I am passionate about baking and there is nothing I like more than getting creative in the kitchen but sometimes you have to take off the ‘baking blinkers’ and go and do something completely different. Now it’s not often I get the chance to have a holiday but since setting up The Angel Bakery nearly 5 years ago work has been non-stop and so the time had come to have a bit of a break.
Our holidays usually involve loading up the landrover with camping gear and taking off. In past years we have traversed the Hannibal Trail in the Alps, the Pyrenees in Spain and we have been lucky enough to cross the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Our last trip to Morocco was about 10 years ago and we wanted to go back this time around and see how the country has changed and to experience the more desolate areas of the Western Sahara. Our trip this time was to sail to Bilbao and drive down through Spain to Algeciras before catching the ferry across to Tangier. Once into Morocco we were to venture down to the Mauritanian border via Tiznet, Assa and Smara and then out to the Atlantic coast via Boujdour, Layounne and Tan-Tan before heading inland over the Atlas Mountains to Marrakech
So here’s a whistle stop picture diary of our 4,500 mile round trip and some of the extremes that our vehicle was put through in the process ….
Contrary to popular belief that the Sahara is full of sand, the majority of it’s landscape is hard, rugged rock
Before starting out for the Mauritanian border we stopped off in Tiznet to stock up on supplies and plenty of water.
Camp set up ready for the night – temperatures dropped from 30 + degrees during the day to just above freezing at night
When you think you are alone, along comes a man and his camels!
It’s a bit dry out here …
Even those equipped to cope with the desert can succumb …
Whilst crossing silica fields, another reminder of the harsh environment – graves marked by slabs of silica stone
Ooops! Not the largest rock in the world, but large enough to get jammed under the front axle so there was no drive forward or back. The answer – get the high lift jack out!
Just like you see in ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ … cue music!
This photo doesn’t do it justice, but sunsets in the Sahara are probably the best in the world
Now that’s what you call an All-Terrain vehicle – ready for any eventuality!
Another reason not to take the terrain for granted – completely bogged down on salt flats near Boujdour. What should have been a 2 hour journey turned into a 24 hour struggle to get the vehicles out with us having to set camp on the salt flats overnight.
Back on track, we head towards Marrakech via the Tiz-n-Test Pass over the snow capped High Atlas mountains
The thing I love about Moroccans is their resourcefulness! This Citroen van has been a feature high up on the Tiz-n-Test pass for over 40 years and has been used as a shop for the locally made tagine pots. What you can’t see is how close it is to the edge of an extremely high drop and it’s amazing it’s stayed there for so long!
After 15 days of wild camping it was good to treat ourselves to a bit of luxury in a wonderful riad in Marrakech before hitting the madness of the souks and The Medina in the old city.
After the ruggedness and isolation of the Saharan desert and the beauty and madness of Marrakech, we sailed back to the Spanish mainland and drove through the fabulous mountains and plains stopping off at Ronda, Cordoba and Segovia on the way.
What a great end to a great 2011 !
