A Farewell To Fes

Today in a farewell to Fes blog entry, I’ll take you on a couple of my favorite outings in this city. The first is a tour of the massive ramparts that surround the medina. You don’t have to look too hard to know that you are in a walled city.

On a clear day up at the Borj Nord, a lookout tower to the north built in the 16th century to guard the medina, you can really see forever!

There is a weapons museum inside the fortress. And if you sit around its garden long enough, some nice old man will bring you flowers…for a small tip. Hey, nothing in life is free. Except maybe the thrill of being up at the other Borj near the Merenid Tombs and ruins.

So after this cool jaunt for a lofty view of the city, I end up at my second favorite place–what else but an art store (there’s no Chanel boutique in Morocco!).

The friendly artist/owner shows me pictures of his daughter who is studying in San Francisco and gives me a tour of his upstairs studio, which is no bigger than the size of a very narrow, small bedroom, completely windowless. I don’t know how he fits them all in here, but he says the space is shared by 5 artists. This makes me a little sad.

So I buy. Maybe I do walk around with the word “sucker” on my forehead, and maybe the smell of oil and acrylic paints is making me woozy, but heartache has a strong effect on my pocketbook. And art makes me happy. So as I wait for my paintings to be wrapped up, I chat with his son about his life in Fes as a young man. He tells me he doesn’t paint like his dad because his art of choice is music. Later, we end up a few doors down where he shows off some of the Moroccan stringed instruments.

The best present from a trip, besides the experience itself, is local art. That way I can enjoy a little bit of Fes everyday in my own home.

My passport is ready. See you in the next town!

01/18/2010