Before we left home, Nick told me that his friend Dave,  from Westport’s  Y’s Men, was going to Morocco on an O.A.T. trip,  just as we were. The difference was that Dave’s trip began one day after ours. There we were on April 17 having breakfast together, Dave and his wife Judy on the their first morning in Rabat, and Nick and I on our last. How incredible was that!

Today we would be going to Fez, called Fes in Morocco. This would be our first long bus trip; it would take about five hours. I was concerned with that amount of time, because I have bladder issues. However, Hassan was careful to make sure that we would make rest stops every two hours. At our first rest stop, Nick and I shared a vanilla pastry, the base of which was made of phyllo. Back on the bus, we drove past many sheep grazing and many crops such as barley and alfalfa growing. We also passed  olive trees and trees that produce cork. We had learned all about cork production when we were in Portugal.

Arriving in Fez, lunch consisted of a platter of rice surrounded by potatoes, green beans, tomatoes and cucumbers, followed by meatballs that were topped by a fried egg. Then, on to our riad. A riad is a traditional Moroccan house that has a central courtyard or garden. Many riads have been converted into guest houses. Riad Marjana took our breath away! Here are just a  few of the photos that Nick took of it. Next we were given the key to our room, which was lovely, except for one thing. Its odor began to give me a headache. I left the door open and asked everyone who passed our room to come in and check out the odor. The opinions were that the room smelled of mold, mildew, wet wood, or dirty gym socks. I found Hassan and told him of my problem. Hassan met with the owner and we were given a two level duplex, instead.

Later, several of us met with the owner. He explained that it had taken him more than ten years to convert the building, which had been a home for thirty-two families and had only one bathroom, into the magnificent edifice that it now is.

At 4 PM we joined our group. Hassan wanted to take us to an overlook that had panoramic views. Once there, we encountered a high school student, Fatima, and her brother Mohammed. Hassan had not known them in advance, but he was so friendly that it seemed as if he knew everyone we encountered. Both Fatima and her brother had studied English for years. Fatima told us about her dream of  becoming a doctor, and how difficult that goal was to achieve for women in Morocco.

Our next stop was at a ceramics business. We  saw how each piece of pottery was hand painted, or hand chisled, and put together in a sort of jigsaw puzzle. Many of our group members bought pottery, and we bought a plate for our wall of plates from our travels.

Then we entered the medina, or old city, an area filled with travelers and hawkers trying to get travelers  to buy their wares. I was very careful to hold onto Nick, remembering the time I had become separated from him in China. Hassan carefully checked and counted us, keeping us all together.

The only thing about dinner  I have in my notes is that I ordered spanakopita, which is phyllo pastry filled with spinach, cheese, and spices. I love spanokopita and order it in restaurants at home whenever I can. By comparison, the spanakopita I had that night in Morocco was very good. We saw on the menu that camel burgers were available. Those who ordered them said they tasted like regular hamburgers.

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