Elderly French Traveler Embraces Unexpected Extended Stay in Morocco Amid Lockdown

"He’s a homing pigeon. [...] I’m not worried about him..." testifies his daughter Claudie. The octogenarian is a regular in Morocco. For 20 years, he and his wife have been going to the kingdom to spend the winter. He makes this trip alone since the death of his wife. The motorhome driver was supposed to return in mid-March but found himself confined after the entry into force of the state of health emergency and confinement.

"In winter, in Morocco, dad often travels to Agadir, so further south, then he is itinerant. When the confinement began, he found himself in a courtyard, at friends’ place and could hardly go out from there. One day, he had had enough and tried to go back up, but he got stuck where he is today, blocked by the authorities of the country," his daughter confides to Actu.fr.

Unlike many French motorhome drivers stranded in Morocco, the former butcher-caterer is taking life on the bright side. He is constantly connected on Snapchat and Facebook even though he is saddened by the quality of the internet connection. He admits that his life is rather sweet in Morocco. "He has his dog and goes to the supermarket every day to do his shopping. It’s also reassuring, the temperature of each customer is taken at the entrance," says Claudie.

The retiree has made friends with other motorhome drivers. He has maintained contact with his family. His wish, he will say, is to return to France to celebrate his birthday, on June 25, with his loved ones.