A glimpse of our story
The Liver of the Mountain — Memories of Tassaouirgane
By Bihi · Parts one & two
The journey always began before dawn, in the quiet, salt-damp air of Casablanca. It was the 1970s, a time when distance felt heavier, more tangible. There were no motorways slicing through the landscape then, shortening the world into hours. To travel to the mountains was to commit to a voyage.
My late father — God bless his soul — would bundle me into a taxi, or sometimes into the sturdy car of his friend M'barek. I was small then, a primary school boy with eyes wide enough to swallow the world whole. These trips were not merely holidays; they were the axis upon which my childhood turned. The road unspooled slowly, mile by mile, taking a full day to shed the city's skin. We always stopped in Marrakech, the red city pulsing in the heat, where Dad would buy gifts — sugar, tea, fabrics — offerings for Grandpa and the family waiting high above.
By the time the road began to climb, the air would change. It grew thinner, sharper, smelling of dust and ancient stone. We were ascending toward Tassaouirgane.
A guest's account
Earthquakes, Amazigh and Souks — An Adventure in Morocco (Day 1)
By Julian Rolfe, My Foodie Life
It was the dawn of January 2025, and a restless energy stirred within me. Work had been exhilarating — truly rewarding — but the relentless pace of the past few months left my mind yearning for a change of scenery. Each year my family gifts me a passport to adventure: a chance to slip away on my own and immerse myself in new cultures and flavours. This time, Morocco.
In the early hours of September 8, 2023, the tranquil mountain communities near Dar Tassa were shaken to their core by Morocco's most powerful earthquake in over a century. Roads became impassable, isolating survivors and delaying aid, while families who depended on livestock and small-scale tourism were left to sift through rubble. There were at least 30 deaths in the village of Ouirgane, my first stop.
I'd be honoured to introduce you to Haj Brahim, our host for the first evening, owner of Dar Tassa. The title "Haj" is a mark of deep respect, signifying that he has completed the pilgrimage to Mecca. He was a beautiful kind soul who had spent 30 years in the UK, and had a brilliant sense of humour.
