We had made the decision not to strike camp and re-errect in Fez. Total activity would have been 2 hrs each end. We probably would not have done anything else. Fez from Meknes was doable. About 1 hr 30 each way. Less time and saved a day.
We parked by the bus station for €3. Probably overpaid as you have to negotiate with the car park attendant who started at €5!
So although it was Friday and most stalls in the souk were shut, it did mean that it was less busy and less of a sensory overload. I would have liked to have seen and smelt the spice market, though.
Shops mostly shut
What Fez has (compared to Meknes) is some unique sights … that are open. – a restored building devoted to the craft of woodworking – the largest tannery in Morocco – the first continuously operational university in the world, with student digs
Discs to carry bridesThe woodworking museumThe tannery
We’d accidentally started walking into the tannery initially. What looked like liquid rendered fat all over the pavement. Corrie tried to eat it … yuk!
The oldest university and student cellsA few gatesA hydraulic water clock
We had an indifferent tagine. Stopped at the supermarket on the way home …rammed. Need to avoid shopping at the weekend, apparently. Had to finally put electrician’s tape on the headlamps to bend our beams. Reduced visibility considerably. And as a pitch black night, an unpleasant drive back. Worse than rush hour in Tangier … a least there I could see. Campsite dogs chewed another 2 guy ropes. That makes 6 tied in knots now. A long but brilliant day out.
Dogs allowed, so no one had to take turns to sit outside with Corrie and Zoa. It’s a huge roman site that was an outpost of the Roman Empire. Still much to be excavated.
We spotted where the tour groups were standing, which alerted us to something of note. Mostly mosaics. Fairly well preserved, although how long will that remain the case with bring exposed to the elements. And a layer of sand dulling the colours. Twas on the outreaches of the Roman empire. €10pp. So totally good value.
Brian spoke to a mosaic restorer … she said the site is a major revenue source for the government. Very little of the ticket money is spent on preservation.
We stopped off after at Moulay Idriss Zerhoun. Famous for the mausoleum of Moulay Idriss, which non-Muslim are barred from entering. And supposedly, the only round minaret in Morocco. We failed to spot it despite the steep climb to viewpoints.
The long corridor to the mausoleum. A wooden bar to prevent non Muslim entering. Muslims duck below to be reminded they are subservientAt least there were few motorbikes in these streets, just children and hopeful opportunistic tour guides, hoping for coinsGreen roofs of the mausoleum complex. Couldn’t spot a round minaret
Drinks in the square … it was explained that no ice cream anywhere. 😔 A waiter fetched out for J’s coke and Brian’s coffee. We watched near fisticuffs until the police calmed it down.
24th October – Meknes a Miss
Brian decided not to join us as he thought it’d be too hot today. So we had space in the car for our French campsite neighbours. They were stood by the road waiting for a bus that has no timetable. They’d waited 2 hours yesterday to go to Moulay Idriss. Only 30 mins each way, so I had a lot of practice speaking French.
The Mausoleum here just worth a visit. But the Kara Christian prison was closed. I’d read that it was a labyrinth of underground tunnels and rooms with no windows. Prisoners were dropped from above. Closed for renovation. The fortified walls were also being worked on. Spraying concrete over them. And all over the street lighting and pavements. Not worth going out of your way for.
The mausoleum Kara prison from our light lunch terrace Meknes is the only place that makes Damascene … tin fired to make it black, silver thread hammered in, fired and polished. Similar to Toledo in Spain, but they use gold thread. An ornate gate, but also under restoration Trail of black smokeLots of bab … gates
Clothes hand washing, showers and supper back at the campsite.
The first stop was Grottes of the Pigeons. No pigeons, but the car park(€0.30) money collector’s chickens. They were allowed inside. We weren’t. Peered through the fence and could see that there was a vertical excavation section. They’ve found evidence of human life from 100,000 years ago!!! Findings show that the cave was used as a workshop, for cooking, a necropolis etc. A major find is the oldest trepanned skull ever found- (medical procedure, drilling a hole – I googled that!).
Yes, that is the excavation trench
We attempted to get to the grottes des Chameux but the whole road was closed under repair. Probably land slip. So we continued along the Zegzel gorge. It didn’t live up to its hype. Problem is, yet again, spoilt by gorgeous Greek gorges.
We had our picnic just by the interesting section
With the road closed on our end, I reckoned there had to be a way to join it part way along. The other option was to drive into Berkane … with no guidebook mention. The lure of ice cream almost swayed the decision, but I held out for the mountains. Anyone who knows me, will find ice cream loosing out, unbelievable.
So we took a non motorhome road with fabulous views, as well as steep twists. J wouldn’t look down! Back to the apt in Oujda.
21st October 2024 – Driving day
To be honest the only thing comment worthy was that the scenery was of 2 halves. The first half was a massive expanse of flat dessert. Not sand as such but dirt and small stones. Very few habitations. I commented to J that I wondered what they did for water. Outside one house, I spotted a tractor hooked up to a water tank. Don’t know what the other properties did for water. A few herds / flocks of goats / sheep, although who know what they grazed on as no scrub. A tough area to live.
The second half had a hilly national park to our left. We could’ve diverted to walk to a waterfall, but it would have added 1.5 hours in driving time to our journey. We saw crops and green things. Truly a drive of 2 halves.
We bypassed Fez to a campsite North of Meknes. Mostly motorway on our 5 hr drive and €11.90. Our destination was where Brian and Zoa were already encamped. Arriving before us is proving useful, as Brian scopes toilets, showers etc. We arrive and are greeted as long-lost friends by the owner, as Brian has pre-announced our arrival.
We were packed and under an hour to leave the apartment. J didn’t have breakfast! So we knew we would have to stop for coffee and a bun.
We drive back over the mountain to the N coast. We even saw some roadside monkeys!
I’d driven this road 3 times now, so delighted J drove, and i could enjoy the views.A massive market. Carpets laid out with mostly second hand tools and clothesDacia Sandero is the car of choice (this isn’t a Sandero btw), even the taxis are mostly blue Sanderos. Reckon car ownership must be low given the number of people who are walking in the middle of nowhere
Breakfast stop was El Jebha. A very pretty fishing village. Tempting to try the fresh prawns and sardines being loaded into the ice cabinets … but no. We’ve a good few hours to go and plan a fish supper.
Cala Iris was our planned picnic stop. Super pretty looking down on it. But I’d an urgent need! We found a barely open hotel / restaurant. The smiley lady got an English speaker on the phone. He was 20 mins away and would come and open the kitchen. We didn’t feel we could just ask for mint tea, so ordered soup. Our Heinz tomato going cold in it’s flask. Nice facilities!!!
Cala Iris looks and is idyllicLunch stop
We’d booked an apt in Al Hoceima … sticking out to sea. J nanny napped and I took Corrie for a walk, past a huge new apt block area, to a viewpoint.
Every town has huge new 5 storeydevelopments. I spotted plaster falling off new walls, sodon’t rate the quality.
Supper was my promised fish. Sadly, deep fried so dry. 🫠 Been spoilt by Greek bbq skills.
20th October 2024 – All about birds
A walk on the beach at Al Hoceima. A massive Mercure on the beach to satisfy the package holiday makers flying into the local international airport. Beach full of chairs, so we sat, drinking our coffee (own tin beakers) and contemplating the early stillness. Al Hoceima really did feel more European … not for us.
Us alone on the beach and the seagullsView up to part of Al Hoceima
We followed the coast road east. A lot of very long ascents and then long descents. Pleased not to have been in the motorhome. The coastline really is similar to that of Greece.
Some interesting rock erosion.
We stopped briefly to find the Nador bird park closed. So stopped for the now tepid soup planned for yesterday, just outside on the edge of another new 5 storey housing development. Only thing of interest here is the large lagoon with houses on the narrow boundary.
Onto the Moulouya Estuary. A huge flat expanse after all the hills, twists and bends we’ve driven along. A bird sanctuary. Might be the wrong time of year. Might have been impatient. But we did see flamingo … from a distance.
Algeria just over thereThe dots are flamingo, honest And yet more rubbish
Onto Oujda. A city of 572,00. An apt booked for 2 nights.
Washing machine a bonus, so it was used
Shame the shower didn’t work. Gave the host the opportunity to fix it, but no hot water. They knew it too, as they had supplied a large bucket to fill with hot water and pour over oneself. Pursued this through Airbnb and got a 50% refund.
Cleared the apt and loaded the car by 9.45. Note to self: get everything laid out before packing … amazing how i can never pack the same. Corrie travelled some of the journey with a chair across her.
We do like a journey with a stop. Tetouan is known as the Daughter of Grenada due to Andalucian architecture. All very grand.
Very Andalucian. Stopped here for coffee €3 including the tip. Not tourist pricesEntrance to one of the King’s palaces. He destroyed a garden, so had another builtelsewhere
Then you enter the Medina. A huge rabbit warren of narrow passageways. First all the jewellers, clothes and then leather products.
Leading to the tannery. Fortunately, this didn’t stink, as not used since the Romans.
But some put on a show for tourists
We only had 3 men offer to guide us around. Ice cream a disappointment. May only have been €1.40 for both of us to have 2 scoops, but lacking flavour … they all tasted the same. And definitely no cream. Completely the opposite to my milk shake of yesterday, which was ALL cream, with 2 ice cubes and caramel sauce squirted on top!
Liked this 11th largest Moroccan city … a lot.
Tonight’s destination was Oued Lalou, on the north coast. Camping Ahmed was primitive to say the least! Two Turkish / long drop toilets, flushed by a bucket with a scoop. Showers? Try a refreshing dip in the sea OR stand over the loo and throw the bucket of water over your head. No difference between the 2 options really …the water in the bucket came from a salt water well! But we could pitch the tent on grass and we had the sound of the sea. €5 per night.
Clune Gap Years 