Fes, Morocco

Fes is a 3 hour magical train ride east of Casablanca. It has a total population of a million people but it's the Medina (old city) with a population of 400,000 where you're transported centuries back in time. 

Each of the 450 villages in the Medina has their own mosque (you can see the minarets or towers in the skyline), a bakery, running water, a carpenter, a school and a public bath or hammam. There are 9,000 small streets in this collective, the largest in the world, and it is almost impossible to navigate without a guide. There are no cars and the only means of transport is by mule or cart. 

In the medina, the streets are so narrow that at times two people can't walk together. It is the result of 450 villages being built side by side by side starting back in the 9th century. 

What we saw was a small part of the world trying to hold on to the old- in spite of the world changing- and maintaining their traditions. It's an interesting reality- 400,000 people living and working in a medieval city because they like it this way. It's almost like a dream.

We visited a bakery that started over 4 generations ago (his father's grandfather did what he is doing now); still baking in the same open oven and women (or children before school) arriving daily in the morning with their kneaded bread to be baked.

Traditional robes are still made by hand and there are literally hundreds of stalls selling any colour of thread or fabric for those special dresses or men's djellabas (our guide's wife had 3 dresses made by hand for religious and festive occasions).

There are leather tanneries (now supported by Unesco) that have been washing, treating and colouring animal skins into leather goods for over a thousand years and exporting to Spain, France and India.

If we hadn't seen trained ceramic workers making product with our own eyes, we wouldn't believe that the ceramics are all done by hand. Here is a picture of the oldest university in the world (built in the 9th century) with ceramic at the base, then hand-done stucco, then hand-carved wood. When you think of the number of small ceramic pieces being cemented together, it is mind-boggling: 

But what blew us away were the people, how the locals treated us and how friendly they are to one another. Not trying to be hokey, but it's special here. The feeling is one of goodness, genuine interest in meeting you and the pleasure to show their city. We couldn't get over how nicely we were treated- from the taxi drivers, the waiters, the Riad staff where we stayed (what they call small hotels) and the shop-keepers.

Morrocans also have a custom where the men meet up at the local cafe in the evening to have tea or coffee and forget about their work day. 

When asked if women could sit and partake, the answer was that they would probably prefer to sit inside or stay at home with other women and talk while the men are socializing. No surprise here, I found this way of life very appealing; not so much Cathy.