Fifth Journey Day 181: The Cat Beside Oranges

Date: November 5, 2025
Location: Chefchaouen, Morocco

In Chefchaouen, Morocco, the blue-washed medina climbs the lower Rif Mountains. Limewash and indigo tradition tint every alley, while mint tea and mountain air braid together a calm rhythm that invites slow looking.

A City Painted in Blue

I spent most of the morning walking through the medina. The streets are narrow and wind in an intricate pattern, like a piece of fabric. Each turn reveals a new shade of blue, from bright to pale. The walls aren't all the same. They have fingerprints, drips, and uneven brush marks. These make the city feel alive. It's as if the city is constantly being repainted by memory and time. I didn't try to take any pictures. It felt like moving through it, seeing how light and shadow changed the same color over and over again.

The Cat Beside Oranges

At one point, I stopped near a doorway where the blue was almost white. A cat was sleeping there, curled up next to a basket of oranges. The difference between the coolness of the wall and the warmth of the fruit was surprising, as was the small pulse of life between them. I watched until someone passed by and the cat stretched, leaving a faint dust mark on the wall. It made me think about how even the quietest moments leave a trace.

Quiet Moments at a Tea Stall

Later, I bought tea from a small shop inside an archway. The glass was too hot to hold, and the mint leaves floated like little green shadows. I stood by a fountain, watching the water reflect the walls, each ripple breaking the color into fragments. The air grew cooler as the day ended, and a faint sound of prayer echoed from the hills — not loud, just steady, like breathing.

Choosing Stillness Over Sketching

Today felt slow, but not in a way that made me want to do more. The stillness here feels earned, like it comes from years of waiting and repainting. I think that's what I'll remember most — the patience of color, and how even silence can feel painted.

Travel Notes

• Weather: Soft light through thin clouds; 18°C; the air smelled of mint and wet stone; a mild mountain breeze threaded the narrow streets.
• Scents: Fresh mint tea, damp limewash, orange peel, and cool stone.
• Sounds: Footsteps on cobbles, a small fountain’s trickle, gentle market chatter, and a steady call to prayer rolling from the hills.
• Reflection: Color here moves with patience; even a sleeping cat or a dust mark on a wall feels like a brushstroke time decided to leave.

Continue the Journey

You may also enjoy reading about First Journey Day 5: Fragrant Constellations from Fes, or lingering with First Journey Day 6: Whispers in the Wind in Casablanca.