Fez To Fez

HOME ESSAOUIRA HANG MY HAT

Gateway at Chellah

Storks on the minaret at Chellah

The temperature started to rise a little in Rabat on Sunday. We partook in another sterling breakfast at the riad. This time we were joined by a well traveled French couple that has been living most recently in Casablanca. We ventured out at about noon and took a petit taxi to the Roman necropolis and medieval ruins at Chellah. Entering through a magnificent bab or gateway, we were able to view an expanse of ruins and archeological discoveries made up primarily of the red-walled remains of the site.

In addition to the Roman ruins there were partial walls marking the hamam (baths), Islamic burial grounds, a stone-and-zellij (tile work) minaret, and a medersa or theological school. 

The crowded Medina in Rabat

At night we ventured out into the medina again. I was in a state of lucid amazement as I watched the parade of characterful faces. I wanted to photograph them all, but at some point I realized that I might have to retain this multiplicity of colorful images, and other sensory jewels in the mosaic of my fallible memory as part of the evolution of perpetual perception.

We ate at the lively Restaurant Liberation in the Medina. We enjoyed the cross-cultural pollination of French, Arabic and English 

We set off early on Monday and drove five hours of mostly well-kept highway down to Essaouira. Of course, nothing quite goes to plan and we had some difficulty with the lack of signposts in the later stages of our journey. We are happy to have arrived at our destination at the monumental Villa Gonatouki. We eagerly await the arrival of our friend Jonathan tomorrow.