Morocco 2024

Day 4 October 18, 2024 Rabat to Fez 175 miles

Today we are taking the bus to Fez by way of a Roman city sight. The journey will take most of the day. The temperature is cool but the skies are blue. The terrain includes some hills. The country has been in a drought situation for several years so everything is brown. They have had rain the past couple of months so everyone is hopeful.

Many of the communication towers have stork nests. They must be large because they are easily visible from the ground. Olive trees are everywhere. Some of them are indigenes and some are imports from Spain. At one time the government was giving away olive trees. Farmers and craftsmen don’t pay taxes. This is so they will continue doing what they do.

After about 1.5 hours we stopped for a break at a fuel stop. Everyone had an opportunity to use the rest room and buy snacks. In about another 1.5 hours we were in Meknes. This was the capital of Morocco at one time. Cities definitely have lots of traffic. We had lunch here. We had vegetable soup which was some kind of puréed vegetables. It had no flavor. Then we had tagine. Everyone had a choice of chicken with preserved lemon or beef and vegetable. Dessert was fresh fruit. In the courtyard you could try mint tea and a cookie. The cookie also had no flavor.

The Roman ruins of Volubilis. This was likely the capital of the area. Unfortunately it was badly destroyed by an earthquake originating in Portugal in 1745. Excavation work continues. It was not an easy walk. It was mainly just several dusty and rough trails through the large ruins. Some beautiful mosaics were visible. Some archaeological digs are in progress. The guide pointed out the remains of a Roman whore house with an underground tunnel connecting it to the library. Some things we will never know the full story.

A carob tree was on the path to the ruins. This is a remarkable plant. The seeds weigh the same wet or dry. They have many uses. They are a substitute for chocolate. The Romans used them to measure gold and precious stones. One carob seed equals one carat of a precious stone. And the length of the seed is used to measure the size of your shoe as in a size 45 is 45 carob seeds,

Then on to Fez which was another former capital of Morocco. The land between is mostly agricultural. Lots of fruit trees and vegetables. Also lots of small herds of sheep. Some farmers use tractors but some still use horses or mules.

We drove up on a hill in Fez to overlook the old city. The old part is surprisingly large. Then finally to the hotel. We arrived about 6:00 pm. The hotel is located a long walk from most shops and restaurants. We walked to a small supermarket to buy something for dinner.