The kasbah in Skoura

Then we headed off to find the Valley of Roses, reputed to be fields and fields of roses almost ready to be harvested. Apparently we took the wrong route, because we saw miles and miles of rocks, admittedly beautiful, but not what we were looking for after several days of driving through a rock-filled landscape.

On we went, to Skoura, to find a hotel. Lonely Planet recommended three that sounded good, saying only that they could be found by following signs in the Palmerie. So we headed into the Palmerie. Mistake. We first crossed a wide, flat area that appears to be a river bed in wetter seasons, and is a minefield of large rocks and sand at the moment. Then into the palmerie itself, a maze of narrow, winding, twisting roads between mud-brick houses (“roads” is perhaps an overstatement – we really could have used a 4WD in there). There was nary a sign pointing to any hotels, and eventually a deadend. We turned around, retraced our steps, and, an hour of bouncing around, we headed west, defeated.

And there, right on the highway, was a hotel Lonely Planet recommended as well, so we pulled into the parking lot. The hotel was in a converted Kasbah, formerly the home to four families consisting of 52 people. It had been lovingly restored and was absolutely incredible – romantic, mysterious, and luxurious. We are privileged indeed.