Dates

Yesterday we went to the Ksar Bicha in Merzouga to see Ammar's niece. She was in the house with a circle of female relatives who were sitting around a mound of dates. They were cutting or picking out the end of the stalk and throwing thedates into palm baskets. When the baskets were full the dates were poured into a blue plastic bag. K. told me that they had already filled twenty baskets.

I decided to join in and just used my left thumb to gouge out the stalks. Not good for the nail.I was refreshed by some tea and gateau - small homemade biscuits.

Last weekend we were in Erfoud to see the International Date Festival. The main tents were just outside the town so we walked there through sand and stones. It is amazing what can be done with the palm tree. Jam is made from the dates and a juice is boiled out of them which is called tahlaoute. I have tasted it with ta'am - a sort of big cous cous boiled like porridge.Another important part of the tree is the leaf.  Many useful household things are made from them. In the past the trunks of the palm were used in the constuction of ceilings in kasbahs. At the exhibition we saw how the irrigation canals were used and small bridges over the canals were made from slabs of palm trunk.

On our way back to Merzouga we visited the centre of Erfoud to see a small exhibition of local crafts.It was there that I tripped and fell, luckily onto a carpet. I hadn't fallen for a while so it was a bit of a shock. I was glad to get home.

Ammar has filled in the visa application form and his interview is booked. We made lots of photocopies and still have a few more to do. The main thing left to do is to translate our marriage document. And of course to get the application fee from the bank.