20231116 Fes to Chefchaquen: Left the hotel about 8:30 and drove to the Jewish Cemetery. It is so different from any other one I have visited. Click on the link herein to get some sort of idea of thousands of white domed graves. It’s startling in its difference and simplicity. We spent the good part of an hour there and could have continues with shapes, shadows, light. And there were several rows of children’s graves as a result of a typhus epidemic.
Walked from there into the heart of the Mellah, which was once the Jewish Quarter. Now few if any Jews live there. Here you can see Sephardic architecture including balconies which you do not see elsewhere in Fes. Went to Ibn Danan Synagogue, now a World Heritage Site. Sephardic in origin, its layout a bit different than the one we saw in Casablanca. Walked back to the bus and headed north.
Heading into the Rif region, which is an agricultural area. There are two Spanish enclaves on the coast near where we are going. And the area was under Spain for a long time before independence. Thus, the common language is Spanish. And many people here are fairer skin with blue or green eyes. Descendants of German Vandals.
Got into Chefchaquen just before 6:00. Bus had to park waaaaaaay below the city. Ishmael said it was about 15 minutes to the hotel. It was steep. I had to stop to catch my breath. Ishmael then said it was only another 15 minutes away. No way. Ron and I hailed a cab which took us to the hotel for the price of $2.
Staying at Hotel Parador where I am in room 223. While some others went out to explore with Ishmael, I stayed here, sat on the deck with David Levy, watched sunset. Then buffet dinner (not great) and up to the room.
There is an elevator. First one since Marrakech. The room actually has a desk and chair. Since Casablanca, rooms have had neither. Makes it hard to do any work on computer if there is nowhere to set it down and nowhere to set my butt down.
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