Winter in Morocco

It snowed this week and I’m colder than I have ever been. This is not the Morocco of scorching desert sands. This is the Morocco of the Atlas Mountains. Even though we’re from a cold climate, the difference is that here the houses are just as cold inside as the temperature outside—often colder. You know you’re in Morocco when you have to go outside to warm up, or when you have to put vegetables in the refrigerator to keep them from freezing during the night. And as usual during inclement weather, the power often goes out. There’s nothing quite as dispiriting as being cold and damp in the dark. Condensation drips down the concrete walls and dampens every surface. If a sunny day comes along, every rooftop across town sports a colorful variety of blankets as the women haul all their bedding up to the roof to dry out. I hope one day Moroccans will discover the benefits of insulation. The upside is that the view of the snow-capped mountains is a stunning sight and the valley turns a glorious green. February promises to be a long month, but as Shelley wrote, “When winter comes, can spring be far behind?”