Fez, Meknes and Volubulis
During these two days we took and overnight expedition into the interior from Casablanca. We traveled first up the coast to Rabat, the capital of Morocco, and visited the magnificent mausoleum of King Mohammed V.
We then continued on to Fez, the spiritual capital of the country. Fez is a sprawling city beneath the Atlas Mountains, but we concentrated our attention on the medina, the old walled city founded in 808 A.D.
The medina is an absolute labyrinth of narrow streets passable only by the colorful milling crowds of shoppers and shopkeepers and by the horses, mules and donkeys which supply the thousands of tiny shops at which one can purchase all the necessities of daily living from elaborate wedding thrones to CD’s. Particularly popular with us were the incredible spice shops filled with all the exotic scents of Africa, Asia and beyond.
We visited the tannery (pictured) which dates back to the middle ages and still treats and dyes camel, cattle and sheep hides to produce beautiful Moroccan leather goods. After a very pleasant overnight at the Hotel Palais Jamai, we visited the city of Meknes and continued on to the ruins of the Roman city of Volubilis, once the Roman capital of Northern Africa, with its exquisite mosaic floors and beautiful columns.
One of the mosaics showed the labors of Hercules, including a scene of him. Finally, after a very nice lunch of trout from the Atlas Mountains, we returned to the ship for a delicious barbecue dinner on deck as we sailed north to Tangier. Text and photograph by Jim Kelley, Naturalist
During these two days we took and overnight expedition into the interior from Casablanca. We traveled first up the coast to Rabat, the capital of Morocco, and visited the magnificent mausoleum of King Mohammed V.
We then continued on to Fez, the spiritual capital of the country. Fez is a sprawling city beneath the Atlas Mountains, but we concentrated our attention on the medina, the old walled city founded in 808 A.D.
The medina is an absolute labyrinth of narrow streets passable only by the colorful milling crowds of shoppers and shopkeepers and by the horses, mules and donkeys which supply the thousands of tiny shops at which one can purchase all the necessities of daily living from elaborate wedding thrones to CD’s. Particularly popular with us were the incredible spice shops filled with all the exotic scents of Africa, Asia and beyond.
We visited the tannery (pictured) which dates back to the middle ages and still treats and dyes camel, cattle and sheep hides to produce beautiful Moroccan leather goods. After a very pleasant overnight at the Hotel Palais Jamai, we visited the city of Meknes and continued on to the ruins of the Roman city of Volubilis, once the Roman capital of Northern Africa, with its exquisite mosaic floors and beautiful columns.
One of the mosaics showed the labors of Hercules, including a scene of him. Finally, after a very nice lunch of trout from the Atlas Mountains, we returned to the ship for a delicious barbecue dinner on deck as we sailed north to Tangier. Text and photograph by Jim Kelley, Naturalist
