pinkbirdflies

After a morning of sipping mint tea, an attempt at haggling and a walk around a bright and sunny Chefchaouen we travelled for 4 hours by private mini van through fertile agricultural lands to the city of Fes. We passed through wheat growing areas and down into lower areas and wider river valleys. Fes is an old and important spiritual and learning centre with a new town and and ol town, the Medina. It is the largest in Morrocco, a labyrinth of alleyways, covered and uncovered with small stalls, repair places, herbalist, food places and people all living together. It covers over 7 acres and you would get seriously lost without a guide and you have no idea which direction is which…We visited a few places of note including the Palace gates, Jewish quarter and lookout before touring a ceramics factory. Then we entered the Medina and didn’t emerge for hours….amazing sights and also very sad and almost sickening sights e.g beggars, sick people and diseased cats, rubbish and rotten stench…but the fascinating prevails! Donkeys are used tor transport things,Camel and goats heads for sale at butchers who just hang the meat in the open, herbs, spices, junk, appliances, scarves, leather goods, sweets, breads, shoes, tourist tat, ceramics,carpets, woven good, jewellery , junk, clothes…an incredible array…lovely lunch in a beautiful restaurant that you would never imagine existed in the middle of it all. Dinner confirmed the morroccan menu is fairly standard..tagine,cous cous, kebabs, soup, salad. All good but not as flavoursome as I imagined. Had Casablanca beer which I was suprised about being a Muslim country. However, certain places do sell alcohol and wine is also made and sold here..I guess at restaurants and hotels mainly.