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The cracks in the facade have been filled. She has long since swept the broken pieces together and stacked loose stones in a pile, says Christine Ferrari in Blick. The Basel resident actively took the cleaning work into his own hands. Because life must go on on the plantation at the foot of the Atlas Mountains, says the Swiss farmer. New saffron bulbs need to be planted, the exotic plants in the botanical garden need to be kept in shape and food needs to be cooked for guests who have not yet canceled. The sun is shining – and yet the shadow won’t go away.
The educated businesswoman from Riehen has been producing BS Safran in Morocco for eleven years. She guides tourists through the blossoms of her garden and serves tagine specialties. Christine Ferrari welcomes up to 6,000 guests per year. Among them were celebrities such as Hollywood star Salma Hayek (57), master violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter (60) and Austrian Federal President Alexander van der Bellen (79).
Even star chef Alfred Schuhbeck (74), Donald Trump’s chefs (77) and the British royal family looked over the Swiss woman’s shoulder. In one book, Christine Ferrari is called “the saffron woman”.
“I was alone when the earth shook”
The magic in the “Paradis de Safran” in Ourika, Morocco is now broken. The atmosphere is depressing, says Christine Ferrari (62) on the phone, “you somehow feel the breath of death and a heavy feeling in your heart.” On Friday evening, shortly after 11 p.m., the worst earthquake in 120 years shook the kingdom of Morocco. The woman from Basel experienced the catastrophe firsthand.
“Since I usually have to get up at five in the morning, I was already asleep at that moment. Then suddenly the rumbling started,” says the emigrant in the Blick interview, “the refrigerator door burst open, things flew off the shelf. The dogs were barking outside. My cats stood frozen in front of me, their eyes wide open. It was horrible”.
Christine Ferrari lives alone in a small mud house. “That was scary,” the saffron entrepreneur admits. That evening she checks the damage on the plantation. They are manageable. “I had a healthy faith in God and just went back to bed,” Ferrari says. She has no idea that thousands of people are dying just a few miles away. It wasn’t until the next morning that the rude awakening came.
The electrician lost six family members
Your helpers don’t show up for work, but receive bad news via WhatsApp. «My employees had to spend the night outside. They were in shock. The women cried. In many villages there was no electricity and water anymore. People live on bread that cannot be baked now.
Christine Ferrari’s electrician loses six family members that night. Ferrari’s German girlfriend Sabina Benchaira (56), who runs the historic Hotel Sherazade in the old center of Marrakesh, also has damage to the house. “An outside wall collapsed,” says Ferrari. Now the rubble has to be carried through the narrow streets on donkey carts. But there are hardly any craftsmen. “People all want to help in the mountains and go to the villages. It is difficult to find someone in Marrakech,” says the saffron woman.
Although Marrakesh has not been hit nearly as hard as the mountain villages in the Atlas Mountains, the city is currently lacking many things. People mainly buy basic food in supermarkets and bring them to the remote earthquake zone. ‘Everyone helps everyone. ‘That is part of the mentality of the Berbers who live in the Atlas Mountains,’ continues the Basel woman, ‘money is collected everywhere to provide for the population in need.’
“Tourists should not be deterred”
Christine Ferrari has adapted to the local population over the years. She speaks fluent Moroccan. She has learned to assert herself as a European woman in the Maghreb country. Now she happily accepts the serenity of the Berbers. ‘You don’t complain. If you ask them how they are after the earthquake, they say Al Hamdulillah,” the saffron woman explains, “that means thank God.” Thank God you are alive.
The earthquake is over, says Christine Ferrari, and even though many villages have been destroyed, the country is still worth a visit. “The tourism authority announced today that the infrastructure in Marrakech is functioning, the airport is open and you can travel freely again,” said the saffron woman. Tourists should not be deterred. «Morocco is still beautiful and guests are welcome. Every guest helps people here rebuild their lives,” says Christine Ferrari.
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
