Fes

A few snapshots of Fes:
This is the courtyard of the Riad El Yacout, where I stayed, thanks to a tip from a friend:

Activity within a Carpet Shop. Which just happened to also be in an old Riad.

Rooftop view of Fes. I looked back through several hardcopy photos from previous visits, and find it interesting that the plethora of antenna eyesore material has been largely replaced by the somehow less bothersome appearance of satellite dishes. Note the carpets airing on the nearby rooftop ledges.
Inner courtyard tranquility.


In Fes, I was invited along with Tony to Mohammed's house for lunch. This was a small family affair and we got to play with his sister Asmet and brother Zacharias. The house was relatively still and empty otherwise, as the family was otherwise engaged in preparing for Mohammed's sister's wedding reception that weekend. Here, the kids are kind of posing but a little distracted by cartoons:

Afterward, I learned that Mohammed, being a travel agent in New York specialising in Moroccan tours, had arranged a room for me at the El Riad Yacout. A Riad is a traditional townhouse set around a garden, and historically were the realm of higher government officials or merchants. In recent years, since King Mohammed the VI has inherited the throne, new rules in the country's land ownership structure allow foreigners now to purchase in Moroccco. A number of them have been purchasing Riads and restoring them - with loving care - to bed and breakfast facilities.

The El Riad Yacout was buried in the Fes medina. Much of the medina's walkways are literally only a person wide. Imagine trying to restore an historic building - in which the first floor is about 30 foot high - to its previous grandeur, with a modern twist - and getting grand furnishings suitable for the effort in through winding maze-like walkways. This riad in particular had been built in the 7th cenutry, restored in the 15th, and again in 2003. The restoration effort must have been incredible - while adhering to local zelij tiling styles, new touches were added such as tall blazing lamps, 25 foot high doors, and massive bronze and cedar bed structures. Other modern touches included spa tubs, cable tv, and air conditioning. The rate that Mohammed negotiated for me was approximately $60 USD with breakfast. The regular rate is triple that.

The above is the door to my guest room at the riad. It was really a door within a door, and these doors opened to a beautiful set of stained glass doors as well (below). Those above are of cedar and smell wonderful.