{"id":18448,"date":"2026-09-12T14:47:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-12T12:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/?p=18448"},"modified":"2026-11-04T14:22:59","modified_gmt":"2026-11-04T13:22:59","slug":"od-pijeska-do-cedrova","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/en\/od-pijeska-do-cedrova\/","title":{"rendered":"From Sand to Cedars"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><!-- maroko-serijal-start --><\/p>\n<aside aria-label=\"Seven Days in Morocco Series\" style=\"box-sizing:border-box;background:#252e28;color:#f6f1e7;border-left:4px solid #a06b49;padding:clamp(24px,4vw,42px);margin:2.5em clamp(-28px,-3vw,-12px);\">\n<p class=\"translation-block\" style=\"color:#d8b391!important;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:12px;letter-spacing:.2em;font-weight:700;line-height:1.6;margin:0 0 14px;text-transform:uppercase;\">Travel Stories \u00b7 My Travel Series<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color:#f6f1e7!important;font-size:clamp(30px,4vw,44px);line-height:1.12;margin:0 0 18px;\">Seven Days in Morocco<\/h2>\n<p class=\"translation-block\" style=\"color:#e8e4d9!important;font-size:18px;line-height:1.65;margin:0 0 24px;\">From the bustle of Marrakech across the High Atlas and Saharan dunes to the medina of Fez. Seven stories of people, cities and encounters along the way.<\/p>\n<nav aria-label=\"Morocco Series \u2013 All Instalments\" style=\"display:grid;gap:0;\">\n<div style=\"border-top:1px solid #536052;padding:13px 0;line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/en\/marrakech-lose-your-way-find-a-story\/\" style=\"color:#f6f1e7!important;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:4px;\">Marrakech \u2013 A City of Stories <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2197<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"border-top:1px solid #536052;padding:13px 0;line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/en\/across-the-atlas-to-the-city-that-became-troy\/\" style=\"color:#f6f1e7!important;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:4px;\">Across the Atlas to A\u00eft Ben Haddou <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2197<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"border-top:1px solid #536052;padding:13px 0;line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/en\/from-canyons-to-dunes-towards-the-sahara\/\" style=\"color:#f6f1e7!important;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:4px;\">From Canyons to Dunes \u2013 Dades, Todra and Merzouga <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2197<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"border-top:1px solid #536052;padding:13px 0;line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/en\/at-the-edge-of-the-dunes-tea-stone-and-song\/\" style=\"color:#f6f1e7!important;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:4px;\">At the Edge of the Dunes \u2013 Nomads, Fossils and Khamlia <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2197<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"border-top:1px solid #536052;padding:13px 0;line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/en\/barefoot-into-silence\/\" style=\"color:#f6f1e7!important;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:4px;\">Barefoot into Silence \u2013 Night and Morning among the Dunes <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2197<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"border-top:1px solid #536052;padding:13px 0;line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;\"><span aria-current=\"page\" style=\"color:#f6f1e7;font-weight:700;\">From Sand to Cedars \u2013 From Merzouga to Fez<\/span><span style=\"display:block;color:#d8b391;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;letter-spacing:.12em;text-transform:uppercase;margin-top:3px;\">You Are Here<\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"border-top:1px solid #536052;padding:13px 0;line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/en\/fez-lose-your-way-find-the-soul-of-morocco\/\" style=\"color:#f6f1e7!important;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:4px;\">Fez \u2013 Lose Your Way in the Medina, Find the Soul of Morocco <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2197<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<\/aside>\n<p><!-- maroko-serijal-end --><\/p>\n<p class=\"translation-block\">After a <a href=\"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/en\/karavana-prema-zlatnim-dinama\/\">barefoot morning among the dunes of Erg Chebbi<\/a>, we set out towards <strong>Fez<\/strong>. On the map, a road connected two points. In reality, a whole succession of Moroccos lay between them: a stone workshop full of fossils, a pause beside a camel in <strong>Damia<\/strong>, smoky grills in <strong>Zaida<\/strong>, monkeys among cedars and the neat paths of <strong>Ifrane<\/strong>. We left the desert gradually, a little at each stop.<\/p>\n<h2>Erfoud \u2013 New Life for Ancient Stone<\/h2>\n<p class=\"translation-block\">At the start of the journey, we stopped in <strong>Erfoud<\/strong>, at a souvenir shop with a workshop making objects from fossil-bearing stone. We were shown the whole process, from rough rock to shaped and polished surfaces. Among tools, slabs and finished bowls, it was easier to appreciate the labour behind something a traveller might glance at for only seconds in a shop window. A craftsman pressed a stone object against a rotating wheel and continued working before us; other pieces waited behind him, each with its own pattern.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"margin:2em 0\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/02-191153.jpg\" alt=\"A craftsman shaping a stone object on a rotating wheel in the workshop\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display:block;max-width:100%;height:auto;margin:auto\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:.85em;opacity:.75;text-align:center\">Working fossil-bearing stone in Erfoud<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure style=\"margin:2em 0\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/01-191125.jpg\" alt=\"A workshop visitor holding two stones with visible fossils\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display:block;max-width:100%;height:auto;margin:auto\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:.85em;opacity:.75;text-align:center\">Fossils at a workshop in Erfoud<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"translation-block\">I held a stone in which the body of a creature from a distant past was clearly outlined. After sand had slipped through my fingers the previous morning, I was now looking at something preserved in rock for an almost unimaginable span of time. The area\u2019s fossils testify to a former marine environment. It is difficult to reconcile that image with today\u2019s dry landscape, but the contrast interested me most: standing above a trace of the sea on the road away from the Sahara.<\/p>\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Working fossil-bearing stone is an important part of the area\u2019s economy. Behind a finished souvenir lie sourcing the material, preparation, cutting, shaping, polishing and selling. What we had earlier viewed as a feature of the landscape during our <a href=\"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/en\/na-rubu-dina-caj-kamen-i-pjesma\/\">outing around Merzouga<\/a> acquired a human dimension here: work, skill and daily life. The buyer takes home an object; this time, I took away the memory of how it was made.<\/p>\n<h2>Damia \u2013 A Pause with Unusual Company<\/h2>\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Travel in this part of Morocco has its own rhythm. You drive, look out of the window, stop, and then something small happens that you later remember as clearly as a major destination. In <strong>Damia<\/strong>, it was meeting a camel beneath a reed shelter. I approached with my phone and tried to fit us both into the frame. It raised its head, I glanced sideways and a memory was made that needs no serious explanation. After all those grand thoughts among the dunes, some ordinary laughter was welcome.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"margin:2em 0\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/03-191202.jpg\" alt=\"A traveller and camel beneath a reed shelter in Damia\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display:block;max-width:100%;height:auto;margin:auto\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:.85em;opacity:.75;text-align:center\">A pause beside a camel in Damia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Zaida \u2013 Where Smoke Gives the Road Its Character<\/h2>\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Our stop in <strong>Zaida<\/strong> had an entirely different smell. Beside the road stood grill restaurants, with long barbecues, embers and skewers outside. Smoke rose among displayed fruit, parked cars and passers-by. Food was prepared before you at the pavement\u2019s edge, with traffic passing almost within reach. After the workshop\u2019s careful attention to each movement of a tool, everything happened at once here: fire, conversation, movement and cooking.<\/p>\n<p class=\"translation-block\">I did not remain an observer for long. A piece of cardboard found its way into my hand, and I used it to fan the embers. I stood beside the great grill, surrounded by smoke, wearing a smile difficult to arrange for a photograph. Stops like this make me feel that I have briefly entered a place\u2019s rhythm. <strong>Zaida<\/strong> remains in this story through that simple scene: skewers over embers, cardboard in hand and life continuing undisturbed around us.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"margin:2em 0\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/04-191422.jpg\" alt=\"Fanning embers with cardboard beside a large street grill in Zaida\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display:block;max-width:100%;height:auto;margin:auto\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:.85em;opacity:.75;text-align:center\">Beside a grill in Zaida<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Among the Cedars \u2013 An Encounter on a Wing Mirror<\/h2>\n<p class=\"translation-block\">As we approached the <strong>Middle Atlas<\/strong>, the view changed more and more. Greenery, trees and shade followed open, dry country. In the cedar forest beside the <strong>N13<\/strong>, at a spot marked <em>Monkey Park<\/em>, we stopped for its most curious inhabitants. Barbary macaques belong to these mountain forests, and meeting them offered another reminder of Morocco\u2019s remarkably varied landscapes and wildlife.<\/p>\n<p class=\"translation-block\">One settled on our vehicle\u2019s wing mirror. I watched at close range: tiny finger movements, thick fur and a face that briefly looked almost thoughtful. Then it turned its head or shifted position, changing the whole expression. A short video preserves that encounter without anything special needing to happen. It was enough that the macaque chose the mirror and we paused long enough to look.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"margin:2em 0\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/05-192404.jpg\" alt=\"A close view of a Barbary macaque during our forest stop\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display:block;max-width:100%;height:auto;margin:auto\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:.85em;opacity:.75;text-align:center\">A Barbary macaque in the cedar forest<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure style=\"margin:2em 0\"><video controls preload=\"metadata\" playsinline style=\"display:block;max-width:100%;max-height:700px;margin:auto\" src=\"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/192393.mp4\"><\/video><figcaption style=\"font-size:.85em;opacity:.75;text-align:center\">A brief encounter on a wing mirror in the cedar forest.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Ifrane \u2013 Flowers, Shade and a Stone Lion<\/h2>\n<p class=\"translation-block\">In <strong>Ifrane<\/strong>, the transformation became even clearer. Neat paths, flowerbeds, benches and leafy trees presented a scene I would struggle to connect with the dunes had I not personally travelled the road between them. This <strong>Middle Atlas<\/strong> town is known for its mountain setting and cooler climate; winter brings snow. After the southern landscapes, the lawns and plentiful shade already felt like arrival in another part of the world.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"margin:2em 0\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/06-192442.jpg\" alt=\"A path beside yellow and orange flowerbeds and benches in Ifrane\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display:block;max-width:100%;height:auto;margin:auto\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:.85em;opacity:.75;text-align:center\">A flower-lined path in Ifrane<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"translation-block\">We also stopped at <strong>Ifrane\u2019s stone lion<\/strong>. Its face emerges from rock surrounded by greenery, while nearby a path follows beds of yellow and orange flowers. After the lively encounter with the macaque, this lion calmly endured all our attention. The park walk was pleasant precisely because it demanded little: some time, a few steps and eyes resting on greenery.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"margin:2em 0\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/07-192461.jpg\" alt=\"A lion carved into rock among Ifrane\u2019s greenery\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display:block;max-width:100%;height:auto;margin:auto\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:.85em;opacity:.75;text-align:center\">Ifrane\u2019s stone lion<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Fez Still Awaits<\/h2>\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Towards <strong>Fez<\/strong>, I revisited the scenes we were leaving behind: a craftsman over stone, a camel beside my shoulder, smoke above a grill, a macaque on a mirror, a lion among trees. Each belonged to the same journey, yet each said something different about the country. Had we simply hurried to arrive, many encounters would have remained on the other side of the window.<\/p>\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Arrival in <strong>Fez<\/strong> ends this stage. I am saving its medina for the next story, when we leave the road\u2019s clarity and enter streets revealing the city step by step. After the desert\u2019s openness and the cedars\u2019 shade, it is time for the old city\u2019s gates, passages, workshops and people.<\/p>\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Previously in the series:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/en\/karavana-prema-zlatnim-dinama\/\">Barefoot into Silence \u2013 Night and Morning among the Dunes of Erg Chebbi<\/a>.<br><strong>Next:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/en\/kad-se-izgubis-u-medini-pronades-dusu-maroka\/\">Lose Your Way in the Medina, Find the Soul of Morocco<\/a>, the conclusion of <em>Seven Days in Morocco<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"translation-block\" style=\"font-size:.85em;opacity:.75\">Information on fossil crafts and the Middle Atlas: the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitmorocco.com\/sites\/default\/files\/atoms\/files\/NatureEvasionFR.pdf\">Moroccan National Tourist Office \u2013 Nature and Fossils<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitmorocco.com\/en\/travel\/ifrane\">Ifrane<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><!-- maroko-mustafa-start --><\/p>\n<aside aria-label=\"A Moroccan Adventure with Mustafa\" style=\"box-sizing:border-box;background:#252e28;color:#f6f1e7;border-left:4px solid #a06b49;padding:clamp(24px,4vw,42px);margin:3em clamp(-28px,-3vw,-12px);\">\n<p class=\"translation-block\" style=\"color:#d8b391!important;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:12px;letter-spacing:.18em;font-weight:700;line-height:1.6;margin:0 0 22px;text-transform:uppercase;\">The People Who Make a Journey Memorable<\/p>\n<div style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:28px;align-items:center;\">\n<figure style=\"flex:1 1 260px;max-width:320px;margin:0;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/01-248433.png\" alt=\"With our guide Mustafa in front of A\u00eft Ben Haddou in Morocco\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"936\" height=\"1104\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:3px;\"\/><figcaption style=\"color:#d8b391!important;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;margin-top:10px;\">With Mustafa, my Moroccan brother and guide.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div style=\"flex:1 1 260px;min-width:0;\">\n<h2 style=\"color:#f6f1e7!important;font-size:clamp(27px,3.5vw,38px);line-height:1.2;margin:0 0 20px;\">Thank You, Mustafa<\/h2>\n<p class=\"translation-block\" style=\"color:#e8e4d9!important;font-size:18px;line-height:1.75;margin:0 0 18px;\">All credit for this adventure goes to my Moroccan brother and guide <strong style=\"color:#f6f1e7!important\">Mustafa<\/strong>, who opened the doors of his country to me.<\/p>\n<p class=\"translation-block\" style=\"color:#e8e4d9!important;font-size:18px;line-height:1.75;margin:0 0 24px;\">Discover this fascinating country with us.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/gremotours.hr\/tour\/maroko-kraljevska-tura\/\" style=\"display:inline-block;box-sizing:border-box;max-width:100%;background:#d8b391;color:#252e28!important;border:1px solid #d8b391;padding:14px 20px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px;font-weight:700;line-height:1.5;text-decoration:none;\">Travel to Morocco with Us \u2197<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"translation-block\" style=\"color:#d8b391!important;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:12px;line-height:1.5;margin:12px 0 0;\">Itinerary and Information \u00b7 Gremo Tours<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p><!-- maroko-mustafa-end --><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From Merzouga to Fez via Erfoud\u2019s fossil workshops, Damia, Zaida\u2019s grills, cedar forests, Barbary macaques and Ifrane.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18453,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,2,25],"tags":[],"knjiga":[],"zemlja":[36],"lokacija":[],"class_list":["post-18448","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-maroko","category-price-s-puta","category-putopisi","zemlja-maroko"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18448","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18448"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18448\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18577,"href":"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18448\/revisions\/18577"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18453"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18448"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18448"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18448"},{"taxonomy":"knjiga","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/knjiga?post=18448"},{"taxonomy":"zemlja","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/zemlja?post=18448"},{"taxonomy":"lokacija","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/slavenvujic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lokacija?post=18448"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}