Another slow start here finn, but better late than never eh lad?
It feels ages ago now…writing in Oct…but we have lots of images to play with..anyway suffice to say July saw us build up to a crescendo and fall in to anti climax. On the agenda were the scent of final completion of The Albatros and the arrival of Tony and Jackie (T and J)from the States.
July in Fez.....
is hot, very hot and there are many ways to manage that. Our custom has developed to sneak off to the relatively exclusive pool at Al Kantara whenever possible, whilst at home, leaving our own clothes at the front door. Obviously we make exceptions when we have guests, tho I’m not too sure you are currently that bothered with the “have visitors, put on clothes” rule…certainly not when mummy invited a group over for a ladies night in!
Of course Francesca is an exception to many of our rules and for that and many other reasons, she's always welcome. Now whilst I don’t notice your painting nudes as yet, you are without doubt developing a certain style of your own by painting in the nude…but hey ho, and why not...maybe we should all join in? Where's the paint brush!
flocks of birds, or a day out at the pool with friends, just lettiung ourselves go and hanging out......arhhhh bless!Visitors.
This year, as with others, summer also brings a host of visitors. I'd like to say that it is always a pleasure, but in reality, what with us being so weighed down with this "bloody build" (BB), I truely doubt we are anyway near our best..At least I hope not. If we're going to work in "hospitality", there is room for improvement at least!
that somehow when people come here, they expect that we are, like them, going to be on holiday and available...which we try to be..tho too often at only additional stress to our selves. I don't know what it is, but even those who would count themselves as avid travellers, seem to need a hand to hold when in Fez.
However there are some people who have now been here so many times that just the house and a full fridge suffices and Ms Sarah Dewe certainly fits in to that illustrious group...she even made mummy relax for a while, which is good to see! Sarah's seen us doing this right from the begining and it was great to get her feedback on the house and the developments at BB. It's hard to get any perspective in the thick of it, but as with Tim and Michelle, having a peer (my peer, not yours Finn!) tell you you're on the right track, is essential. Thanks sarah, you can come again!Of course as I say, we had been otherwise sniffing at the proximity of finishing Dar Finn.
Mohammed’s Team that do everything were in place and getting on and suddenly there was massive progress. We started planning for a life without builders and building, counted imaginary days until the end of the rainbow would be reached, but always never quite there and forever with the threat that until it’s finished it’s never finished…which is the real world, and a stressful one at that.
So stress levels mounted, but with the end in sight we might have managed ….but it wasn’t to be and life has a way of twisting the knife…just a bit, to show who’s really in charge.
Cars! Nightmare.
One of the tasks I had before Tonys’ arrival was to take Habiby out of the country before her visa expired and then to pick up “the other car” which left Morocco with your cousins as their escape vehical when Europe was clouded by Icelandic volcanic ash, many, many months ago (see April 2010).
This should have been a joy, a small vacation away from said Albatros…but ….
Instead, just as I prepared to leave Morocco, habiby sprang a gasket. 10 days and multiple attempts at repairing her, we nervously stole away. Then “the other car” proved to have been nobbled by the Great British weather and a sturdy little number turned in to a wreck that failed 3 MOTs and cost the best part of a grand, just to get out of the UK. Arghhhh. Fortunately I'd just been paid by UNDP from Guinea Buisseau, tho I didn't expect to spend it all on car repairs and the journey from Litchfield to Fez
Sebastian and I made the trip down not too sure how she’d do. Highlights were definitely Spain and seeing friends in Euskadi, but the bottom line was “it wasn’t supposed to be like this”…of course! What did I used to say in Somalia…”Always expect the unexpected!”
Back in Fez, TnJ had arrived and although we were rushed off our
feet trying to tie up the chantier before leaving, and of course with Mohammed and his team having dumped us for a bigger job, we finally got out of Moroc, just, with your mum almost not making it having over stayed her visa also!
Escape Plans!
One of the joys on the way out was passing through Xaouen and having a view at the land there. We haven't been for ages and of course there are plans to do lots of things with it...yes yurts! 
However with the BB still on going we're stuck, but going back and seeing how green and beautiful it was, I felt uplifted, inspired. I don't really know what happened...or probably I do...but all along I wanted to do a rural project and some how we have now spent 4 years in Fez! That's not to decry Fez, it's amazing, but not really the original idea. I love going up to xaouen, though it's far better when we have the car kitted out and we can camp.
The national parks, Mediteranian and the Riff mountains are a joy and I can't wait to get going on something there...if there's any money left in the pot for that!!! But just a night away from Fez at a lovely little place called Casa Perleta, Seb on the flamenco guitar...phew it was a start!
In Spain we began down the long road to Relaxville, but not before you got chicken pox and I faut parred, which sort of changed the holiday we were expecting. These things happen, I’m sorry to say. It’s like that at times, this life thing....remember that ol' saying about expecting the unexpected!
When I was in Congo, after almost 2 years of civil war, I left to meet some friends on zanzibar, a gorgeous island in the Indian ocean, where I would later work. However I was so frazzeled by DRC that I ensured that i had a couple of weeks alone to recharge before meeting anyone. Sure enough for t
he first week I was in my beach hut on Zanzibar I didn't say a word to anyone, simply got my beers and bifter and watched the sea and the days go by. By the end of the second week I was what might be called normal again and had a great time with said friends. But here, there is no zanzibar, no weeks out, just long slog...shame!
Birthdays.
Back in Blighty we arrived to celebrate. First your Grandads 70th, which was a wonderful affair in which you were perhaps the youngest family member to attend. You had a chance to meet this whole side of your family.
I'm really sorry that you probably won't get a similar introduction to my side of your family, I'll tell you about it one day, it's complicated...or maybe it isn't. It's as it is. What is great however is that you really do get lots and lots of love...and you give lots too...love is the answer!
Then of course we all went to wales and celebrated your birthday, which you are currently saying you want to do again…next week! You must have enjoyed it. It looked as if you did.
Wales is a beautiful part of the world, especially when it's not raining and we are lucky to have the use of your grandads place in Aberdovey, that looks out on to the beach and river estuary.
Wales is renound for it's mountains (proof that size doesn't really matter!), poor weather, dragons and crabs! And you made the most of the crabs, popping off to collect a bucket full or two whenever possible, I'm sure they loved it too!
But when not crabbing we managed to drag you off to the mountains to go walking in Snowdonia…well when I say we, I mean us…you preferred to be carried…which was quite some challenge. However credit where it’s due, you lead from the rear and I would say, had a wonderful time, most of the time, which is all important.
Of course duty yelled and after that I fled back to Fez to over see the chantier during Eid. It’s something of a guilty pleasure having the house to myself when you guys are away, but ooh what a joy it is to wake up without your fingers pulling at my mouth!
Love you tho!
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