October 29, 2018

October 29, 2018

Last night we had dinner at the home of a Fez Moroccan family who lives in the old Medina. We started with dessert, then moved to an Anise-flavored soup, then bread with several tasty purees. One was lentil bean, another tomatoes and peppers, and the last a sweet pumpkin. The main course was Tajine, a dry stew named after the conical Tajine crock-ware it is steam-cooked in. We finished with lemon tea and fruit.

Fez is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Morocco. Like Rabat, it has several walled Medinas of various ages. The oldest, established 1200 years ago, is a World Heritage Site. I would love to walk it myself, but its winding narrow alleys are a maze where getting lost several times is expected. So we went on a guided tour of this world’s largest pedestrian zone.

After starting with another overlook of Fez, we entered the old Medina through the Bab Rcif Gate and traversed some of the narrowest alleys barely wide enough for one person. We then walked past craft shops practicing various trades. It all seemed to be done the traditional way. The copper and silver smiths were loudly banging peen hammers and the cloth dyers were hand-dipping fabric. Even the garbage men hauled trash using donkeys.

Fez, with the oldest university and many Madrasa schools was the intellectual center of Morocco. We visited the abandoned 17^th century Madrasa Acharatine. It is a peaceful oasis. Instruction took place in the cavernous central courtyard. It is highly decorated with mosaic tiles and intricate wood carvings. Students lodged in the surrounding upper floor dormitories.

Our next stop was the required Rug store. It is housed in a similarly decorated building. The carpets are nice but very expensive. Before leaving we went to the roof for a bird's-eye view of the Medina. I laughed at the sea of dish antennas. Evidently a lot of people still live within this old section.

We stopped at a Carpentry Museum housed in the old Nejjarine Fondouk or traditional Moroccan Inn.  I looked around quickly before accompanying the guide to a clothing store to buy a Djellaba. This is a monk-like hooded cloak that is popular among the locals here. I think it might serve me well on cold Tucson winter mornings.

Afterwards we had lunch in another elaborately decorated building. Fez really drives home the point that you can't judge a book (or home) by its cover (exterior). We had similar starters as last night before our entrée of Lamb with Couscous. It was quite tasty.

Our last stop in the old Medina was the Chouara Tannery. Here leather is made the same way it has for a thousand years using traditional techniques and natural dyes. We view the operation from the terrace of a leather store. The factory consists of almost two hundred open vats. One third are limestone pits where the leather is prepared using a mix of salt, urine and pigeon droppings. The rest of the vats are devoted to dying the leather. The process is all manual with guys knee deep in the vats working the leather hides. It is a stinky, dirty process. We have to hold a mint sprig next to our nose to avoid nausea.

On the way out of the Medina, we stopped at a bakery. It is BYOD, Bring your own Dough. Residents bring their prepared loaves for baking in this communal wood-fired oven

On the way back to the hotel we stopped in the Mellah or walled Jewish Quarter of Fez. For centuries the city had a large Hebrew community who mostly all left when Israel was established. We walked the extensive cemetery and its sea of white plaster monuments. We also visited the old Ibn Danan Synagogue that has been turned into a museum. Next door is the Fez Royal Palace. We are only allowed to view the opulent gate. It is modern having been built in 1968.

Muslims are teetotalers so I have only had one beer since arrival. Aimee and I went to the supermarket near the hotel and found the special Foreigner's section where I bought a six-pack of beer to drink in the room.

October 28, 2018

October 28, 2018

We got up later than planned today because of confusion on the actual time. Early this morning, Daylight Savings Time was supposed to expire and clocks turned back an hour. The King decided two days ago to keep Morocco permanently on DST. Apparently the telephone companies didn’t get the word; most cellphones made the switch anyway which is why our phone alarm didn’t wake us earlier. Personally I think DST is a stupid idea. I always disliked having to change all the clocks in the house twice a year. It causes too much confusion. If there are true benefits just change when school or businesses start and leave the clocks alone. Our guide said it is common for tourists to miss airline flights on the day clocks Spring ahead.

With the confusion our bus left a little late on our journey east. Two hours later we passed the old walled Medina of Meknes, a World Heritage Site and another of Morocco’s Four Royal Cities. Meknes was the capital for a half century around 1700.

Twenty miles north of Meknes up a winding road we arrived at the Roman City of Volubilis, another World Heritage Site. Volubilis was the capital of the Roman Province of Mauretania. It thrived on the rich local soil producing grains and olive oil for the Empire. The area continues to provide Morocco with valuable export commodities. As we climb the hillside toward the extensive city we pass dozens of ruins admiring several homes with intricate floor mosaics. We top out at the Basilica, or governmental center.  The Catholic cathedral got its name and design from it. All around are pedestals with Roman inscriptions. Each held a statue. Volubilis must have been highly decorated in its prime.

A few minutes later the rain began to pour again, and we rushed wet and cold back to the entrance. There we perused the small museum loaded with artifacts found during excavation. No wonder the new Archeology Museum in Rabat had so many fine Roman specimens.

On a hillside in the distance we see the pilgrimage town of Moulay Idriss, looking like a two-humped camel. The town is named after the descendent of Mohammed buried there. In 789AD Idriss took refuge in Volubilis and went on to establish the first Kingdom of Morocco.

Our tour guide pointed out some of the local flora. One is the Oleander flower for which Volubilis is named. More interesting was the Carob Tree whose beans are so uniform they were used to weigh gold. A pure gold coin common in the Late Roman era weighed 24 Carob (or now Carat) seeds.

We drove back south stopping in Meknes for lunch. Aimee and I had Shish Kebab skewers of chicken with a dipping sauce.

After lunch we took the highway an hour east to the city of Fez. Fez is another of the four Royal Cities. Our first stop was at an overlook giving us a view of the oldest Medina of Fez. Fez hugs the river valley below.

October 27, 2018

October 27, 2018

We woke to a rainy day in the Moroccan capital city of Rabat. I guess it is justice we get rain on the edge of the Sahara Desert as we were blessed with rain-free holidays in usually damp Scotland and South America this year.

On our guided tour of this Unesco World Heritage city, we start at Dar-al-Makhzen, the Royal Palace of the king of Morocco. We are not allowed to get too close to this large residence. The Moroccan king’s dynasty can supposedly trace their lineage back to the Prophet Mohammed’s daughter Fatima.

Our next stop is Chellah, an old medieval fortified necropolis. Inside are some Roman and Phoenician ruins. There is also the ruins of a medieval 14th century mosque; its crumbling minaret is home to several giant stork nests.

Our next stop is at the Mausoleum of King Mohammed V. It contains the remains of the current king’s father and grandfather. It is a gleaming white edifice. Each of the four entrances is protected by a ceremonial guard in elaborate uniform. The street entrance is guarded by two horsemen.

Inside the same complex is Hassan Tower. This is an unfinished mosque begun in 1195. It was intended to be the largest in the world. Unfortunately the Caliph died shortly after construction began and the minaret remains half built. Its location on a hill makes it an icon of Rabat.

Dodging raindrops, we then head to the oldest section in Rabat known as the Kasbah of the Udayas. Kasbah is the Arabic term for castle or keep. It is located right where the local river enters the ocean. It was built in the 12th century by the Almohad Caliphate. Of particular interest are the narrow winding alleys white washed in blue. We take a break in a Moorish Cafe facing the sea. We order Coffee and Mint Tea with some almond and honey snacks.

It starts to rain again on the walk back to the bus. Seeking an indoor venue we have the bus drop us at the uninteresting Rabat Modern Art Museum. We breeze through it and head down the street to the Archaeological Museum. Morocco has a long history of invaders. The coast was colonized first by the Phoenicians who were then swept up by the Romans and subsequently the Vandals and Visigoths. In the 8th century came the Muslims of Arabia. The museum while small has some exquisite pieces from the Roman period.

The sun is beginning to shine, so we decide to walk back to the hotel taking the long way. Inside the 14th century Medina walls we discover a souk or Arabic market that seems to go on indefinitely. A Medina is the old section of an Arabic town. This souk is for locals so it is mostly filled with shoes, clothing, and household goods. There are quite a few vendors selling from open piles of spices. This is apropos as the Portuguese explored this coast on their way around Africa in search of a water route to India and the Spice Islands (Indonesia).

After a short break at the hotel, we took the tram across the river to the sister city of Salé and had dinner on the marina. Salé was infamous in the 17^th and 18^th century as one of the ports of the Barbary Pirates who raided European ships and terrorized coastal cities in search of loot, ransom, and slaves. Even Ireland was at risk. Kidnapped men were chained to oars while women were sent to harems as concubines. After finishing our first course, the sky opened up and poured on the first row of tables. I am thankful we were too late to get those premium dockside seats!

October 25-26, 2018

October 25-26, 2018

We are embarking on a set of long overseas flights. This is the fourth big travel trip we are taking this year. That is unusual even for us. Earlier in the year, I passed a major milestone birthday. That event has given me pause making me think that if we are going to successfully see the world, we need to kick it up a notch. It is Autumn so that means we need to focus south. Aimee wants to add her sixth and most likely last continent (Antarctica is too cold for us), so we are headed to Africa.

After flying in the opposite direction for ninety minutes we change planes in LAX and board a non-stop to Paris. We have some clear skies at the beginning and I see the Queen Mary ocean liner at the Long Beach dock, Valley of Fire outside Vegas, and Coral Pink Sand Dunes in Utah. We are welcomed with a nice sunrise entering Paris. Almost like a miracle the clouds part and I spot the Eiffel Tower.

In Paris, we catch a three hour flight to Casablanca, the commercial center of Morocco. There we find our tour group and make our way ninety minutes up the coast to Rabat, the current capital of the independent Kingdom of Morocco. Along the way our tour manager talks of the various ways Morocco is successfully becoming one of the most western and tolerant of Muslim countries. This includes funding the religion with public money and tightly controlling the education and placement of peaceful Imams in Mosques. The government is undergoing massive housing infrastructure projects aimed at improving living conditions to side step discontent with the public. We see row after row of new apartment buildings.