A medina is a walled city, very exotic for a visitor, and it’s easy to forget that medieval here isn’t just an adjective. In Fez, this means that many buildings are hundreds of years old, maybe their foundations really are a thousand years old. I find that close to unimaginable. When Fez was founded, theContinue reading “Modern medieval in the Medina”
Category Archives: Morocco
Romans in Morocco at Volubilis
There may be nowhere more beautiful than a Roman ruin on a spring day and Volubilis, one of Morocco’s best known archaeological sites, was perfect for us. Volubilis was abandoned by the Romans in AD 285, but not by the local community, who lived there for another 700 years. The site has little new constructionContinue reading “Romans in Morocco at Volubilis”
We find a photography gallery off the beaten path: Dar Balmira
While at the Cafe clock, we saw a poster for an exhibit of historic photos of Fez from the early 20th century that have been restored and reprinted. The gallery is not far from our riad and is in a restored riad, so we decided a field trip was in order. We found our wayContinue reading “We find a photography gallery off the beaten path: Dar Balmira”
A Moroccan Wine Tasting
There is a thriving wine industry in Morocco, mostly consumed domestically. It is possible to purchase wine in this Moslem country at the “Cave” or wine cellar at the Carrefour grocery store. (We also heard that the Marjane chain of grocery stores ended liquor sales and found their overall business dropped 20-25%.) We planned toContinue reading “A Moroccan Wine Tasting”
Around the ramparts
Our friends Joyce and Jean-Marie joined us at the riad and brought their car, so we took advantage to do some exploring outside the medina. The book “Fez from Bab to Bab” by Hammad Berrada, is a classic guide to the medina and it starts by suggesting a driving tour around the ancient city walls.Continue reading “Around the ramparts”
Market Sights
Here are some of the things we see in the market.
Getting used to Fez
We planned for a long time to stay a month in the Fez medina. Now we are here in a riad of our own. There are lots of surprises in the medina. No cars are allowed in most of the area, but donkeys and horses clop back and forth. The animals give you timeContinue reading “Getting used to Fez”
Museums and Sites in Rabat–mixed opportunities
Rabat is Morocco’s capital. It has strong competition from Casablanca for economic prominence and with Marrakesh for cultural prominence. I’d like to see the capital with museums that reflect the best of all periods of Moroccan history, but Rabat seems to have thrown in the towel on the museum front. I already mentioned my fruitlessContinue reading “Museums and Sites in Rabat–mixed opportunities”
Rabat, Morocco
We arrived in Rabat, and got to our hotel in the medina with minimal confusion. The Rabat medina is more spacious than others we’ve seen in Essaouira, Agadir and Marrakesh. As in the others, no cars are allowed, though motorbikes race through. When we arrived at the walls of the medina, we called our hotelContinue reading “Rabat, Morocco”
El Jadida, and the “citerne portugais” of Orson Welles
We drove to El Jadida and discovered that along with the coastal beaches there is a stretch from about 10 km outside town into the city that is heavily industrial. Smokestacks from a power plant and phosphate plant are followed by a huge port facility, petroleum storage, LPG storage, one huge facility after another. NoneContinue reading “El Jadida, and the “citerne portugais” of Orson Welles”
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