

Mjidou was the first to recognise the shop. Praise be, the owner had an identical table which I bought for even less than last year. We learned that the craftsmen have left this profession because it is paid so poorly, a huge shame.