Casablanca Adventure: The New Normal - Thanksgiving Vacation in Fez, Morocco

Since we had a 4-day break for Thanksgiving, we decided to visit the ancient Islamic city of Fez/Fes. Fez was founded by Idris I (Idris I established the Idrisid dynasty, and was the first Arab ruler) in 789; now, that's an old city! Fez is the second largest city as well as the oldest city in Morocco. It is one of four "Imperial Cities" (historical capital cities) in the country, and has been Morocco's capital several times. While Fez is one of the most culturally important cities in the world, it is also fragile albeit well-preserved at this point in time.

Views of Fez from an overlook

We had a very pleasant 3 and 1/2 hour train ride from Casa. There were two Moroccan men sharing our car with us; one was an older retired history professor, and the other, probably somewhere in his 30's, teaches French in Fez. The senior man is from Casa and is very learned in history and current events. He and Richard talked the entire way, and we plan to be in touch when we get back to the city. We didn't even know the younger man spoke English until he finally spoke up well into the trip. As he is from Fez, we found a guide through him; he arranged it all for us by cell phone. We were very lucky to meet and be able to talk with two teachers who spoke English on top of it!

Richard at the rear of the Fez Train Station

Fez Train Station Interior

Our guide, Rachid (Arabic for "Richard"!), met us at a coffee shop around the corner from the Fez train station. We had refreshments and got to know him a bit. After enjoying hot drinks on a cool, rainy day, we got into his car and drove to an overlook of the city. Immediately over the low wall is a Moroccan cemetery with typical tombstones and some impressively tiled graves. Since we were high above Fez, the views of the city and mountains were gorgeous.

Our driver Rachid looking in the rear view

If you need a guide in Fez, Rachid is your man. We can give you his contact info. He's also going to set up a trip for us in the desert in February, we hope; let us know if you want to join us (I mean it)!

Rachid and Richard chatting at the overlook

View of cemetery from the overlook

Mosaic tile grave sites

View of Fez from the overlook

After seeing the sweeping views of the city, Rashid took us to the Art D'Artgile, a pottery cooperative. Here we got to see the process of creating beautiful mosaics and pottery. We were given a workshop tour where we observed the artisans at work. We saw tiles being chipped into shapes, designs being painted on pots, carvings being etched into clay, potters working at the wheel, etc. These amazing artisans create truly stunning objects, many of which are available for sale. It was pleasant that the showroom was basically a haggle-free zone, with prices clearly marked. We bought a lovely bowl and wish we could have carried more back home.

Pottery waiting for decoration

Carving clay

Cutting mosaic shapes

Hand-cut mosaic tiles

After cutting the shapes, now the design is painstakingly created

Potters wheel powered by the potter's feet

Drawing a geometric designs on a pot using a compass, to be painted later

Artisan woman painting a free-hand design on a pot

The shop outside

The shop inside

The shop inside

Of course, we HAD to buy a bowl.

Next, we drove to Fez's old medina. This sprawling labyrinth of shops is impressive, with various sections dedicated to specific artisans and craftsman. There are more than 9,500 alleyways and streets in Fez's medina, so it is very easy to get lost.

It is interesting to know that there was a time when this 12-centuries-old medina was almost in ruins; many palaces crumbled and fell, and the medina was becoming tattered and worn. Luckily, in 1981, UNESCO named it a World Heritage Site, and tourists and money began to flood into the city. Many foreigners have been buying old riads (traditional Moroccan houses or palaces with an interior garden or courtyard) and restoring them. In fact, our guide recently put in an offer on a riad that he wants to remodel. Rachid figures it will take him a year to get it into shape. I hope he gets it!

Medina Knife Guy

Medina Copper Guys; cool sounds are heard in this area

Medina Gun Repair, etc

What is exceptional about Fez's medina, compared to the others we have visited, is that it is the "world's largest car-free urban zone." Goods are transported by donkeys, mules and handcarts by shop keepers. When shopping here, there are no worries about crossing paths with a moving vehicle, which was a pleasant change for us.

Winding Medina; it's easy to get lost

Refurbished wooden doors to lock when the shops are closed

Donkeys do the hauling of supplies into the Medina

There is an American Vet in Fez who opened a clinic in Fez just to care for donkeys. Awe, so sweet.

Beautiful lighted brass artisan creations

The Fez Rug shop carrying all sorts of handmade rugs

We bought the pretty rug above, which was hand-woven by Berber craftspeople. It has various textures all woven into one very nice rug and it is really a work of art. It even has a winter and a summer side, according to the salesman; who knew?

Newly-dyed wool

Tannery artisans dry hides which are then soaked in lime and dyed in vats that have been around for thousands of years. They sell beautiful jackets, purses and other items in their huge shop. You walk in and you can smell the leather.

Hides drying

Vats of lime and dye

Beautiful Leather Goods

Beautiful Leather Goods, including game boards

Lots of fresh food is available in the medina.

Olives, olives everywhere!

Yummy fruit in the market

The biggest cauliflowers I have ever seen!

These hooves are perfect for adding a little flavor to your couscous!

Also located in the medina is the University of Al Quaraouiyine, the oldest continuously functioning university in the world, founded in 859.

University of Al Quaraouiyine

In addition, there is an interesting museum in the medina called the Nejjarine Museum of Wood Arts and Crafts. We walked around the three floors looking at antique tools and other artifacts from everyday life. Also housed there are works of art, weapons, musical instruments, etc. Unfortunately, there were no English descriptions (only Arabic and French), so we had to guess at what some of the items were.

Nejjarine Museum of Wood Arts and Crafts

View from the restaurant where we ate lunch on the second day; very steep stairs getting up here; was hard on our old legs

Typical Moroccan salad includes separate dishes of olives, cauliflower, squash, carrots, eggplant and peppers (and more at other restaurants); who has room for the main course?

The band at La Palais la Medina Restaurant accompanied our evening meal on Friday night; strings and percussion, along with voice on some songs

Musicians entertaining us at La Palais la Medina Restaurant using interesting percussion instruments with choreography

We stayed at a beautiful hotel called the Palais Faraj Suites and Spa. This formerly private home was built in the 19th century, is located on the south hill of Fez, and boasts breathtaking views of the city. The palace is now owned by local entrepreneur, Driss Faceh, who hired interior designer Jean-Baptiste Barian to renovate it. Jean-Baptiste is a favorite of the Moroccan royal family and I can see why. The palace is stunning, with marble floors, arches, columns, carved wood and plaster, and tiled geometric designs everywhere. Our suite was huge, with a spa bathroom and a very comfortable bed. We had dinner at the hotel restaurant the first night (very good). The hotel is situated very high up, so the views of the city from their are striking.

Entrance to the Palais Farag

Beautiful evening in Fez

We returned to Casa on Saturday afternoon on the train, a mode of transportation that is almost always a highlight of our trips through Morocco. The train was packed, and there were eight of us in our compartment, including a six-year-old boy and a baby (yes, I got to hold him!). We enjoyed talking with the young couple with the baby. They explained that they were both from Morocco, the wife from Casa and the husband from Fez. They have been living in France for a number of years and were back visiting family and getting Moroccan citizenship set up for their son. The others in our car did not speak English, but that did not stop us from communicating. We gave the little boy cookies and an orange, and were offered mints from his aunt. We love to see new places, but the truth be told, this is the reason we travel.