Fes and Sefrou

In 14 years I have traveled to Morocco and never been in Fes, first this year my way led to this town. Actually it was good point to start my trip to Figuig, otherwise I don't know if I would go to Fes yet. It is so that I not need to see everything in one time, I wish to see and enjoy the places without to rush. So I choose one place and then I fit in and look what's around and plan my trip after that.

I spent a few days then in Fes and I liked this town, almost more than Marrakech, it was more calm and not so chaotic on some way as Marrakech. It was also easy to go in Fes, everything was near each other, more compact than in Marrakech, it felt. I not needed any guide, it was enough with to read guidebook, look at the map and then go. I don't think i missed something.

Too bad that it was there those dumpster

But I have not gone up to Merinid Necropolis, has satisfied me to look at it from the bottom up. It was too high up. Can imagine me it would be nice view from there plus interesting even to see it from close range but ...
 

and cats everywhere ☺

It is becoming, or rather, it is already a bit tedious with such images from the tanners' quarterback, all shows it, so me too haha.

I have been even in Mellah, wanted to find the Synagogue Ibn Danan and Fassiyine Synagogue much older than Ibn Danan but even if I asked I not found any of them, I think.

It was one small Synagogue I found only, hidden between houses with one small door, almost invisible. One Rabin was there and he showed me around the Synagogue, unfortunately I got not to make any pictures. It seemed he was glad that someone was interested of his Synagogue, probably not so many people went inside and did know about it at all.

Wonder what they were discussing about LOL

nice Jardin Jnan Sbil

I took the picture with the Royal Palace, but the guard saw me and motioned for me to show what for picture I did. I went up to him to show, and then he said that I had to delete the picture, which I had to do while he looked at, so I have no picture of the palace, unfortunately.

So that was "my" Fes. As said, nice interesting city so it was good I got finally the possibility to visit it also.

Sefrou was one other interesting city on my list. It was near Fes and I had it on the way from my Figuig trip back to Fes from where I would then fly to Casablanca and home to Sweden. I arrive late afternoon and even if I had a couple of hotel tips I could not find anyone. So I drove to taxi station and asked them about to help me. They knew it only one hotel and one guy offered me to show me the way. It was not so far from Medina so it was good place.

But the hotel was as the hotel at anywhere in the world, such a standard hotel. But I was glad to have somewhere to stay over. A little cold it was inside, cold water was there too but was told that they put on a little later. However, I have misunderstand because they spoke only French that I can not so I had to just guess what they said. I thought that within an hour will come the warm water. However, it was not so, they meant that later in the evening it will be the hot water in one hour. So I showered in cold water and when I was finished came the warm water. Well, my fault that I can not French. But I managed me anyhow. But it was in nice garden and as said not far from Medina.

I have gone to take a dinner because it was quite late and I was hungry, usually I not eat lunch when driving so my last meal was breakfast. There was not so many restaurants but I found one and it was interesting to be there and look at the people. It felt that I was the only one foreign, other was only locals. Even next day when I walked through Sefrou I never met any tourist. So it was nice to skip them.

I had chicken, the most obviously food, apart from tajine. It was good but nothing special though when you are hungry you like every food.

From restaurant I saw any Bab, not remember the name so after dinner I took a short look inside Medina but then decided to go back to the hotel and save it to the next day.

At hotel they not served anything, only beer at evening and that I not like in any case. 

So at morning I packed all my things in the car and drove to the center where I parked and gone to one cafe looking at me there.

After breakfast was walking through the town which is actually divided by the river and on one side it was Mellah, on other side Medina. Mellah unfortunately was really destroyed, people not took care so much about and it was little as a dump.

But anyway there were places which was nice also, so not the whole Mellah was destroyed. 

Then I walked over the bridge to the Medina and again, the river was not so much clean, there were plastic bags and paper and other "nice things". Hopefully one day even there it will keeps all streets clean. In any case it was nice to walk there, calm and almost genuine and I liked Sefrou very much. Strange that  tourists go to miss this nice city and only a few find the way there.

 

 

 

Then it was time to go to Fes and that was the end of my trip this time. Before I leave even this page I will show you in which bus I would not like to sit and ride in.