Roasting Coffee In Stone Courtyard

A cracked stone wall and thatched awning shelter a quiet courtyard where a colorful bird perches beside hanging bundles of garlic and dried herbs. Four women in white robes trimmed with woven bands sit around a wide black pan set over glowing coals, one stirring pale green coffee beans as smoke and steam drift up from a second pot beside her. Small painted cups and a blackened kettle wait on a low table, and a clay jug pours steam from its narrow neck nearby. Baskets of green beans sit at their feet, and pots of red geraniums and yellow daffodils crowd the edges of the courtyard. In the background, two more women in embroidered white dresses stand talking near a doorway, and vivid pink blossoms spill over a wall. The beans in the pan sit in loose, separate heaps, each one waiting its turn on the coals.