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the surrounding landscape. Tifoultoute belonged to concentrated solar power plant that covers 450
the Hadj Thami al Glaoui, Pasha of Marrakech, “Lord hectares.
of the Atlas”, until 1956, the year Morocco attained its Though Ouarzazate technically marks the end of
independence. My maternal grandfather, a diplomat the scenic trail, I like to continue on to the historic
who served under the French Protectorate, often Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, today a World Heritage
dealt with Hadj Thami, and he used to regale us with Site, a dozen miles south. This entire ksar, another
tales of this fierce Berber overlord who, at the turn of Glaoui possession in the late 1800s, has been
the twentieth century, claimed many of these kasbahs restored to its original state, mainly to serve as a
as his individual domains until they were united under movie set and living museum where tribe members
the present dynasty. double as actors, recreating agrarian activities of old.
Present-day Ouarzazate has long-lost the aura of The terrace of one of the cafés across the Oued
a remote desert outpost. In the early 70s, when my Mellah river from the imposing structures affords an
husband and I stayed in the oasis’s only government- unobstructed view of the iconic arched gateway and
run “auberge,” our room overlooked the desiccated 11th century agadir, or communal grain silos. In my
landscape that surged into eddies of dust whipped by mind’s eye, I saw myself hop-scotching across the
umbrella-toppling winds known as chergui or sirocco. slippery rocks to reach the other side. A new bridge
This mecca for the jet-set now boasts its own now stretched across the dry river bed.
international airport, and hordes of weekend visitors In a strange twist of fate, the road that meanders
fly in from Paris or Madrid to play golf on emerald- through Morocco’s pre-Sahara plains, ended, for me,
colored greens. the way it began: in the contemplation of water.
Movie studios have turned the town into a Though the landscape of my childhood has undergone
Moroccan Bollywood. Numbers of blockbusters were dramatic changes, the Kasbah Trail still retains a
filmed in the surrounding desert, such as Gladiator, timeless appeal.
The Man who Would be King, Game of Thrones, Black
Hawk Down, Ishtar, and others too numerous to Kitty Morse is a food and travel writer
mention. Local hotels display old movie props, as they who was born in Casablanca. She is the
do at the elegant Bèrbère Palace. Escapees from author of ten cookbooks, five of them on
European winters cluster in air-conditioned condos, the cuisine of her native Morocco. Her
and backpackers hoping for “the adventure of a latest, Mint Tea and Minarets: a banquet
lifetime” seek the shade of cyber cafés. Visible from of Moroccan memories was published in
miles around is the enormous tower of Noor (Arabic 2012. It was selected “Best Book Arab
for “light”) the Ouarzazate Solar Power Station Cuisine” by the Gourmand World
(OSPS), 10 miles out of town, the world’s largest
Cookbook Awards. www.kittymorse.com.

182 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE 2019