moving along to meknes

so we were lucky today that Aziz remembered to feed us at a reasonable hour- and we headed into Meknes after a drive through the village of Moulay Idriss (westerners advised to stay in the vehicle as it is considered a holy city and many of the places do not welcome non Muslims) where people came into the village on Berber taxis (aka donkeys and mules) ---

then on to the restaurant where Philippe welcomed us warmly (especially GA- LOL) - what can I say tall blonds and gay guys just have an affinity- LOL.... the lunch was excellent and our table had a view of Meknes on the hilltop across the valley... so we left well sated-

here is lunch- an excellent veggie quiche to start- then fish en papillotte and then a heart shaped dessert !

above the menu and below the view!

the food-

then off to more touring-

I am so bummed this is out of sharp focus because I was so hoping for a great shot of the shadow of the lantern!

the area of the stables went on and on... that's how you get room for 12,000 horses!

now on to the moulay's masoleum - but on the way a quick stop at one of the gates to the medina-

a large square directly across from the gates- oh did I mention it rained while we were at lunch? timing is everything!

we take the highway back to Fes and decide to dine at the other restaurant in our hotel and have a very good dinner with an EXCELLENT dessert of the b'stillah with strawberries! this concept works much  better as a dessert than a main - despite chicken and powdered sugar being an interesting combination- LOL

the palace gates

so on our first morning in Fes we headed to a museum to start our day.  this museum held various artifacts including carpets and doors and other architectural features of old palaces.  As a matter of fact it was housed in an old palace that was historically the quest quarters for visitors to the king. From there we went on the entrance gates of the new palace in Fes- which were magnificent examples of the mosaic tile work we have been seeing and also some incredible metal working- but  the photos tell the story much better than I would-

as is common the palace is built around a central courtyard and all rooms open to the courtyard with almost none of them connecting with each other- the courtyard has a central fountain or water feature.... and despite the hustle and bustle going on just outside - the inner courtyard is an oasis of serenity and quiet.

below is a small courtyard in the corner of the building -

the decorative wood and tile work on the old palace is not a lost art, as are so many crafts in the west- below are views of the modern palace gates/doors-

   

 

 this new palace is just around the corner from the old Jewish cemetery - so that is where we are headed next - along with a stroll through the mellah!