This is a city square in Madrid. We arrived in the evening and had a
little time the next morning to walk around before our train ride
toward Gibraltar and Africa. American climate, in the north at least,
does not allow for much of this kind of outdoor eating which is so
pervasive in Europe. That's too bad, because it is a fine tradition.
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Downtown Madrid.
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Aditya inside a
carpet shop that we were taken to. On the train from Tangier to
Marrakesh we met a businessman who lived in Asilah. He convinced us to
get off the train with him. He took us to this shop and a Turkish bath,
and found a place for us to stay for the night. He also joined us for a
homemade dinner at the person's house where we stayed, sort of an
informal pension, it seemed. Several of us bought carpets. The guy
probably got a kickback, but that's okay. We had a good time, and he
was very friendly and helpful. When else would I go to a Turkish bath?
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This is the room we stayed in. It was the upstairs part of some lady's
house. She gave us a great Moroccan meal as well, with a huge pile of
rice and chicken.
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Marrakesh is known as the red city, and this tradition is carried over
into much of the new construction, including our hotel in the new
city—or
ville nouveau, as it is referred to in the French spoken by so
many North Africans. Tom is holding a map. Presumably we are developing
our plan for the next day.
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Looking out at the street of the newer part of Marrakesh, from our
hotel balcony.
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There is a nice public square in front of the gates to Marrakesh's old
city. I believe the royals of Morocco have a palace there.
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One of Marrakesh's many back streets. One of the things I like about
cities like this is that, with the narrow lanes, you get to see a lot
more of what's going on. When you walk through, you are up close and
personal with the action on the streets.
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Tom and Derek are buying orange juice in Marrakesh's large central
square, the Jemaa El-Fnaa. It was freshly squeezed and spectacularly
refreshing in the 95 degree Moroccan heat.
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Derek, Tom, and Aditya taking a minute to consult the travel guides.
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After
Marrakesh we went to Fez.
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After a few days in Marrakesh, we took a bus to Fez, which turned out
to be a great choice. The bus took a winding road through the Moroccan
countryside. Most mosques in Morocco are closed to non-Muslims, since
they are still in use, and are used almost constantly during the day
for prayer. Many mosques also do not have "lobbies" like Western
churches, from where you could look into the sanctuary without
disturbing
worshipers. Most mosques have a front door that leads directly into the
prayer hall. This mosque is open to visitors because it is no longer
being used. Notice the blue color on the minaret. |
The coverings over some of the streets give shade from the African sun
and also create some neat light patterns. This is a typical scene from
the old city. Note that most of the people are natives, many of whom
still do much of the shopping in the centuries-old bazaars, now filled
with modern goods, much of them imported.
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One of several entrances to the old city. Notice yet again the typical
Islamic entryway—an arch
inside a rectangle. Just above the left side
of the wall you see the roofs of the old city stretch away into the
distance. There is so much commerce going on everywhere. Like in
Istanbul, sellers bring a blanket of sheets of cardboard and just put
their wares out on the ground, neatly arranged.
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The famous
tanneries of Fez. I wonder if a place like this is kept going merely as
a tourist attraction. Even if so, that's fine with me. It's preserving
a trade that has existed for a long time, and it shows people how
things used to be done. The views of the tanneries are all accessible
only through shops where leather goods are sold, presumably treated in
the pits below. There is pressure to buy of course, but like elsewhere
in this part of the old, a few simple and insistent "no thank you's"
will get you out the door.
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A closer look at the clothing market, outside the city gate. Just over
the wall is a typical North African rectangular minaret. Minarets in
Turkey, for example, are usually cylindrical.
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Deep inside the old city we found this restaurant. It was a great place
to take a break for a while and escape the heat. Due to its extremely
out of the way location, hidden among the back alleys, it wasn't very
busy, but it was nice to relax for a while and drink lots and lots of
water. Note the massive water bottles!
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This is Aditya on his way out of the restaurant.
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This is just outside the main entrance to the old city in Fez.
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One of the countless narrow lanes inside the old city.
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Another view of a Fez side street.
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The pathways and lanes in the old cities are far too narrow for cars,
thankfully. This limits the transportation of goods to three main
modes, at least according to what I've seen. There are lots of
handcarts, lots of people carrying things, and then trusty animal
power. This creature (mule or donkey?) was standing here completed
unattended and unrestrained. This is the kind of thing that rewards the
traveler constantly when you take the time to walk around a bit.
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Tom trying to catch some of the expanse of the old city of Fez. We
spent two full days walking around and could have spent another week,
there was so much to see. Not typical attractions, just things to see,
especially the normal interaction of people and the goings-on of a
bustling city.
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This is just outside the city walls of Fez. It was a good spot to take
a break from the hustle and bustle of the city.
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On the boat back to Algeciras, Spain, from Tangier, Morocco. This looks
peaceful and relaxing, but the belching stench of smoke from the
engines forced us out in about another twenty seconds.
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On the ferry back across the Strait of Gibraltar to Algeciras, Spain.
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