Fantastic Fez

25th October 2024

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

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!

A 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.

Tasty Tetouan

12th October 2024.

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 prices
Entrance to one of the King’s palaces. He destroyed a garden, so had another built elsewhere

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.