Fry-Day

It is a boiling hot day when we set off towards the Kasbah du Toubkal; it's now 3.30pm and the temperature is 32 degrees - cooler than the 35 degrees it was early afternoon! We wend our way through the zig-zagging mountain roads, air con blowing nicely into my face and cooling my feet. Soon we arrive in Imlil, the village where we park up and prepare for the 20 minute hike up to the Kasbah. It probably should take 15 mins but us old'uns who are slightly unfit need to stop frequently! The locals, on the other hand, are like gazelles as they run up and down the path. Oh to be fit! The mule takes our overnight bag and we follow at a distance. Up and up we go, past the shops, past the 'Hello, my friend' shouted from doorways and 'remember me?' Then we face the killer 'steps' and the final push to the Kasbah. We are greeted warmly as usual by the team there with rosewater sprinkled on our hands and faces and dates dipped in milk to give energy - at least, that's what the Berbers say! Our friend, Lahcen, shows us to our room and invites us to have coffee on the roof terrace. He needn't ask twice. As I've said before, this is my most favourite place to visit in Morocco. Stunning mountain views, a beautiful rustic hotel, great hospitality, fabulous food...and about 8 degrees cooler than Tahannaout. What is there not to like?!

View towards Mount Toubkal from one of the Kasbah terraces

I can see for miles and miles...

After a wash and freshen up it's time for dinner. Mart's boss is here, Mike, and he's told us we're having dinner in the salon with a few other people he wants us to meet. There's Bonnie, an American photographer, with her husband, Woody, closely followed by Jon, a film producer, and a cameraman whose name I didn't quite catch. It turns out that there is part of a film being shot at the Kasbah the very next day and the producer and cameraman are sitting having dinner with us at this very moment - wow, we're in the presence of royalty ;-) As we talk, it transpires that this very same cameraman is the one who recently shot the new advert for TV where the girl is on holiday in Marrakech and runs out of money so she phones home to ask her dad for a bank top-up and obviously Nat West provides. Funny, we've just been watching that advert the other day and recognised some of the Marrakech landmarks we frequent including the Hotel Toulousain. Small world! Jon, the film producer, regales us with tales of past filming and informs us that they are shooting part of a new film tomorrow based on an Ian Rankin novel called 'Doors Open'....and one of the stars of the film is none other than STEPHEN FRY...who at this very moment is in Marrakech and will be filming at the Kasbah tomorrow! Gob-smacked isn't the word! The first thought that enters my head is...how on earth is he going to get up that hill?! My second thought is...how can I camouflage myself in order to get secret photos of him?

A good night's sleep ensues followed by a delicious breakfast of home-made yoghurt, omelette, crusty bread, fresh orange juice and copious cups of coffee. Mart is having business meetings this morning with Mike and Bonnie, so Woody and I make ourselves scarce, cameras in hand, to try and catch a shot of the star himself at some point. I have to explain to Woody who Stephen is...he mustn't be that big in America then!

By 11am Woody has all but given up and borrows a laptop from Reception to check his emails. But I don't give up that easily! I have now stationed myself in the turret, ready for the action to begin. Surely from up here I won't miss a bloke who is 6 foot 3 inches in height and surrounded by a camera crew. Right on cue they arrive. I can see the film producer and cameraman from last night greeting some other men at the end of the path; they all have various bits of equipment strapped to them. That must've been a tough climb for them in this heat. But there's no sign of Stephen Fry. Slowly the men begin to haul a large white screen until it stands upright; ropes are attached to it on each side and the men work together to haul it into position, one of them even clambering onto a low roof to help. It must be something to do with getting the lighting right, I figure. My camera is poised and I click away discretely, hoping that soon I'll see the man himself. How odd to think that Steven Fry is in this very place that I have grown to love over the years - and is in fact the place Mart works for...and that we're here at the same time as him. Indeed he is now filming in one of the rooms Mart and I have stayed in before. At last the time has come...filming of that particular piece is over...and Stephen appears from beyond the screen. He is looking very dapper in a beige linen suit with a scarf draped over his shoulder, much like the ones I've seen in the Marrakech Souk. He does look a tad hot and bothered though - who can blame him?!...And as I snap away, he seems to look up and catch me. Oops, hope he doesn't mind.

The screen is hauled up

The producer, cameraman and some of the entourage

The elegant Mr. Fry

The turret aka my secret paparazzi spot

Have I been caught?

Soon the fuss is all over and the crew have headed back down the hill to finish filming in the village of Imlil. Must watch out for the film now....27th August 2012 is the launch date...I'll be watching....