Beach, Blueberries, and Birdwatching
March 2014 - Wander Weekend
Moulay Bousselham
Featuring: The Tiltons
Moulay Bousselham is a small town located on the coast between Rabat and Tangier. There's nothing like a sea breeze sending the smell of salt in the air. It was the first thing we noticed as we pulled into town. Usually this means Zach checking out for days full of swimming and surfing, but not this time. There are some dangerous currents that make this a better spot for other things. Like...
Birdwatching. It is the thing to do. Moulay Bousselham is a birders dream hosting rare birds and droves of seasonal residents in their RVs looking for them. I had surprised Zach by getting a little excited about this in the weeks leading up finding books and information on bird classification in Morocco. I was ready. We stayed in a nearby village a walk or boat ride away with a guide in his home converted to a hotel recommended by a volunteer who lives there. It was great. His wife cooked the meals, and he took us out on his boat to the lagoon equipped with telescopes and binoculars. (The real deals had their own binoculars around their necks.) It was a new experience for us, and we saw all sorts of feathered friends thanks to our guide and enthusiast tour mates.
The beach and the birds were nice, but our real reason for going was blueberries! Besides supermarkets in major cities (I assume), this is the only spot in Morocco to find the little blue treasures. The strawberries that are sold in our souq are brought from that region, but they hold out on the blueberries. A few international companies grow them for export, and a few sellers in their market there sell them to the public. I cleaned out one of the lady's stock with big plans for a summer full of frozen blueberries. Half were gone before we got home. The other half are going fast with buttermilk pancakes and pomegranate syrup working against them.
Also, I feel compelled to say I had the best tea of my life here, and I'll tell you what it is because its so simple: water, sugar, mint, (the usual here) + orange blossoms. Try it.
This wander weekend turned into a longer trip with a spontaneous visit by Zach's parents. We were glad we could share this one with them!
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