A full day of travel from Rabat to Fes. Rather than taking the main highway, we traveled the scenic route. The bus is very comfortable, with 32 seats for the 15 of us. Our first stop was in a Cork forest, that was the site of a US army base during WWII. The trees concealed the encampment from German planes. It takes 28 years for cork trees to reach maturity, then the bark can only be harvested every 8 years during the approximately 80 year life expectancy of the tree. The forest is also home to wild boars that dig for truffles among the tree roots. All of the cork harvested in Morocco is used for wine bottle stoppers. We made another stop at a roadside stand where farmer was swelling turkeys, honey, olive oil, and eggs. Although our quest for turkey eggs to take to the desert was not satisfied, we had some great views of the fertile farmland and the rolling terrain.
We traveled on to Meknes, one of the 4 Imperial cities of Morocco, for a short stop
. First we visited an synagogue in the Old Mellah and then we visited a historic Jewish cemetary across the street. At one time there was a large Jewish community, now only one family remains in the old Mellah and 3 more families live in the suburbs, so the cemetary is now cared for by a Muslim woman. To show our respect we left small stones on several of the graves. Meknes is known as the green city because of its association with agriculture. It is famous for olive oil and wine and we drove through large vineyards and orchards of olive trees as we approached the city. We stopped at Bab Mansour el-Aleuj, one of the finest gates in Morocco, and the Place el-Hedime, or Square of Ruins, which links the medina and the kasbah. We then travelled to the outskirts of the city for a great view of the skyline, and to have lunch in a local restaurant. Shortly after our arrival, we heard a lot of music and discovered that a wedding celebration was being held in another part of the restaurant. The male guests were being welcomed by music and dancers
. The bride and other women were participating at another celebration in a different location.
After lunch we drove through the countryside to the ruins of the Roman town of Volubilis. The town was established in the 3rd Century BC by Mauretanian kings and was annexed by the Roman Emporor Claudius in 45 AD. Highlights of Volubilis include a Triumphal Arch, the Basilica and Forum, and a number of beautiful and well-preseved mosaic floors. Being accustomed to the well-rotected historical sites in the United States, I am always surprised at the freedom for visitors at sites in other countries. Although there are guards stationed at the entrance, visitors are free to wander throughout the 99 acre site, and examine the ruins. The site was clean and there was no obvious vandalism.
After touring Volubilis, we partially retraced our route and then headed on to Fes where we will spend two nights.
Cork forests, a synagogue, and roman ruins
Sunday, October 03, 2010
Fez, Fès-Boulemane, Morocco
Other Entries
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1Four Days and Counting
Sep 276 days priorColumbia, United Statesphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 2 -
2Today's Highlight was a Visit to the Supermarket
Oct 012 days priorRabat, Moroccophoto_camera3videocam 0comment 1 -
3Rabat--The First Day
Oct 021 day priorRabat, Moroccophoto_camera6videocam 0comment 2 -
4Cork forests, a synagogue, and roman ruins
Oct 03Fez, Moroccophoto_camera14videocam 0comment 0 -
5Fez is a Hat, the City is Fes
Oct 041 day laterFes, Moroccophoto_camera10videocam 0comment 0 -
6From the Mountains to the Desert
Oct 052 days laterErfoud, Moroccophoto_camera9videocam 0comment 0 -
7Fossils and Camels and Sand
Oct 063 days laterSahara Desert--Merzouga and Beyond, Moroccophoto_camera10videocam 0comment 0 -
8Camping in the Desert
Oct 074 days laterSahara Desert, Moroccophoto_camera13videocam 0comment 0 -
9Hurray for Civilization
Oct 085 days laterTinerhir, Moroccophoto_camera5videocam 0comment 2 -
10School boys, Blue men and Henna Hands
Oct 096 days laterTinerhir, Moroccophoto_camera11videocam 0comment 0 -
11On the Road of 1000 Kasbahs
Oct 107 days laterOuarzazate, Moroccophoto_camera5videocam 0comment 0 -
12We were riding on the Marrakesh Express
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13Exploring Marrakesh--Or Saved by a Caleche
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14Hidden Marrakesh
Oct 1310 days laterMarrakesh, Moroccophoto_camera8videocam 0comment 0 -
15Inside the Mosque and Church
Oct 1411 days laterCasablanca, Moroccophoto_camera5videocam 0comment 0 -
16Back on the Road
Oct 1512 days laterEssaouira, Moroccophoto_camera8videocam 0comment 0 -
17Fish, a Wind Farm and Tree Climbing Goats
Oct 1613 days laterEssaouira, Moroccophoto_camera7videocam 0comment 0 -
18Everyone Loves Argon
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19I Really DIDN'T Want to Go to Disneyland
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2025-02-15