Fes with Achmed

This is Achmed, who took us on a guided tour of Fes. He collected us from the campsite in a " Grand Taxi " which is an ancient Mercedes that the driver squeezes 7 people inside. Morocco has thousands of them and they are used instead of buses. On any journey, you never know who you could be sat next to!
I digress. The city is a massive urban sprawl but we wanted to see the Medina, or the ancient city. The sights we saw were unbelievable. A warren, of narrow, shaded alleys, seething with people, donkeys, carts and rubbish carriers. Porters shouting to get past you, mosques calling the faithful to prayer, donkeys' hooves clopping on the cobbles, friends exchanging greetings ... sounds of the souks
Each section of the city is famous for what it produces, so craftsmen working in incredibly cramped conditions, are producing textiles, pottery, metalwork, shoes, silk, furniture and leather.
Perhaps a photo album would give you a better insight into Fes than words, so here goes.....

An amazing view of Fes from the Old Royal Palace

We believe there is a grid pattern to the souks

The tannery where wool is stripped off the animal skins using urine !

Spools of silk from the aloe garve cactus

Piles of dried fruits

The metal making quarter

The narrow streets create shade when the temperature reaches 40 degrees plus!

A man dying cloth

Another busy donkey

Colourful headgear

The calm and quiet of one of the 320 mosques

Making belts for Moroccan wedding gowns

Walnuts

Amazing cedar wood doors

Mohammed the pharmacist who allowed us to sample musk, argon and other essential oils. We smelt  jasmine, rose, orange and black aniseed which helps those who snore to clear their nasal passages. It made our eyes water!

Jade green is the colour of Fes and these are hand made roof tiles.

Despite the poverty, there was no shortage of satellite dishes!

The green pyramid is the tomb of Moulay Idress, the founder of Fes.

So there you have a whirlwind tour of our day with Achmed. Salam and Shukran.