Fez

Leaving the striking blue city of Chefchaouen nestled in the Rif Mountains, we travelled south on our Moroccan road trip towards the ancient city of Fez. And although we didn’t encounter any of the vast marijuana plantations that the region is famed for, we did come across lots of rolling hills and wide valleys full of olive trees and orange groves. Roadside vendors of fresh orange and pomegranate juice are common place, and make for a pleasant way to break up the driving.

After settling into our riad in Fez and grabbing a bite to eat, we were able to introduce the kids to one of those “must-do“ experiences when travelling in Morocco; a hammam. Much like a Turkish Bath, this communal bathhouse is a place to clean the body in line with ritual and custom. Although not common in the West, the community tradition of bathing in a group setting has been going on for thousands of years. Our riad had their own spa and were happy to accommodate us for a family experience. Our personal attendant washed, exfoliated and massaged each of us whilst we took turns sitting in a large metal tub up to our necks in warm water while the kids splashed gleefully. Our attendant made us feel completely at ease and was an absolute delight with the children. It was such a wonderful and intimate experience, and we were so glad to share this special tradition as a family.

The following morning we took on the largest and oldest medina in the world. The tangled knot of 9,500 alleyways and pedestrian tunnels crammed into two square kilometres is impossible to navigate without a guide. So, our new friend Mohammed guided us through the morning markets and on to the Chouara Tannery. From here we had a tinker in the Copper Souk, saw the hand looms of agave silk weavers, and pushed onwards to the grindstones used for making Argan oil. A patchwork of artisan crafts; with methods unchanged since medieval times.

The Medina of Fez was founded in 9th century and also houses the oldest university in the world - University al-Qarawiyyin - founded in 859! It is also the largest car-free urban area in the world, so as we sat eating our street food in the evening amongst the hawkers and touts, we marvelled at the donkeys and handcarts that make this enchanting and ancient world turn.