For the very last week of our Sojourn we flew from Barcelona to Fes in Morocco via Casablanca.
Sounds incredibly exotic, doesn't it?
Waiting in the domestic transit lounge, Casablanca. Yes, it's a cat!
Walking across the tarmac to board the midnight plane, via the rear stairs, for the one hour leg from Casablanca to Fes. Yes, it has a propeller!
Waking up in the best room in the riad 'Palais de Fes'. Yes, they put us in the wrong room!
Breakfast for two. Yes!
Breakfast on the terrace with the Fes medina laid out before us in the morning sunshine. Yes, but the wrong terrace!
At the riad 'La Maison Verte'. Yes, finally the right room!
With our sitting area in the corner of the courtyard. Yes, finally the right riad!
A riad (Arabic: رياض) is a traditional Moroccan house or palace with an interior garden or courtyard. The word riad comes from the Arabian term for garden, "ryad".
Second morning and the right terrace for breakfast. And this terrace makes us omelettes and has power points for the computer. Yes!
Following our guide Muhammed for our first tour of the medina. Yes, the first of three tours with the guide and one excursion into the souk on our own!
A medina quarter is a distinct city section found in many North African cities. The medina is typically walled, with many narrow and maze-like streets. The word "medina" itself simply means "city" or "town" in modern day Arabic.
The food souk came first. Chilli - yes!
The spelling souk entered European languages through French, probably during the French occupation of the Berber countries Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia in the 19th or 20th centuries. Thus, the word "souk" refers to Berber/North African traditional markets.
Camel - no!
This woman is rolling and stretching dough for an extremely thin pancake which is then draped over this metal shape, with a gas jet inside, to cook. To be filled with honey, meat or nuts - yes!
Olives and preserved lemons - yes!
Fresh eggs brought to the souk in a basket and sold on recycled trays or wrapped in newspaper - yes!
Fresh herbs, especially mint for the wonderful mint tea - yes!
Okra, radish and white maize, these were growing this morning - yes!
Chickens and pigeons sold live. I eat them but I don't like to see them treated this way - no!
Dried peas, beans, chick peas, polenta, tapioca, and all grades of cous cous - yes!
Eight different varieties of fresh dates. Yum - yes!
You've never tasted anything as good as these figs - yes!
Pomegranates are in season here and Muhammed loves pomegranates and pomegranate juice, so on our three tours he purchased many pomegranates. This time from the vendor near the King's palace.
These looked good apparently, very pale and full of fruit and juice but a bit too ripe I was told. 5 dirhams or 71 cents per kilo.
These too are externally pale, a good sign apparently. And internally the paler the flesh, the better - excellent - yes!
In the clothing souk, traditional djellabas and kaftans were everywhere.
The traditional dress for men and women is called a djellaba; a long, loose, hooded garment with full sleeves. For special occasions, men also wear a red cap called a bernousse, more commonly referred to as a Fez, and women wear kaftans decorated with ornaments. Nearly all men, and most women, wear balgha - soft leather slippers with no heel, often dyed yellow. The distinction between a djellaba and a kaftan is the hood, kaftans have no hood. Most women’s djellabas are brightly colored and have ornate patterns, stitching, or beading, while men's djellabas are usually plainer and colored neutrally.
One of the many wedding shops. A wedding is a very important occasion.
Our guide Muhammed leading the way in his neutrally coloured djellaba and his pink bernousse.
There are only three types of transport in the medina - porters, donkeys and handcarts.
Signage of the streets in the medina is pretty unique. This wall of signs included one addressed to donkeys.
There are many cats, especially in the food souks. They are well treated. This guy was sitting quietly on the steps of the mosque.
A perfume shop. Order your favourite from the list on the right and it will be made up for you on the spot.
The shop for thread. Glorious colours to match the fabric for women's djellabas. Such colour is important for weddings.
The maker of headstones.
One of the many beautifully tiled public fountains in the medina, many of which have been restored.
The famous blue gate. This is one of sixteen gates into the medina. Green is the colour of Morocco and blue is the colour of Fes.
Here is the square (with the trees) and the street in front of our riad (hotel). This is one of the few transport hubs within the medina. It's chaos. Taxis, buses, cars, donkeys, handcarts (you can see them lined up awaiting deliveries) and pedestrians.
Goods can only be transported by vehicle to this point. All goods whether foodstuffs, building materials, refrigerators or people can only come this far. Then it is donkey, handcart or porter - and there aren't too many porters!
And here is the medina of the old city of Fes, nestled in its valley in the desert.
