On the way back to Rissani, we stopped to visit the mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif. He was the founder of the Alaouite Dynasty of Morocco and is considered a Holy man. We were not allowed to enter and just stood in the lovely courtyard and peered through cracks…View image. Couldn’t see a darn thing but the Date Palms were interesting. This is the first time I’d seen any in flower and these had only just finished flowering and had their yellow flowers tied to keep the birds away. (The dates usually ripen by October.) However, the entrance into the mausoleum was quite beautiful.

Rissani is a major commercial center in the region with a large souk that was originally scheduled in the itinerary until Explore changed the dossier. If you are in Rissani on a Thursday, don’t miss it. I had read that this souk has a “donkey parking lot” for the many donkeys that carry the loads and riders. That has to be one amazing sight and I was disappointed to miss that, not the souk.

Ksour/Ksar? Check. Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif? Check. Over to Maison Berbere…View image with big signs that is is recommended by Lonely Plant to look at Morocco-woven rugs, learn about the patterns incorporated…View image, and see the differences while drinking mint tea. In case you ever wondered what the difference is between a “rug” or “carpet,” size is the only differentiating point. Carpets usually cover an entire room area. Anything less is a rug. If you have a small room and the rug covers the entire floor, it then becomes a carpet! Whatever…

I had a blast inside watching the ritual of throwing one after another on the floor and almost had to be physically restrained by ex-Marine from adding to our extensive rug collection. Samarkand, Bukhara, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan…I kid you not. We haven’t visited but the rug is from there.. Let’s see, where was I. Oh yes, Bulgaria, Tunisia (went on a spree in Tunisia), Kashmir, Pakistan (the most expensive because it is hand-knotted). Then there is the all-so-soft Llama rug from Peru…addiction is my middle name.

Out of Maison Berbere without a rug, the group took a short stroll around Rissani to basically waste time before eating lunch.

Through the small market, with lots of henna in bags for sale, local medicines and one very interesting sign. “…Films, Kodak, Camera, Piles, Memory Card…” Inquired and discovered Piles means batteries. Or, so we were told…