The morning after we arrived in Fes, the sky appeared a brilliant blue. Hooray! Even though it was quite chilly and windy, we ventured out with our guide Ali to explore the medina, an area of twists, turns, dead ends, narrow passageways, and stone walls and ceilings with huge studded doors and massive iron handles. It was Mohammed's birthday so many stores were closed, but we considered that pretty lucky because there wasn't the crush of bodies going through narrow alleys like there might have been. We still got to see small shops (maybe 10X30 feet) nestled in the walls of the medina selling everything from candy, candles, bridal gear, shoes, slippers, belts, purses, food, hardware, and toys. And if one couldn't find the desired object, there were carts selling more of the same and other items besides, in the pathway itself, which made traversing the distance very difficult. If we hadn't had Ali, we would have for sure still been there trying to find our way out. He knew the area like the back of his hand (as a 5 year old he scrambled everywhere) and took us into some areas where no other tourists could be found. He also knew every rug, bronze, silk and antique shop, and we had to hang onto our wallets because there were many items that caught my eye. We spent the entire day there and popped out at our riad.
Riad Sara is beautifully decorated with lovely tiles, fountain, and intricately carved wood. Designs were everywhere at once and in a plethora of colors. Looking at the photos, the riad appears sumptuous, but in close examination, many finishing touches were left undone. Still, we marveled at the workmanship on the walls, floors and ceilings both in the rooms and in the courtyard.
The rain returned and kept up all night, and as we left Fes on the train bound for Meknes, we wondered if our next stop would be as soggy as this one.
Riad Sara is beautifully decorated with lovely tiles, fountain, and intricately carved wood. Designs were everywhere at once and in a plethora of colors. Looking at the photos, the riad appears sumptuous, but in close examination, many finishing touches were left undone. Still, we marveled at the workmanship on the walls, floors and ceilings both in the rooms and in the courtyard.
The rain returned and kept up all night, and as we left Fes on the train bound for Meknes, we wondered if our next stop would be as soggy as this one.
Wow, brings back lots of memories from our trip there several years ago. Mostly we remember arriving in the early dawn after the overnight train, the Marrakesh Express, and feeling like we were in a Star Wars movie! Love the posts and will want to compare notes when you return.
ReplyDeletenancy and dave