My View From Fez, Part One

I’ve been in Fez for a little over 24 hours and I’m not gonna lie, it’s a completely overwhelming experience.  The kind of overwhelming that’s half anxiety and half excitement, mostly due to the fact that it’s the most exotic place I’ve ever been and I feel incredibly foreign.  I’ve done a lot of traveling and when I say “exotic”, that means that Istanbul is practically Los Angeles compared to Fez.  Not really, but…you get what I’m saying.  Fez is not Marrakech where there are tons of tourists all over the place.  There are definitely tourists here, but Fez is the old city and the traffic here is caused by donkeys, not by cars. It’s the real deal.  A place where you get a mad reality check about the world we live in and all the insanity, beauty, and rawness is thrown in your face.   It’s been an intense day, as I’m sure you can tell by the mood of this post!  But all that aside, I’m beyond happy to be staying at my friend Nina’s place that is part of a gorgeous riad in the medina.  She knows the lay of the land and has been introducing me to her peeps left and right who have been incredibly welcoming.  And, it doesn’t hurt that she speaks Arabic.  I feel well taken care of by one of my best friends along with her housekeeper who has been feeding me the most delicious home cooked meals.  The layers of this magnificent city are beginning to peel away and I’m anxious to see what awaits.  Today I started my day listening to the call to prayer (beautiful) and ended it with pigeon poop on my leg (not so beautiful).  But all the things in between were pretty magical, as you will see below…

This is the terrace at Nina’s, and that little gem with the blue door is my cozy room.  I took this photo before it was about to rain and I love the light.

Nina’s entryway (and Nina!)

Love all the old doors to the riads.

The staircase at Nina’s – how amazing are those colors?

My ideal outdoor rocking chair, on the terrace by my room

I want to take this door home with me.  I nearly lost my mind when I saw this.

One of the bedrooms at the riad Nina lives in.  THOSE DOORS.  The detail and craftsmanship behind all of the woodwork is insane.

Nina took me to her friend Fouad’s riad, which I highly recommend staying at if you visit Fez.  It’s called Riad Les Oudayas and I promise you won’t be mad.

This is one of the sitting rooms/library.

Love the old crates filled with books and magazines.  Now if only I could get that tile…

One of the rooms at Riad Les Oudayas

When the light streams in through the stained glass it creates the most radiant, magical rainbows on the wall.

A tiled lap pool at the riad.

Another guest room…

with these tiled floors throughout.

A guest bathroom

Hand painted Moroccan dishes displayed in the guest room

I fell in love with this red dresser.  It’s kind of the most perfect vanity.

The view from the terrace of Riad Les Oudayas.

The doors to the terrace.  How stunning is that emerald green tiled wall?

Ok.  So I freaked out over this kitchen.  I’ve got mad love for slate grey kitchens.  This is a plaster that is commonly used in Morocco and this is literally the perfect shade of grey.  So simple but rich, especially with the colored dishes displayed.

A typical Moroccan breakfast at the riad.

Holy cow dee-lish breads and pastries

One of the caretakers pouring our mint tea.  I loved everything about this breakfast.

More to come! xo