We find ourselves in the town of Agdz in the Draa Valley (amazingly pronounced with four syllables - and we really enjoy saying it over and over!). It has a vibrant central square filled with the usual transport vehicles as well as a bustling souk (market), open-air cafes, car mechanics, butchers, grocers, bakeries and hairdressers. We are now used to the hustle and bustle of Moroccan towns and settle in at one of the cafes for a dinner of chicken kebabs, keftas (Moroccan grilled meatballs), and chips.

The Draa Valley is a strip of intensive agriculture (a band of vivid green) weaving through the desert. The agriculture is based within oases (i.e. lots of date palms with cultivated plots underneath). The date palm is the miracle tree of the arid desert expanses of southern Morocco. Wherever there is a good supply of water oases have sprung up. Although oases are completely natural, they have been used for agriculture for centuries. Our auberge is situated on the edge of the Agdz oasis and in the morning we venture into it looking for Painted Lady butterflies and caterpillars. The Painted Lady caterpillars feed on both thistles and mallow. In the oasis we find some mallow plants and what we suspect is an empty Painted Lady caterpillar nest. Hope flickers!

We drive south with plans to stop at thistles along the way to Zagora. We turn left off the road and cross over the Draa river. We drive through another oasis - these quiet, shady, lush areas are a delight to visit. On the other side of the oasis we spot some very large thistles on the outskirts of a village. This is much more like Painted Lady habitat - dusty, dirty, and on the edge of a village. We all hop out to investigate and YES! The two plants are covered in Painted Lady caterpillar nests and caterpillars inside. This find really adds to our knowledge of the Painted Lady in Morocco and we are thrilled. For the first time we get a lot of attention from the locals - children walking home from school, men lazing in the sun, and women hauling fodder want to know what we are up to. Back on the road to Zagora we spot a Painted Lady adult butterfly confirming that the Draa Valley was worth the visit.

In Zagora we have booked an auberge which is recommended in the Lonely Planet and has rave reviews on Trip Advisor. The outside is dubious but inside is a delightful auberge. It is a labyrinth of salons, terraces, and bedrooms over three floors. In Morocco it's all about internal appearances and an adobe plastered exterior might belie the plush interior. Our auberge is situated on the edge of Zagora town overlooking the oasis. The next morning we explore the maze of allotments that divide up the oasis. It is an oasis in all senses of the word and for us it is an escape from the dust, begging children, sun, and noise of Zagora. And then a Painted Lady flies by. Another record for the Draa Valley! That day we record two more adult butterflies thus confirming the Draa Valley possibly an important over-wintering location for this butterfly. And we finally begin to feel that this trip is contributed new information about the Painted Lady butterfly in Morocco.

The next morning we venture into the weekly souk which proves to be much more exciting than an Irish market. Here there are stalls of herbs and spices, nuts, fruit and vegetables, fish, clothing, shoes, carpets, coins, jewellery, teapots, buckets, furniture - basically anything that could be bought and sold! At the back of the market is a menagerie with men buying and selling cows, sheep, goats, and camels. We buy nuts, fruit, scarves, and some beads for a friend. Apparently we get an extremely good deal on some amber beads from a man sitting beside a pile of donkey dung (not joking!). He had come to the market needing to generate some money quickly and needed to sell as much as he could. The negotiation attracts a crowd of men as we are doing quite well for foreigners. Perhaps we are really settling into the Moroccan way?

After the souk we set off back up the road to Agdz. We will make sure to get as many records as possible from the Draa Valley before leaving. How exciting to have expanded the knowledge of this butterfly.