First class train ticket to Fez about $35 for a 7 hour journey. We had to take our own food on the train , due to Ramadam none was being sold. For the most part the train ride was non- eventful and comfortable except when the air conditioning stopped working for a couple of hours it got a little uncomfortable.
There was a moroccan family with a 4 year old girl in our car. Her mum opened a laptop to let her watch a program - I immediately recognized the music. It was Caillou - the show my Hannah use to love. However this caillou was in French. The little girl was delighted when I showed her I had caillou on my iPad !
The housekeeper from the Riad met us at the train station. He had great difficulty negotiating a suitable price for the taxi ride to the Riad - lots of shouting in Arabic - better him than me. Morocco train stations are beautiful and have incredible ceilings and light fixtures.
The taxi dropped us off outside the medina as we walked in with our bags - I was glad we had the help of the housekeeper as there were so many people and not only is the medina another maze of alleyways (more difficult than marrakech) - it is hilly so there are lots of stairs! Our Riad was nice and we were the only guests for three nights - however they gave us the smallest room with the smallest single beds I have ever slept on.
The first night we opted to have dinner in the Riad
I have no idea what this was and the cook could only speak french - but it did taste good.
Fes or Fez is the third largest city of Morocco, with a population of approximately 1 million. Fes was the capital of Morocco until 1925. The modern Turkish name for Morocco, Fas, originally referred only to the capital city.
The city has two old medinas, the larger of which is Fes el Bali. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is believed to be one of the world's largest car-free urban areas (that is because most of the alleyways are not wide enough for vehicles and people. We had thought marrakech was a challenge but we were to find out it was child's play compared to fez medina. Most of these medinas were started in the 12th century and not that long ago some areas still had no plumbing nor electricity.
We were advised to hire a tour guide but we were reluctant to look online for one of the official tour guides as we did not want to visit any more family cooperatives. We found our way to the souk (market ) and thought we might find some information as how to get around (the Riad gave us a map but believe me it was not much help). Of course all the vendors are trying to get you to buy! One young man approached us and he had very good English. He said he would tour us around the medina the next day and if we did not like the tour we did not have to give him money otherwise we could give him what we thought was a good price (now there is a twist). Someone once said to me tourists take tours, travelers take a risk and try to get to know the locals. So we arranged to meet Youssef outside our Riad at 10 am the next day ( he had to be discreet as he is not an OFFICIAL tour guide).
The next morning Youssef was outside our Riad at 10 am and we walked for the next 7 hours throughout the Riad and had the most amazing day.
Mag and Youssef
Metal on top left hand is symbol for health and happiness. To right hand door knocker is for upstairs family, door knocker in middle of door is for downstairs family One of the several palaces we visited - these palaces are in poor condition and the hope is UNESCO funds will do restoration work
Kitchen of palace
Elaborate doors
We learned the colors of the tiles held significance - blue for Fez, yellow Sahara, black Agadir, brown Marrakech, green Islam, white welcome, casablanca and Rabat. The tile work is amazing considering these buildings date back to 17th century and earlier - all tile work has been done by hand. It is all still in relatively good shape - I wonder if tile work done today will last this long.
Apparently this was the first bathroom in the medina!
Another beautiful palace within the medinaFabulous craftmanship on the ceilings
Outside palace - hard to believe there is such beauty inside
Views of Fez
Youssef took us to where his friend makes shoes for the market (basically a hole in the wall) - no this was not a family coop this guy only seeks to the market vendors. It was extremely interesting to watch him make these traditional moroccan shoes but the smell of the glue mix with the heat of the day made it almost unbearable in such a small space.
Finished product We visited another friend's small workshop where he crafts lamps for the market - this man uses a pattern and then cuts with a saw.
These pieces are then shaped into any number of lamp styles which he sells to market vendors
And we were given the most delicious moroccan soup - Youssef went out and found us some great french bread to go with it (traditional moroccan Now keep in mind because it is Ramadam they are not eating! However, they have no problem with us eating and drinking 
My kind of girls! On the last Friday of Ramadam (prayer day) the children get all dressed up - hair, makeup, new clothes ready to celebrate the end of Ramadam. Everyone gets new clothes, visits family and eats lots of food when Ramadam ends. We asked if we could take this picture and she was quite happy to pose with her beautiful children.
Next we were off to the pottery factory where it takes up to 25 years to become a master craftsman.
Inside kiln where items are placed to be fired
These craftsmen chip all the tiles for the beautiful fountains and tables
Moulds for fountains
Finished products
Store- now this guy was really pushy and his prices were ridiculous (150 euro for a small candlestick) Youssef got very angry with him for being so pushy with us - yeah Youssef!
Off to the leather tannery
Apparently these guys end up with all sorts of health issues such as arthritis! No kidding
Youssef's uncle
We then visited a traditional weaver
More sites in the medina
Mosque
Hundreds of stray cats throughout the medina - most do not look well fed or cared for
Views from a rooftop coffee shop - mid afternoon we felt like a rest and a coffee but nothing was opened. Youssef called a friend and he met us and led us to another friend's coffee shop that was closed but they opened it for us! At times even we started to think we must be crazy following these strangers around the medina!
We could not go into a mosque because we are not Muslim - so Youssef went in and took pictures for me!
Both woman and me go to the mosque at different times or if they go at the same time they do. Not sit together
Children start going to the mosque and studying Islam at about 7 years of age
Coffee, orange juice and treats on a private rooftop - pretty special!
Youssef then invited us to share a meal with him and his friends at 7:30 pm when the sunset. We had such a great day with Youssef we felt we could not pass up this opportunity. So back to our Riad to freshen up and Youssef came to get us at 7:15 and we were off to the man cafe where everyone brings food and when the mosque alarms go off it is time to eat. We named it the man cafe because there are only men there - Muslim women prepare the food but they eat at home (we did see one woman with her husband). No one seemed to mind we were there - they recognize we are western woman so there does not seem to be any issues - everyone was extremely friendly.
Fish tagine - prepared by youssef's mother but cooked at the local bakery! It was good if you can get over the fish staring at you.
In the glass was beet root and orange mixed - sounds weird but delicious. Fresh olives and some kind of soup you dip bread in! What an experience!
After dinner all the men smoke but first they add a little hashish to their cigarette - they offered some to Mag and I. We declined telling them we do not need anything to make us more wacky! After that everyone referred to them as wacky wacky cigarettes!
This was no ordinary day! Before going back to our Riad Youssef asked if we would like to go see some sights around Fez tomorrow, outside the medina and up to the little Atlas Mountains - he promised it would be different than what we had seen in the big Atlas Mountains! Maybe the second hand smoke from the wacky wacky made us a little crazy because we said OK!
Stay tuned for day 2 with Youssef! You have to admit my travels are never boring!
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Gosh I admire you! Such braveness with all you do in a foreign country!
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