Shop 'til you drop . .

Takes on an entirely different meaning in Morocco.  More like bargain until you just don't have the energy to argue anymore :)

We started the morning at a Mosaic Pottery factory in Fez.  The pieces are unique to Fez as their pottery and tiles are made from grey sand and glazed so the hand painted colors won't fade and can be used in ovens.  The handiwork by the artists was incredible to see.

Cutting tiles

Chipping out shapes

Some of their beautiful fountains

After a visit to watch the Fez Potters, we started our journey through the medina.  Our guide, Radouane, told us if we were to lose our way to follow a donkey.  They are the only forms of transportation in the Medinas and take articles to the shops outside so eventually we'd find our way out (ha!).  It was such a neat opportunity to get a glimpse of daily life in Morocco. 

We’ll let the photos tell the story . . . .

The medina from above

We had another incredible luncheon experience as we were guided to a separate area of the restaurant where we had a lovely table and Andalusian musicians performing for us.  Their music is mostly about the culture and daily life.  It was beautiful and almost put us in a trance.

We escaped through a door tucked into a wall and ended up in an old Koranic school and it was like an oasis in the middle of the busy market.  It was built by a Tunisian woman who came to Morocco in the 1200s as a refugee.  

Our guide has done a fantastic job of teaching us about Moroccan culture.  We didn’t just go shopping in the market, we learned about how each item is made.  After lunch we went to a textile factory and learned how they make scarves, kaftans, curtains, you name it. The guide showed us how they use the agave plant to make silk scarves. We had no idea they could do that.  The weaver was still using a traditional loom with wooden pedals. Fascinating to see and of course we found something to buy.

Our guide followed his nose to our next destination, the tannery.  The smell was intense, but it was so interesting to see the washing and dying process.  The men coat their skin in olive oil so they don't dye their skin with the leather. In Morocco they use mostly goat and lamb hides because they’re not as heavy.

Washing and Dying Basins at the tannery

On our way to see how copper and brass are engraved we saw this beautiful arch built to show the connectedness of the Jewish and Muslim faiths in Morocco.  One side is green for Islam and the other blue for Judaism. 

Here is a photo of the brass engraving factory.  We bought a teapot so we can make our own Moroccan mint tea.

Thirsty?  Find a donkey, just don't get in his way.