I have just come back from a glorious four days in Imlil and Tamatert. I have rarely seen such a cloudless blue sky and we had four days of spectacular walking.

We set off from Asni in the public minibus which in itself was quite an adventure as two goats and one sheep were loaded onto the roof - and the only thing done to prevent them from falling off was to tie their legs together! So with a certain amount of bleating we set off. (And at the time little did I realise that the bus was comparatively empty with only two passengers standing - when we returned this morning there were around a dozen standing while the conductor just hung off the back step!) It was lovely to arrive in Imlil where the trees are all turning various shades of orange red and gold and you felt you could almost reach out and touch the snow covered peaks. We dumped our kit at the little riad and after the obligatory mint tea, set off up to one of the high passes which we reached by lunchtime. The descent was a little more hairy as we tried to find a different path down but finally reached the bottom with no twisted ankles having successfully negotiated the steep scree covered slope. Our room in the riad had a fabulous view over Asni and I was even more thrilled to see a fire burning in the little room where we had a really delicious supper. (And wonderful to feel so warm after the freezing evenings of the past few days.) After all that walking it was a struggle to stay awake much after 9pm!

The next day we headed off through Aroumd up the beautiful path to the refuge from which we made the final ascent up Djebel Toubkal two years ago. At first there were very few people but by midday we had met quite a few parties who were descending. We almost reached the refuge and as we were by then pretty tired stopped for lunch and set off back down the mountain. And then we really met the crowds: as it was a public holiday in Morocco it seemed that Toubkal was the destination of scores of young Moroccans, as well as the parties of tourists with their guides and mules - it was great to see so many locals, though some of them seemed in an advanced stage of exhaustion even though they were only half way up! I have to say that we were both in an advanced stage of exhaustion by the time we got back to the riad and weren't best pleased to be told that our room was double booked and we were to follow the manager to another guesthouse - over a river and through a maze of houses. As we realised that we would never be able to find our way back in the dark we settled for a room in the annexe of the riad - although a lot more basic there were plenty blankets on the bed, the sheets looked clean and there was a hot shower AND most importantly we had the most amazing supper by the fire - meatballs in a rich tomato sauce with three fried eggs on top (to David's delight!) And of course it meant that we didn't miss out on the Nutella pancakes for breakfast.

Thus fortified (or stuffed?!) we set off on Saturday to Tamatert and the gorgeous Douar Samra where we had stayed before. Our destination was the top of the high mountain directly behind which proved to be quite challenging as it was seriously steep. We had to admit defeat just a few feet below the final summit as it really was pretty exposed and would involve some precarious scrambling, but we still had the most stunning views all around. And what bliss to arrive back dusty and weary to the lovely room which David had chosen, complete with brightly coloured curtains, rugs and cushions, a little terrace overlooking the valley below, a hot shower followed by a totally candlelit supper on low tables and cushions with some really interesting fellow guests. After sitting on the terrace watching shooting stars, I think the finishing touch was to return to our room to find a fire burning and a hot water bottle warming the bed - such a thing as I could only dream of in my freezing room in Asni 3 the previous week!

On our final day we went over to my favourite valley of Tashedirt. It was lovely to walk through the oranges and gold of the walnut trees and the lush green of the little fields and terraces on either side of the river. We struck up through a few villages and were directed by very friendly locals up to the high road where we had lunch and then set off back. Interesting sights on the way included a pack of little boys dashing through the villages with hoops made out of old plastic hose, a farmer and his donkey whose paniers were laden with dung to fertilise the little terraces, a couple of women washing their blankets in one of the irrigation channels (I can't imagine how they were going to get them clean!) and then a bunch of other ladies doing their washing in the river and leaving the clothes to dry on the stones. It made Asni seem like a hub of advanced mod cons and easy living. We had another equally lovely evening and, although coming back to the girls and Asni 3 is NOTHING like going back to the joys of Granton Campus at Edinburgh College, I did feel as if I would really miss the luxury of Douar Samra, not to mention David who is due to leave in two days' time!

But at least I have been given a lovely welcome back to the house with lots of hugs and kisses this morning so it really is a million light years away from commuting in to Granton or Wester Hailes on a dark November morning, (and I don't expect one jot of sympathy!)

PS Very sorry about the upside down photo - have spent ages trying to sort it but it just won't right itself1