Part 4 - from the desert to and including Fes.

We travelled quite far in a northerly direction that day, crossing the Atlas Mountains into cool forests full of Cedar wood to a 'Swiss' village at Ifrane that really looked like a Swiss village - Fig 1.

Fig 1 - the 'Swiss' village.









Like Lucarno in Switzerland, the lion - Fig 2 - is representative of this 'Swiss' town!

Fig 2 - the lion of Lucarno in Morocco.










And then onto Fes where we stayed at a Riad called Dar Attajalli - this Riad like the other we had stayed at was extremely comfortable.

And for breakfast, we had a whole range of Moroccan cheeses - Fig 3.

Fig 3 - three different types of Moroccan cheese - two soft and one hard.







And a srange sort of starter - Fig 4, that consisted of avocado, a mixture of watermelon and strawberries and a milky cream mixture!

Fig 4 - avocado and watermelon-strawberry mixture.












In Fes we had a guide who took us to the Kings palace where, because the King was in Fes, we were allowed to take photos of certain places outside the palace only - Fig 5.

Fig 5 - Aviva and I standing outside the Kings palace.








We were taken to an old Islamic school - the Medersa with its intricate and ancient carvings and ceramic work - Fig 6 and 7.

Fig 6 - inside the Medersa of Fes with its intricately sculptured archways behind.

Fig 7 - the very careful sculpture in plaster.




We went to the pottery works where people do intricate designs by hand; the tannery where men still ply the ancient art by treading on the skins with their bare feet and making all types of colors for the leather - by really ancient methods. The skins are initially put in a lime solution to rid them of all fatty tissue - Fig 8

Fig 8 - large vats of lime solution used to de-fat the animal skins.

Fig 9 - the various colors used to color the leather.

Fig 10 - the skins are in these vats for many weeks.







and then colored - Fig 9, and the color is then fixed - Fig 10 - all a time consuming method!

And food - there was food galore!

Fig 11 - note the green stamps on the meat.









The green stamps on the meat - Fig 11, indicate that the meat is of 1st quality - the best possible to buy!

Fig 12 - just a reminder where the meat comes from!!












The camel's head - Fig 12, by the side of the meat indicates that the meat comes from camels - it is not mutton!

Fig 13 - our guide pointing out the finer points of making a Tagine.










Our guide pointed out the way to cook a Tagine properly: cook the fruit separately and add it just before serving - Fig 13. Also with a chicken Tagine, squeeze lemon juice over the chicken and leave it for about a day! This simple process changes the taste of the Tagine significantly.

Fig 14 - heaps and heaps of dried fruit.









and then, of course -

Fig 15 - a 'Dentist' surgery.











Who can resist a 'Dentist' surgery - Fig 15?

And the great Medina of Fes is layed out like a post card - Fig 16.

Fig 16 - the sprawling city and Medina of Fes.







At night, we ate amongst other things, beef meat balls in a mixture of Moroccan spices - Fig 17. It was truly yum!

Fig 17 - the yummy mixture of beef meat balls with Moroccan spices.