Fes is my favorite city in Morocco. It is just old school Morocco. It is a living city, chock full of mosques, markets, people and history. It was the capital of a Moroccan empire that covered the whole of North Africa and some of Spain, though now it depends more on tourism since the French moved the captial to Rabat. The lane in the picture is about the average width for a street in the Medina. They definitely get smaller. Without a guide you will get lost there, period. Luckily, we had a good one.
Meet Mohammed. Our tour guide for 2 days in the labrynth that is Fes, Mohammed is one of life's one of a kind characters that you are glad you got to know. He lived all of his 50 some years in the old Medina, so he knew every alley and every corner, and everyone knew him. One minute he'd be breaking up a street fight, the next minute he is snagging you some almond candy treats straight out of a baker's oven or a glass of sweet lemon juice. He is prone to belting out American songs from the 60's and 70's (he says he met the Beatles and CSN&Y when they came to Morocco - I believe him) and he was great with the kids, often hoisting them into the air and yelling the word "Rakooda!" which as far as we could tell is a term of endearment. (The handsome mystery baby in the pic belongs to our friends).
A glimpse into the Kerraouine Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in Africa, and an important center of learning in its time. In the distance a group of men are praying the noontime prayer, the second of five they perform each day.
In Fes they do things the old fashioned way. Water for the hammams (Turkish style baths) is heated in huge underground ovens, the fires stoked by old men; pottery is made by hand; and leathers are dried and dyed in tanneries the same way they did it 1000 years ago (see tannery pic at top right).
While in Fes, we visited a pottery factory - better described as a group of artisans and workers that create lots of beautiful pots and tile goods. To the amusement of every Moroccan working in the factory, Cooper fell into 20 foot x 6 inch deep slab of clay, getting the stuff all over his shoes and legs. Only Cooper... The foreman hosed the lad off and he was as good as new.
Meet Mohammed. Our tour guide for 2 days in the labrynth that is Fes, Mohammed is one of life's one of a kind characters that you are glad you got to know. He lived all of his 50 some years in the old Medina, so he knew every alley and every corner, and everyone knew him. One minute he'd be breaking up a street fight, the next minute he is snagging you some almond candy treats straight out of a baker's oven or a glass of sweet lemon juice. He is prone to belting out American songs from the 60's and 70's (he says he met the Beatles and CSN&Y when they came to Morocco - I believe him) and he was great with the kids, often hoisting them into the air and yelling the word "Rakooda!" which as far as we could tell is a term of endearment. (The handsome mystery baby in the pic belongs to our friends).
A glimpse into the Kerraouine Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in Africa, and an important center of learning in its time. In the distance a group of men are praying the noontime prayer, the second of five they perform each day.
In Fes they do things the old fashioned way. Water for the hammams (Turkish style baths) is heated in huge underground ovens, the fires stoked by old men; pottery is made by hand; and leathers are dried and dyed in tanneries the same way they did it 1000 years ago (see tannery pic at top right).
While in Fes, we visited a pottery factory - better described as a group of artisans and workers that create lots of beautiful pots and tile goods. To the amusement of every Moroccan working in the factory, Cooper fell into 20 foot x 6 inch deep slab of clay, getting the stuff all over his shoes and legs. Only Cooper... The foreman hosed the lad off and he was as good as new.
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