Lakes, fountains, wide roads, Swiss-style villas, and green spaces… it’s like driving into a resort town in Switzerland.  But no, we’re still in Morocco, en route to Marrakech.

A photo of Morocco’s King Mohammed VI, a regular sight all around the country.

We took a pit stop in the city of Ifrane in the Middle Atlas, 50 kilometers south of Fes.  Built by the French in the 1930s as a resort town and an oasis in a desert,

a refreshing break from the cramped, dusty alleyways of the medina.

Sitting in a natural depression, Lake Dayet Aoua, is a relatively well-conserved lake within the Parc National d’Ifrane.

Rich in bird life and woodlands, it is a popular destination of birdwatchers.

The most amazing roast chicken we had on our entire Moroccan adventure was at a roadside restaurant our driver took us to.

Juicy, succulent with a touch of Moroccan flavors…

and just thinking of it had me craving for it now.

Carrots, potatoes with beef slow cooked in Moroccan spices.

The vegetable and beef tagine we had with the chicken.

We stopped by an exhibit of the Ifrane National Park by the road side.

The trip took 10 hours, 2 hours over the estimated time because, aside from making several stops along the way, the driver took speed limit very seriously.

This is a typical road scene before I dozed off and woke up in Marrakech at half past eight in the evening, our driver trying to find the Sidi Ben Youssef Mosque, where we are to meet our next host, Adam.