MOROCCO INSHALLAH!!

Preliminaries: exchange rate 1 euro = 11 dirham, a trip organised entirely "do it yourself", 2 hours of time zone difference. Booked a Ryanair flight from Bergamo to Fes at 11.30 on 30 September. At 13.00 (Moroccan time) we arrive at the airport where the taxi we booked through the Riad DAR CORDOBA awaits us (for 120 dirham (about 11 euro). We arrive at the riad (cost 80 euro the room per day with breakfast) which is very close to the main gate of the Medina, the blue gate BOUJELOUD and to the Batha square, on our arrival we are literally amazed….it is BEAUTIFUL! It feels like entering a museum. The silence compared to the chaos of the medina, to which it is very close, is incredible, it is full of mosaics, stucco, inlaid and painted wood.

We are welcomed with great hospitality by Moha and Moubarak (the two Moroccans who run it although it is owned by a Spaniard, Jose') with a nice mint tea and pastries, this treatment will be reserved for us every time during the day we return to the riad. Accompanied to our Sfar suite we are even more amazed, the room is immense with even a sofa and reading corner, so is the bathroom, and there is even a second little bathroom. All three windows overlook the riad's courtyard. We put down our things and immediately have Moha book us a personal taxi to show us the outer part of the Medina of the city of FES.

For 200 dh (about 18 euro) we have a personal driver for 3 hours who shows us in sequence, letting us stop each time we wanted, the royal palace, the fort on the southern hill that had been the seat of the French military until 1956, a ceramics cooperative, the Jewish quarter (mellah), the view from the northern hill of the medina where there is also the tomb of the Merinids, one of the dynasties that reigned in Morocco in the 13th-15th century. In the evening we return to the riad, take a shower then go out with other Spanish and German guests of the riad itself to eat in a typical restaurant in the Batha square, at the modest price of 150 dh (13.5 euro) a good tajine and cous cous.

On 1 October we wake up, have a very hearty breakfast at the Dar Cordoba then at 9.30 the Italian-speaking guide we booked for 250 dh (23 euro) at the riad joins us, and for 4 hours he takes us to visit the medina of Fez (UNESCO heritage), because on your own it is practically impossible given that the alleys are very narrow and without any name. With the guide we manage to see all the most important things without wasting time. We enter from the blue gate and immediately a wave of colours, smells, noises, scents hits us.

We see in sequence the Andalusian quarter, the Bou Inania madrasa (10 dh), the Karaouiyine mosque (forbidden to non-Muslims), the leather tanners' quarter where you can see the hides being worked as 1000 years ago, just put a sprig of mint under your nose because of the stench!! Here we negotiated a very decorated camel-leather pouf at the price of 500 dh…..they had started at 1,400 dh!! We then visited the souk and its thousand products for sale, the zaouia of Moulay Idriss II (burial place of the second Idrisid sovereign founder of Fes), the Kasbah Cherarda (now a hospital and university), the Ba el-Seba gate, the mechouar which are parade grounds surrounded by walls.

At 14.00 in the afternoon we return to the riad to refresh ourselves a little and then go out again in the evening around 20.00 to dine in the little restaurants near the blue gate where for 150 dh (13.5 euro) we dine for two. On 2 October after breakfast at 10.00 a taxi just for us comes to pick us up where at the price of 800 dh (about 72 euro) we have the driver at our disposal for the whole day for the visit of Volubilis, Moulay Idriss and Meknes (one of the imperial cities). We start with Volubilis (10 dh entrance) where for 2 hours we visit all that remains of the ancient capital of Roman Mauretania: the basilica, the capitol, the arch, the avenues, the mosaics, the entrance gate.

Once finished, we resume the journey to Moulay Idriss, a small town perched on the mountain, all white and which above all preserves the tomb of Moulay Idriss I who founded the Arab-Muslim dynasty in Morocco, directly related to the prophet Muhammad. We immediately set off again for Meknes where, while the driver has lunch, we take the opportunity to see the city: we start with the beautiful medina gate Mansour, one of the most beautiful in Morocco, on the el-Hedime square, then we move on to the Lalla Aouda square and the relative minaret of the mosque, then we enter (free) the beautiful mausoleum of the sultan Moulay Ismail from the 17th century, rich in stucco, mosaics and inlays. Then finally we visit the Heras (the king's stables) and the Bassin de l'Aguedal, a water basin that served to supply water to the imperial city, the hammams and the gardens.

In the evening we return tired but satisfied and after a nice shower, off to eat again in the little restaurants of the blue gate at the price of 100 dh for two!! On 3 October we get up early, have a hearty breakfast and then take a petite taxi (8 dh) that takes us to the station of Fez where at 8.50 we take the train that takes us to Marrakech and then from Marrakech the Supratur bus that will take us definitively to Essaouira by the sea! The single ticket costs 260 dh (about 24 euro), but for those who want you can stop in Marrakesh with just the train for 165 dh (15 euro). We arrive after 7 hours (it passes through Rabat and Casablanca) at Marrakech, we get off and attached to the train station is the bus station of the Supratur, we wait an hour and then set off, at 20.00 we are in Essaouira.

Tired but happy we go to our riad booked from home (run by two Moroccan cousins Yussef and Samir, the riad is nice and right in the medina close to everything, the cost per room is 43 euro with breakfast!!