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Published: September 21st 2019
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It's been all go go go since I left Tobago.. It can't be only 2 weeks ago! Toronto followed by Marrakech and now Fes. In transit Montreal I left a precious bracelet in the security bin, but I'm hoping it's in the lost and found on my return.
I'll start right where I am now - Fes or Fez the very ancient spiritual capital of Morocco. Traveling with friends Robert and Fitz who initiated the trip. For me this is a very new experience to be moving at a pace set by others. I'm letting go in practice.
We arrived in Fes after a comfortable but 6+hours long train journey from Marrakech past neat rows of olive trees and orchards of oranges and pomegranates and cactus plants. Olives are widely eaten throughout Morocco, and everywhere there are mobile vendors selling fresh squeezed juices... Orange and pomegranate. Dates and date palms are everywhere.
My travel companions are foodies therfore I've been eating more than if I were alone ?. Moroccan food is really tasty. Especially love tagine which is cooked in a special clay pot iron pot with a distinctive conical cover. It is arrives at table steaming,
sizzling hot! It I contains meat (beef, chicken, lamb) seasoned with Moroccan spices cooked with olives, cous cous or potatoes or prunes etc. Served with a side of rice or French fries. Cous Cous and olives are staples. As is a basket of bread, in a wide variety. And pastries for deserts. In fact variety is the keyword of Morocco's food.
FES is a thousand year old walled city containing over a thousand meandering dark and narrow alleys, many without names. Getting lost there is easy - the scenes so enduring and fascinating it's easy to be taken in and lose track while observing the citizens of the ancient Medina Quarter - Fes El Bali - going about their daily lives.
They live in the dark cobbled alleys behind the heavy wooden doors we "know" from biblical movies - Roman soldiers banging on doors in pursuit of some fugitive.
The ancient walled city remains in tact with its massive entry gates. Thousands of people live and work here practising ancient traditional family skills and arts like tanning leather, carving wood, engraving tombstones, selling food, making carpets and straw baskets and leather shoes.
As Morocco's spiritual capital
the massive fortress walls contains active mosques and medersas (schools).
Our hotel, Bab Boujloud was a stones throw from the beautifully crafted Blue Gate entrance to the souks and monuments of the Old city. We visited the Chouara tanneries which are the traditional family business for 55 families. We briefly walked the Bou Jeloud gardens before 3pm closing time for Friday prayers. We peered into alleys leading to fondouks (caravanserai where traders used to sleep during their journeys) and walked past the landmark Andalus mosque just as Friday prayers were over. Hundreds of men streamed out the beautiful doors stopping to buy grapes and citrus being sold in the alley.
Tomorrow we leave by train for Tangier for the final leg of the Morocco visit. My lasting memories of Fes include the souks, shopping, the mysterious dark alleys, the roadside restaurants and persistent touts who work for them (like very annoying sticky flies) the magnificent walls of the ancient city and the Blue Gate.
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Taí
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Magical
Loving it that you are enjoying it all, taking all in. New memories! Keep on discovering, traveler! :-)