Aaaaannnd We're Back. Back in the land of Morocco with all its wonder and slow internet connection. Though this blog was on hold while we were in the US for the summer, I did have the foresight to upload the pictures while we had dizzyingly fast internet. This saved a lot of frustration and will allow us to share some of the experiences we had in the last part of the year. Below are shots from our trip to Fez.
The King's palace in Fez. He has one in most major cities...
It is highly recommended to get a guide to make your way through the labyrinth of the Fez medina. We often wonder and wind our way on our own, but due to a time constraint we decided to hit some highlights.
Behold a personal heaven: A POTTERY.
Below is clay being reconstituted.
Wares that have been hand painted and ready for a glaze fire...
Pieces trimmed and drying...
The potters use the traditional kick wheel (see video below) with just a flick kick of their foot they keep the wheel running smoothly.
The traditional kilns where they throw handfuls of olive pits in to raise the temperature...
These are apprentices, hand painting pieces to be fired.
These are stacks of glazed tiles that are used to make the intricate mosaics that are famous in Morocco. The shapes for the mosaics are traced and then chiseled out with little hammers.
Here is an example of some chiseled pieces...
Incredibly, these men sit with different sacks of colored pieces and put together a mosaic puzzle IN REVERSE...finding the appropriate matches and perfectly sized segments. After they are finished they pour cement over the back to seal it together.
This is a table top.
Here are sacks of different ceramic pieces to be used in mosaics.
Even the stairs to the pottery are stylin'!
The shop.
Walking through the Souq...
I love the wooden coverings...they provide shade and cast shadow patterns below when the sun streams through.
Behind our guide is a camel's head. This could be related to the camel that supplied Ryan with his Camel Burger...which was flavorful and delicious, but could have been the source of his deathly illness that would strike just one day after this picture was taken.
This interesting tool is used to make the pastry shells for Bastilla. The woman drapes thin dough over the top and the heat and oil allow it to get paper thin while she stretches it. It is then filled with chicken, almonds, cinnamon, other spices, and happiness ensues.
As a drummer, Ryan appreciated the rhythms from these coppersmiths pounding out pans.
I never tire of the architectural details and tile in these ancient places...
The famous tanneries of Fez. Using traditional techniques, the skins are soaked in different stages and different concoctions (including urine and pigeon poo to name a couple) to treat the leather. These workers stir the baths with their legs and feet, stomping away with rolled up pants or wearing shorts...bare skin! They are paid by the skin so they work at a fast clip. The men run across the edges of the tubs with amazing dexterity. This is the essence of HARD WORK!
In one of the shops we pal-ed around with an employee who showed us how to wrap a scarf that can protect from sun, wind, and sand. Ryan would wear this all the time if he could remember the special wrap technique.
Women creating the intricate woven rugs.
Their fingers move so quickly and precisely, like harp players.
We were in Fez to see Bjork perform at the Sacred Music Festival. More on that to come!