10 May 2023, Sidi Addi, 37.08km
Auberge Amghes R381 [DH200]

Even in bigger towns and cities, most shops are small one-man (on occasion, woman) enterprises. The most prolific by far are general dealers. These can be identified by a Coca Cola sign or the gas bottles ranked on the sidewalk or the Maroc Telecom sign indicating airtime or "internet" (data) for sale. Sometimes these are big enough for you to enter and browse; more often, you will be served what you ask for across a dividing counter.
Also prolific, are pharmacies, always coloured green, and butcheries, always tiled in red and white stripes. The latter are also recognisable because of something meaty hanging from a ceiling hook. Often the head is left attached to the carcass or on display nearby so that a buyer can identify goat meat versus sheep, or camel innards versus cow.
Quite often the local butchery will also serve you a meal, freshly braaied meat you select from the shop. Yesterday, entering Sidi Addi, we encountered several butcheries with a fire on the sidewalk and a delicious smell wafting across the road to tempt us, and others. We could not resist, having survived our 39km ride on one triangle of processed cheese each, one boiled egg each, and a shared orange. We ordered Moroccan salad (finely chopped tomato and onion served in a saucer with a teaspoon) and lamb chops. No utensils were provided for the meat, customers washing their hands at a sidewalk basin and drying them on a sheet of butcher paper hanging from a butcher's hook both before and after.
Yum.
Our ride was mainly low-gear climbing through more open but still hilly terrain. Lots of pine trees, more intensive and larger-scale farming with large fruit-tree plantations, and purple thistle on the verges.
The houses have begun to change shape from the flat-roofed, square Moroccan-modern, to the occasional pitched and tiled roof.
The only auberge in Sidi Addi, just north of the river, advertises a BAR in large letters on a board. Its room rate was twice what we wanted to pay so we took a chance and asked if they had something cheaper. They asked what we wanted to spend and agreed to a 50% reduction! The owner clearly understood the marginal cost concept.
And the beers were the cheapest yet at R40 for a Morrocan Special, 250ml.