Yesterday was my third visit to the Fez Medina and I still may go back. It's an amazing experience wandering the more than 500 streets and alleyways that make up this ancient city (Fez will celebrate it's 1300th year anniversary next year!). In fact, this Medina is thought to be the largest contiguous car-free urban area in the world. It houses more than 150 mosques, has the oldest university in Morocco, maybe the world, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It has more than 13,000 historic buildings.
The only method of transportation in and out of the Medina are the donkeys who run the streets and alleys earnestly transporting goods in and out. Well, okay, there are carts that men push in, and bikes too, but it's the donkey that keeps that city of 150,000 (2002 figures) thriving and well stocked. And those donkeys carry a lot. There are something like 11,000 retail businesses inside the Medina walls. It's virtually impossible to navigate the Medina without a guide and guides are plentiful. I usually take off on my own for awhile, but then resort to hiring a guide after I have walked for a while in one direction only to find myself back where I started a half an hour earlier. My last guide was a charming 15-year old who knew all the nooks and crannies of the Medina and most of the history as well. We spent five hours walking around and taking photos which you can check out by clicking the Morocco link on the left sidebar.
Most of my time here during the week, I spend here at the Villa Inshallah, Ali's Ifrane home (homes here have names rather than numbers). This area is an old section, full of old stately villas previously owned by the French. Most of homes are remain shuttered, in this and most of Ifrane, because except for the university faculty and staff and service staff who work in the restaurants and markets, most of the homes here are vacation homes. It's said that this town of 15,000 swells to 150,000 during the winter and summer holidays. So, it's a nice quiet place to hang out in and it's easy to get work done because there is essentially nothing to do. Well, there are nice walks to take and people to visit in the evenings, but not a lot to lure you out of the house away from your projects. Ali and I have taken many driving trips to the surrounding towns villages, and forests in his fancy new car too. One would never know he hasn't driven in Morocco for 26 years. Of course, it helps to have a vehicle that intimidates everyone else on the road.
The only method of transportation in and out of the Medina are the donkeys who run the streets and alleys earnestly transporting goods in and out. Well, okay, there are carts that men push in, and bikes too, but it's the donkey that keeps that city of 150,000 (2002 figures) thriving and well stocked. And those donkeys carry a lot. There are something like 11,000 retail businesses inside the Medina walls. It's virtually impossible to navigate the Medina without a guide and guides are plentiful. I usually take off on my own for awhile, but then resort to hiring a guide after I have walked for a while in one direction only to find myself back where I started a half an hour earlier. My last guide was a charming 15-year old who knew all the nooks and crannies of the Medina and most of the history as well. We spent five hours walking around and taking photos which you can check out by clicking the Morocco link on the left sidebar.
Most of my time here during the week, I spend here at the Villa Inshallah, Ali's Ifrane home (homes here have names rather than numbers). This area is an old section, full of old stately villas previously owned by the French. Most of homes are remain shuttered, in this and most of Ifrane, because except for the university faculty and staff and service staff who work in the restaurants and markets, most of the homes here are vacation homes. It's said that this town of 15,000 swells to 150,000 during the winter and summer holidays. So, it's a nice quiet place to hang out in and it's easy to get work done because there is essentially nothing to do. Well, there are nice walks to take and people to visit in the evenings, but not a lot to lure you out of the house away from your projects. Ali and I have taken many driving trips to the surrounding towns villages, and forests in his fancy new car too. One would never know he hasn't driven in Morocco for 26 years. Of course, it helps to have a vehicle that intimidates everyone else on the road.
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