Fabled Fez

Our sojourn in Rabat was relaxing, but we were still searching for the mysterious feeling that we felt Morocco should hold. (Funny how you can get such ideas, when you've never been to a place, yes?) With that in mind, we boarded a train and headed to Fez.

We took an early train and spoiled ourselves by booking into a higher end riad in the city for two nights. The riad was placed right on the edge of the Medina, making it fairly easy to find, if you stuck to the inner wall. (That sounds easy, but with all the wendy little streets you can still get turned around.) Armed with a map of the Medina, we ventured into the maze all alone, looking for the tanneries, weavers and metal workers. The upside of the Medina in Fez is that it's on a hill. Our riad was on the upper side and the artisans were on the lower side, so getting down to the souks was fairly easy. (Of course, the map helped, too.) 

Our Riad

Eidy, the Riad Mascot

Metal Workers

Dye Vats

Weavers

Unlike shiny new Rabat, the Medina is one of the most ancient in Morocco. The narrow little lanes have no space for modernity, so only mules and donkeys are allowed in the old town. (And hand carts.) The downside is that the lanes are so narrow that you can't get a data signal, so if you're trying to use your network for maps, they don't always work. 

Donkeys taking treated leather to
the artisans

As we entered the heart of the Medina, where the souks are, we got swept back in time. While some of the wares were definitely modern (cell phone stores, for example), the stalls and people could have come from any period over the last 1000 years. Both women and men seemed to have a preference for traditional dress, sporting caftans and djellabas (a traditional Berber long tunic with hood). We had found the very essence of Morocco. 

One of the main entrances (babs) The Blue Gate

Meeting of the Minds

Needless to say, we enjoyed our time in this authentic and mesmerizing city. We felt like we'd turned a corner, somehow, in this strange land and were ready to take on Marrakesh.