Last Friday evening, the Arts Club welcomed back John Archer Thomson to give an illustrated talk on his 'Travels in Morocco'.

He began by showing on a map the route his party would be taking, beginning at Casablanca and travelling almost full circle to Marrakesh at the end of their journey.

At Casablanca, one of the outstanding buildings in the city was the huge mosque, the second largest in the world, completed in 1993 after many years. The intricate carvings and the beautiful tiled work on the exterior matched the splendour of the interior with its magnificent marble stairway to the upper floor. Members were told that the ground floor accommodated 25,000 male worshippers and the upper floor had space for 5,000 women.

In the old capital of Meknes, a fertile area, members saw the ancient grainstore building, a relic of the 17th century. Here again, in this city, intricate and colourful tiling was evident on a large mausoleum. Tree-lined courtyards gave shade to the fortified houses (rhiads).

At the city of Fez, the oldest city of the country and a world heritage site, motorised vehicles are forbidden. The ancient tannery and the souks were of particular interest, along with the skyline of satellite dishes!

From Fez, the travellers proceeded to cross the Atlas Mountains to the oasis town of Rissani where the nomandic Berber tribes meet. The town was a mixture of ancient and modern.

The journey through the deep Todra Gorge and the Valley of a Thousand Casbahs led eventually to Quarzazata, known as the home of the film industry.

Travelling along the valley, the steep barren rocks on either side contrasted sharply with the fertile foothills. Emerging from the gorge, snow-capped mountain tops could be seen in the distance and above, flights of alpine choughs and golden eagles flew high in the blue skies.

Eventually the party reached Mogador on the coast, its European fortifications and Spanish guns indicating a well-defended city. A colourful sardine fishing fleet bobbed at anchor in the harbour.

The final destination was Marrakesh with its pink buildings, its large spice quarter and the beautiful Jardin Majorelle, known to contain 400 species of palm and many thousands of species of cactus.

This was the end of a remarkable trek in Morocco with its varied topography, its beautifully crafted buildings and its colourful souks.

To thank John Archer Thomson for his excellent presentation, the chairman called on Joan Bird, a visitor from Pembroke Arts Club, who had lived in Morocco for 11 years. In her vote of thanks, Joan said how much she had enjoyed the evocative evening and she congratulated John Archer Thomson on his superb photography and his lively commentary.

This (Friday) evening, St. Mary's Tenby Handbell Ringers will give an evening of their special kind of music. Non-members are welcome at £2. The programme starts at 8 pm in Church House.