After another beautiful sunrise over the mountains around Kasbah Ellouze, it was time to bid farewell to Michel and the lovely Colette and their team. Can’t recommend their place highly enough.

Majid wisely chose to take us on a long and winding road to rejoin the main highway to Marrakech and we were all in thrall of the scenery along the Ounila Valley.

Lots of photo op stops and a chance to buy some more souvenirs – how many stone camels do you need?

Close to Télouet, we detoured to visit the old salt mines that used to provide the Pasha Glaoui (remember him from his palace in Fès on our first day in Morocco?) with much of his wealth. In days gone by (like hundreds of years) a kilo of salt was literally worth its weight in gold.

While doing a taste test on the salt, our resident chef Ben lost his phone but didn’t realise it until about half an hour later down the highway. A quick u-turn and a walk back down the salt bed and yep, there it was, his Google phone. Amazing!

Back on the highway and past the 2600 metre high peak of the Atlas Mountains to a rest stop to view the ladies producing argan oil. Our group was intrigued by the beneficial claims of argan. At least their hands are now very healthy.

We finally arrived in Marrakech about 4.45 pm – it’s not a long way but the road is congested and road works holdups delayed us even further. Amazingly, I remembered the way from the bus drop off point through part of the medina to Riad Ambre et Épice, our home for the next three nights.

Obligatory mint tea first, served by Abdul, who remembered Pam and I from four years ago, and then a group dinner (lemon chicken tagine followed by poached pear for dessert – yum!). And then to bed …. zzzzzz