MOROCCO 2007: American’s in Morocco – Day 4. December 24, 2007

Hi All –

Following what appears to be a typical Moroccan breakfast (they love sweets!) of about 5 different kinds of breads and marmalades, hard boiled egg, and a “crepe-like”-pancake, we headed off to the old Jewish quarter (the Mellah) which is adjacent to the Fes medina in the southwest corner. While we were told the area was distinctively different architecturally, the differences were negligible… but perhaps that is due to the fact that the entire area encompassed by the old city is a cacophony of the tiniest shops imaginable – ranging from about 35 sq ft to about 120 sq ft – all totally packed floor to ceiling / side-to-side with “stuff”… Generally, like in most developing countries, the shops focus on a single item (like cloth or eyeglasses or shoes).  Anyway, these shops occupy the first floor of every building, but are like little add-ons to the buildings since they are so shallow. Just imagine more than 900 streets with about 50 shops per street. Could call it a shopper’s paradise.

After meandering a while, we found our way to the Jewish cemetery – a strange plot about 6 square city blocks in size… with row upon row of white “mounds.”  The “guard” at the entrance welcomed us royally and managed to give Mike the man to man hello of three kisses.. one on each cheek and then a second on the first cheek. Mike says he wreaked of alcohol (at about 10 a.m.). He provided the kippa and a big “shalom!” We also saw the synaguge which is “buried” deep in the mellah with housing immediately adjacent and so close that you are practically in someone’s apartment as you enter.

We then walked for hours throughout the medina – stopping to eat various things along the way, and consuming numerous cups of mint tea. The sounds and smells rival the visual array. Finding your way is a bit complicated and getting lost is lots of fun, until you’re exhausted and then really would like to find a simple way back – which is impossible. We’ve found a few of our own landmarks like the guy who seems to work 24/7 cutting out little pieces of leather to make souvenir babouches (backless shoes).. (He’s a sub-contractor).. His little shop consists of a table that’s about 18” x 20” … We know we’re almost at our riad when we find him. Actually the signage isn’t bad, once you understand the color coding and the logic, but it’s easy to go in circles.

By the way, the calls to prayer begin at 5:20 a.m. (which doesn’t seem to have any relationship to the rising of the sun).

Our riad seems to attract a broad range of foreigners and the more “artsy” types. Turns out the owners (Alla and his wife Katy) live part of the year in Oslo. He’s Iraqi, but fled with his family to Norway many years ago. He studied in Norway and is actually an architect. Met his wife in Norway, they traveled to Morocco .. loved it, decided to move here and wanted to renovate a building in the Medina, so it’s all been restored with a good deal of TLC. There are two other American couples staying her now (one from Ventura CA – he’s an architect; one from Raleigh NC and DC – they are academics- she teaches at the Corcoran; he’s an art historian at UNC); two German couples; Brits; and Norwegians (an architect who bought an old house here in the medina but has not yet begun his renovation).

Best – Fern