Morocco

Spring break at the University of Malta is two weeks long -- the week prior to, and the week after Easter. Bright and early Saturday morning we departed for the airport, flying to Paris and then after a long layover, flying back south again to Fez, Morocco.

The Blue Gate

We were met by our tour leader, Nordeen, and taken by van through the surprisingly modern and European-looking "new city" of Fez, until we reached the "Blue Gate" to the medina, or old city, in which no cars, trucks or vans are allowed. The rule isn't hard to enforce, as there are no streets in the medina wide enough for even the smallest car.

Fountain in the "lobby" (central court) of our riad.

The narrow streets wind and bend, so by the time we reached our "riad" (basically a large family home now turned into a B&B) we were all thoroughly lost and could never have found our way out again. The riad, like most of the medina, is plain plaster on the outside. But inside, it is a glorious example of classic Arabic architecture. A meal of hot chick-pea soup and fresh baked bread awaited us. Very welcome after an exhausting day of sitting in planes and airports.

Our room was the former master suite when this was a family home. Up several flights of steep and twisting stairs, it has a high ceiling in ornately detailed wood, with wall tiled in bright geometric designs of typical Muslim style. Other rooms are less ornate, but all have their charms. Our students wanted to stay permanently.

No one was going to venture out into the maze, and most were exhausted anyway, so it wasn't hard to convince everyone to take to their beds in anticipation of a bit day(s) upcoming.