I drank lots of cups of tea at the weekend. I like tea. I have shared my love of warm beverages before on this blog and am sure I will continue to do so. When we think about other places it could be so easy to pick out all the differences and yet there are so many things we share as human beings. One of those things is a cup of tea; sure we drink our tea in different ways but it is a uniting force around the world.

On Sunday I went on a day out into the Atlas Mountains and the Ourika Valley with Splash Morocco. My husband and I were up and out by 9am (not early really…. but we were on holiday!) and so were looking forward to our first stop at the traditional Berber home of Fatima and her family. We were treated to an hour of Moroccan tea drinking and warm bread eating. Fatima’s hospitality was amazing, warm and generous. While I am sure she has had many tourists through her door she gave genuine smiles and the laughter lines around her eyes spoke more than any words would about the kind of woman she is. Here are some images from our morning tea time:

Fatima welcomes visitors into her home for a warm cup of sugary tea.

Water boils ready for the preparation of the traditional mint tea.

Pouring the tea into the small glass beakers for the guests. Fatima has polished hostess skills!

In the kitchen at the back of the house the flour and water is moulded into small circles and then pummelled ready for baking.

While the tea comes to the boil one of Fatima’s family members creates a beautiful henna design.

A refreshing cup of mint tea cools you down and quenches your thirst. A wonderful drink.