Jim and Gail are both much, much better today.
We started off with a Moroccan breakfast that is just too much food. We ate what we felt like and then we went for a drive to the Royal Palace where the King is in residence, we think.The city has flags by the zillion and we did see the 16 year old Prince's Escorted Caravan whizz by today.
After the palace and a few other stops, we started a walking tour that chalked up over 10,000 steps by the end of the day. In no particular order, we visited today: The Royal Palace; the Jewish Quarter, A jewish cemetery, a Jewish Synagogue, an early carpentry museum, a Tannery for leather goods, a Weavers site, several souks and a restaurant where we had an edible lunch.
We also had a 1/2 hour shopping frenzy at a large supermarket for groceries, [I call it survival food]. Lunches and dinners are just too much food, so is breakfast for that matter, I repeat.
Back at the hotel at 5:30 and we had dinner in Jim and Gail's room of chocolate bars, cookies, an orange and wine! It was a very simple and unhealthy meal but one of the better on the trip because of the ambience, shared experiences and conversation, we all just needed that!
Tomorrow we leave Fes on an eight hour trip down south and a bit east close to Algeria. We are all getting a bit weary of travelling but we are on the home stretch and really do love the adventure of living the unknown almost each hour of the day. The nice thing is that we know that we will be in a great beds and accommodation that evening that feels so good after a somewhat tiring but adventure-filled day, Sleep is good!
Tomorrow we leave Fes on an eight hour trip down south and a bit east close to Algeria. We are all getting a bit weary of travelling but we are on the home stretch and really do love the adventure of living the unknown almost each hour of the day. The nice thing is that we know that we will be in a great beds and accommodation that evening that feels so good after a somewhat tiring but adventure-filled day, Sleep is good!
Our guide Moe met us today in this garb. He wore this we think because he gets a bit of respect as a guide leading some Fragile Foreigners around this town and his country.
Guess who at one of the seven gates at one of the 13 Royal Palaces in Morocco, all fully protected by a myriad of guards and security people every 50 yards around the very, very large Palace grounds, some with golf courses. Very extravagant. He moves around from palace to palace, or residence, to be seen by his loyal subjects.
The Jewish cemetery in Fes. Still in use. The Jews fled Spain when the Spanish kicked the Moors out of Spain, centuries ago fearing persecution from the Catholics. There is no longer a large Jewish presence in Morocco but they seem to preserve that part of their history.
Just an interesting shop.
Young women applying paint to pottery prior to firing, a rather complicated process. Delicate work and very beautiful.
The colours change significantly when subjected to the heating and firing process.
It is very hard to explain but these men are making the small tiles, of one of 3600 shapes, for use in the intricate designs of tile work.
A sitting area in the display room/museum.
Pottery with Islamic designs that you have to admit are beautiful. Paisley as we have in cotton prints comes from Islamic roots.
A very narrow passage in a souk.
Meat market, so much for hanging for 28 days!
Did you know there were this many kinds of dates?
Metalware, beautiful and showy.
We had mint tea in a Carpet shop, quite the experience!
They rolled out the carpets for us, it was nice 1/2 hour rest. We have had this experience before and it is a game they play and they do not resent the fact that we do not purchase. Good tea.
We went to a school that is for potential people who do the call to prayer every few hours from mosques, one of the prerequisites is that you already have memorized the Koran/Quran. The state pays these people. This is a black tile, chiseled out to have a verse from the Koran wrapped around the main floor room.
This tiny room would sleep four young men who went to the school for three years to be a qualified prayer caller.
Ornate platters etc.
Leather ware.
A weaver using a wooden loom that must be hundreds of years old.
The narrowest passageway in Fes.
The Blue Gate in Fes. Another beautiful structure, that is all.
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