. . . continued from previous post.
Leaving the nomad cave, we continue east on the dirt track to Boumalne du Dadés, which is on the main road that is a major connector between the Draa Valley (west) and Ziz Valley (east).
Taking a secondary road to the north, we follow along Wadi Dadés (Dadés River) towards the Dadés Gorge. The landscape is dramatic — arid and sculpted limestone plateaus rise above the verdant and fertile oasis. Fields and groves of fig, walnut and almond trees rim the riverbanks. Fortified ksour perch above the limestone cliffs. The road is narrow and windy as it passes by remarkable geological folds that have been shaped by erosion.
Taking a secondary road to the north, we follow along Wadi Dadés (Dadés River) towards the Dadés Gorge. The landscape is dramatic — arid and sculpted limestone plateaus rise above the verdant and fertile oasis. Fields and groves of fig, walnut and almond trees rim the riverbanks. Fortified ksour perch above the limestone cliffs. The road is narrow and windy as it passes by remarkable geological folds that have been shaped by erosion.
Following along the river bottom sheer cliffs begin to rise on both sides. Shortly, Tehar parks in front of Maison d'hôte Chez Pierre where we are to lunch. The auberge literally steps up the mountainside — we climb a series of stairs to reach the restaurant. From there we climb an ornate, lace-like stairway made out of rebar, which opens to a few suites. Another short stone stairway leads to the lovely pool. Across the gorge we spy a beehive-shaped structure tucked almost invisibly into the mountainside. We are told a potter lives and produces his ceramic sculptures there. The beehive is his kiln. A spectacular setting — too bad there isn't time to figure out how to visit the artist's studio. Lunch is fabulous — the first course alone is enough to make me want to spend the night. It is an salad of organic greens grown on premises with tomatoes, julienne zucchini, and a huge scoop of the best goat cheese ever — warm, silky smooth and delicious — topped with a drizzle of argan oil and finely chopped walnuts. Our main is skewers of beef with a potato-pancake like side dish, tomato relish and green beans. For dessert we try all four — an apple tart, a flan tart, and scoops of citron and fig sorbet.
After lunch we continue driving up the gorge. The road winds its way up the steep mountainside through a series a S-turns or perhaps more accurately, a series of ascending/descending U-turns — oh, to be driving my TT here! There is even a hotel perched precariously high above the river. At the apex of the gorge — where the river and road are again level — we get out and walk through the narrowest point of the canyon. Turning around we retrace our steps back to the vehicle and down the canyon. Enroute we see a procession of women and are told that they are walking towards the home of a betrothed woman as part of the weeklong wedding festival. Further down the canyon, we encounter a family of nomads moving their herd and worldly possessions on the backs of their camels and donkeys. At Boumalne du Dadés, we head west to El-Kelaa M'Gouna to visit the rose water distillery we passed this morning, and then drive back to Skoura for our last night stay.