1 May 2023, Tinghir
Riad Amadou R295 [DH155]

On our day of rest we took a gentle ramble up a small hill for spectacular views of the town and oasis.
Then back to the main street and its many eating options to dine in deep shade on lamb chops, chips and salad.
Our restaurant was across the road from an open square where a low-key May Day protest was taking place. Note the flag - I will tell you more about its Berber symbol another time...
I was, as is often the case, the only woman in the restaurant. This is very much a culture in which men congregate in restaurants and tea houses without their women. There is no disapproval, and seldom even any curiosity, about my presence. Very much an atmosphere of "each to his own".
We have, of course, seen couples and families dining or strolling together, and do see lone women or groups of women out and about, but it is noticeably rarer. Also, one seldom encounters women running a business or on a scooter or bike, unlike in Vietnam where women play a very active role in business.
On two occasions we have dined in a family setting, and perhaps these two examples capture both a traditional and changing society. At the one, we never met the wife who did the cooking and only the son joined us for dinner though we had met the daughter. At the other, we never met the wife who did the cooking, but the 11-year old daughter ate with us. Her father via Google Translate told us he had no education, but that his three children, including his daughter, were at school and that he hoped to send them all to college.
Nearing our hotel after lunch, we encountered five women seated together on the sidewalk. Having received a friendly greeting, I dared to ask if I could photograph them. At first they said no, apologetically. Then two said yes, then four of the five. Then we were into photos and group selfies…