A picnic in May

Unlike in the USA, May day is a public holiday here, and is an equivalent to Labor Day. Seeing as it was a beautiful Friday and we all had the day off, Othman and I joined up with our friends Gioia and Driss for a wonderful picnic in the forest of Bouskoura!

We somehow ended up with way too much food—cabbage salad, rice salad, hummus, carrots, couscous (the boys' contribution, from a nearby cafe), french fries, and chicken... and that's not even including dessert!

As we feasted on the ridiculous amount of food, we suddenly heard a strange noise coming our way.

A herd of cows wandered over, stomped around in the woods a bit, and apparently not finding much of interest to eat, they went. 

As lunch wound down, I realized that the light was just perfect to take some portraits. Here's Gioia being sweet with her husband...

and he being silly with her...

while Othman was simply skeptical.

The boys then wandered off, digesting a bit, and Gioia and I laid down on the blanket, relaxing in the quiet of the woods and chatting about this and that. Listening to the wind in the trees, the birds, and the soft murmur of insects and smelling the fresh air and earth and greenness surrounding us was truly magical. It was such a far cry from the traffic, loud voices, and pollution we're used to in Casablanca.

The boys rejoined us and I got out the board game I had brought along—one I got for Othman last Christmas, and with the great features that not only is it easy to teach and play, but also it can be played in any language, or more than one simultaneously!

The game proved a hit, in large part because it is one of those games which depends wholly on what you make of it, and we made it fun for ourselves. I love that it's a cooperative game, so it doesn't bring out a competitive streak in anyone and is simply relaxing and amusing.

The day slipped by us and before we knew it, it was 5pm and time to head back into town. Before we left I asked Gioia to snap a picture of Othman and I, who unwittingly dressed ourselves in matching shirts that morning! I guess we both subconsciously wanted to blend in in the woods.

As we were lying under the trees earlier on, Gioia and I had discussed how having a picnic was a perfect way to enjoy a day out of the house without much hassle and without having to spend a bunch of money. It was a lovely picnic, and I'm looking forward to many more!