The Road to Fes-Meknes and Volubilis

We say "goodbye" to the sunshine for a few days as we head of to Fes, the capital of Rabat before the French protectorate began in 1912.  But before we get a home-cooked dinner in that fascinating city, we drive past acres of cork trees to the imperial city of Meknes and the Roman ruins of Volubilis (you remember Volubilis, don't you?  Marble columns outside of Hassan Tower.)

 The red soil of Morocco is evident as you enter the countryside outside Rabat.

 Hundreds of acres of cork trees line the toll road between Rabat and Fes

 The cork is the outer layer of the tree.  As you can see above, the bark is peeled only from the lower portion of the tree (the dark area).  The tree will then grow new bark in 1-2 years, at which point the cork can be harvested again.

 The piles behind this fencing are drying cork!  And these are not destined for France or Spain.  Morocco has a thriving wine industry (the gris or "grey" wine was a personal favorite) concentrated in the Meknes area.  Although a Muslim country, Morocco has separate civil law, and Muslims are not restricted from buying or drinking alcohol except during Ramadan (although, as our guide pointed out, you can still drink in the privacy of your own home during that time, if you've stocked up ahead of time).

 As we head farther east, the countryside turns into flat plains.  The outskirts of Meknes seem to rise up out of nowhere.

There is new construction all over the country.  The king wants to capitalize on Morocco's status as a crossroads between Africa, Europe, and the Arab world.  There are new ports being built (the one in Tangiers will be the largest in the Mediterranean), new beachfront developments (both public and private) along the coast in Essaouira and Casablanca, new toll roads connecting the major cities, and and emphasis on building affordable housing with the goal of eliminating city slums.  It's an exciting time for Moroccans, but as a traveler one wonders if we would recognize the places we visited were we to return 5 or 10 years from now.

 Bab El Khemis.  The gate leading into the mellah, or Jewish quarter of Meknes.  While fewer than 5000 Jews remain in Morocco since the creation of Isreal, their influence is noted throughout Moroccan culture, particular its cuisine, and every major city has a mellah.

 Proof that we were there.  Note the hat and gloves--temperature's dropping!

 You really get a feel for the enormity of the gate and the thickness of the walls when you compare it to someone on a bike, or even an SUV.

 The famous Bab El Mansour or Victorious Gate, across from the market.  Note the marble columns.  Are you thinking Volubilis?  Then you'd be correct!

 The square across from the Bab El Mansour.  Note the petit taxis lined up in front.  Every city has a unique color for its petit taxis.

Meknes became the capital of Morocco under the reign of Sultan Moulay Ismail (1672-1727).  This violent and cruel ruler nevertheless united a huge portion of the Maghreb under his rule.  He was in power concurrently with Louis XIV, and designed his palace in Meknes after Versailles.  Only ruins remain of the vast palace structures built by thousands of slaves, but the impressive reservoir remains.

 What's better than barely 40 degree weather?  Rainy barely 40 degree weather, of course!

 Our brave troupe heads to the ancient Roman site.

 Volubilis was founded in the 3rd century B.C. as a Berber and Phoenician-Carthaginian settlement.  It grew rapidly under Roman rule from 1st century A.D. on, eventually encompassing over 100 acres surrounded by over 1.5 miles of walls.

 Our guide is dressed for the damp, chilly weather.

 Volubilis is most famous for the still-intact mosaics.  This was the floor of the entrance to the baths.

 The floor in a villa.

 Beautiful landscape, in spite of the rain.

 Latin inscriptions.

 Decorative drain (and my feet).

 Many of the mosaics are myth-based.

 A public fountain where washing was done.  Note the smooth indentations where the clothing was scrubbed.

 Shallow pool in the center of a villa.

 A solarium which would have been open to the sky. The center was a fountain and the family members could sit around it and sunbathe.

 This floor recounted the feats of Hercules.

Volubilis fell to local tribes in the late 3rd century AD, and Rome was never able to recover its isolated western outpost.