En Route from Sahara to Marrakech, via the road of the 1000 kasbahs Part 3 of 4

Emma and Kathryn en route to Todra Gorge; covered in the Sahara, with one of the 1000 Kasbahs in the background.

Todra Gorge was beautiful and it was great to see some green after the red sandy Sahara. A wander through the local village was interesting - micro farming is the name of the game here:

The view of the old Kasbah and new (er) village from the farmlands.....

And the next day en route to Ait Ben Haddou, via the Dades Valley - it was back to dry and dusty.....


....with a surprising 'Valley of Roses' halfway - in 1000AD someone bought a rosebush over and it adapted to the conditions - it's impressively, heavily perfumed and everywhere.... but comes only in one colour:



At Skoura we stoped at Kasbah Amerdihil which was an interesting look at how fa,ilies used to live - and many still do - lived in these 'fortified cities':

And xe finally arrived at Ait Ben Haddou - the most impressive Kasbah of all; and the scene of the filming of Gladiator, among other movies. UNESCO have had a hand in here, too to try and preserve it:

We were invited in for tea with this lady who lives in the Kasbah (left - can't spell her name) - and was an extra in Gladiator. She spoke only Berber with a smattering of French and Arabic, but showed us some pictures of the filming.

Partners-in-Rose-drinking-crime at the top of the Kasbah....

The Kasbah from it's highest point on the left; and village where we stayed to the right of the river.....

And the next morning, so began the long road from Ait Ben Haddou over the High Atlas Mountains to Marrakech..... that's snow on the peaks below -

.....and it was easily 40 where we were standing.