Fez To Fez

IN THE BLUE CITY

Chefchaouen is our last real stop in Morocco. Three nights here before we set off back to Rabat-Sale and our flight home. We are feeling rather travel weary at this point and Chaouen is a good place to relax and let ourselves be mellow. It is a sweet town with a population of 40,000 and an old medina that is casual and hassle free. The turrets of the old Kasbah overlook the main square and the city is molded into the side of a hill, which in turn is guarded by the mighty Rif Mountains; this mountain range stretches all the way North to the Mediterranean. The streets of the medina are predominantly washed in a blue paint. We are reminded of Jodhpur, a similarly blue-painted city in India. In both places the reason offered for the azure tint is that it keeps mosquitoes away…so far, so good! Tuesday was spent resting and recovering, today is for exploring Chefchaouen, Thursday we will be driving back to Rabat, and then Friday we fly back to Chicago.

Chefchaouen is the kind of town that you can easily relax in. It feels more like home. The people remind us that there is no purpose in hurrying; that time spent in the moment is more fully appreciated. People have kind faces creased by the mountain air and from working in the fields. The steep hills build strong legs and with age bodies that seem to lean forward into the steps and slopes ahead. The narrow streets offer some shade at all but the sun’s apex.

The Streets Of The Blue City of Chefchaouen