Day 1-4 Marrakech and the learning hub
We landed in Marrakech, Morocco after a long flight from Athens via London – yes, via London! We opted to stay over in London to avoid flying through the night, which never goes well, and also a multi-hour layover over 5-6 hours at 3 am. We didn’t have enough time to go out and visit but we will be back! We arrived in Marrakech at night and loved their beautiful airport.
The plan for our first week in Morocco was to participate in a Worldschool hub, where traveling families, digital nomads come together to form community, and organize activities to learn about the culture of the country. Our family was to be the first American, English-speaking family to join this French speaking hub. We didn’t realize our expectations were so high, and at the same time, that the hub was very new.
The experience challenged us quite a bit! We were surprised to find out that the site was about 45-minute outside the city, far from supermarkets, with little transportation, in an RV park of all places!! We had our bags, but no groceries or water when we arrived from the airport. Our accommodation was 1 room with 1 bed that definitely needed some cleaning. And, there was really no set schedule of activities.
BUT we are learning through our travels that sometimes the hardest beginnings have the most amazing endings, so we decided to stick with it. Each day we acclimated a little more. Asha became more comfortable being the only English speaker in the group, and Nish and I figured out ways to get groceries and work with the 2 other families to share cooking duties in the small 4-burner propane stove top.
We had a good day at a Moroccan cooking class with other Moroccan homeschooling families. The kids made biscotti and almond cookies at a local farm specializing in permaculture. In the evening, we toured the Medina.
We’ve also learned too when it’s time to bow out when something not’s working. The experience is not what we had hoped but we are grateful we had it. We had some of our best conversations as a family during these days and knew it was time to move on. We also met Sam, a very kind, patient volunteer the hub, and another family, Natalie, Ubalde and Felix who we love and hope to see again!
Day 5 Rearranging the itinerary
We decided to pivot and change over to an earlier itinerary we had planned for the trip. The change in plans meant that we’d now have more time to meet up with our good friends, Patrice and Kevin who were coincidentally also traveling in Marrakech also. That was energizing and helped us get excited about a new plan! We picked up a rental car and to caravan to Rabat together and then venture north. We reached Rabat, Morocco’s capital city, whose nighttime views were stunning. We checked into our Airbnb and spent the night making dinner and catching up on the last few years. It was exactly what we needed. We decided the next morning to head to Chefchouen while they would go to Tangier and then we’d reunite later in our travels.
The next morning we started on our to Chefchouen and made the 4 hour drive through the Rif mountains. As we arrived, we instantly felt the fresh air of the mountains and the calmness of being in the smaller city of just 40,000. We stopped at the top of the hill and took in the view of the city below in soft blues and whites and saw the evening lights come on. We settled into our Airbnb after a quick dinner and had a decent night’s sleep.
Day 6 Chefchouen, the Blue City of Morocco
We awoke to beautiful blue skies and went to meet our tour guide, Abdul, in Chefchouen’s old city. We learned that the city was originally built in as a fortress protected by the Rif mountains and has a natural source of water. Its name, which means the “horns”, reflects the 2 mountain peaks that are the backdrop of the city. The city’s history has been shaped by different cultures – the Arabs, Romans, Andalucians, Jewish and Sufis - who came here for protection from European invaders. In the 50s, the city was heavily impacted by a dramatic economic downturn and residents decided to start painting the walls blue as a symbol of the sky and a connection to their God, and as a reminder that better times were ahead. We loved strolling through the historic Medina and taking in the many beautiful shades of blue.
In the evening, we decided to hike up the Spanish mosque at the top of the city to take in the sunset. It reminded us somewhat of Cinque Terre in Italy with its city built into the rock and gorgeous shades and twinkling lights.
Day 7 Achkour Waterfalls and God’s bridge
We met back up with Patrice and Kevin who made their way to Chefchouen the night before and ventured out to Talassemtane National Park to hike to the Ackchour waterfalls and God’s bridge. This national park was established only in 2004 in the hopes of protecting the Rif mountain’s fir trees. We arrived and walked along the winding rocky paths taking in the amazing views of the awe inspiring Rif mountains and disparate Berber villages that dot the landscape. It was overcast so we had the area all to ourselves. We followed the steep narrow path until we could see God’s bridge, the natural reddish, brown bridge that spans above the River Oued and connects two sides of the mountain.
On our way back we drove down the river’s edge to hike to the Akchour waterfalls. We were a bit rushed coming back as the gray clouds moved in and it started getting dark. We loved this area and this day has been the favorite of our time here thus far! Tomorrow we’ll head to the Roman ruins of Volubilis then Fes.
Day 8 Volubilis Ruins
We visited the ancient Berber-Roman city of Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage site that was established 2000 years ago. We loved roaming through the ruins and tried to imagine what life must have been like for the 20,000 inhabitants that resided here during its heyday. There is an impressive collection of mosaics that have been preserved and show what the walls and floors looked like ancient Rome. The site had a forum, baths, home quarters, a grand arch and a basilica for worship of Roman gods that was then converted to a church once the Roman empire adopted Christianity. The pillars of the Forum are now inhabited by storks who build enormous nests at the top. The site, which has been inhabited by various peoples off and on for 2 millennia, is stunning against the rolling hillsides and beautiful lighting.
Day 9, 10 Fes – City of a Thousand Riads
After leaving Volubilis we headed to the city of Fes, which is commonly referred to as Morocco’s cultural capital and its 2nd largest city. We arrived late in the evening after sunset. We decided to stay in a Riad to have a unique Moroccan experience. A Riad is a traditional Moroccan house known for its layout of a center courtyard with surrounding rooms and a common kitchen and dining area. They are usually in the old walled city with old markets and shops where cars are not allowed. They alley ways leading to riads are usually dark and narrow giving no clue of the houses that lie within them. A small wooden door opens up and entire world is inside! You can stand in the middle of the courtyard and look up at the night sky, eat dinner on a rooftop terrace and/or play an epic game of hide and seek. Traditionally, multigenerational families lived together in the riads sharing the space together.
We made to the old city in Fes, parked the car, an our gracious riad host, Zarah met us, and thankfully, led us through the maze of multiple narrow walkways which led to an unassuming wooden door. We opened the door, came through the walkway and we were stunned by the view – it was the most beautiful, most spacious living quarters we’ve ever stayed in anywhere! were absolutely gob smacked by beautiful décor and ambiance of our riad. Our host explained that this riad was built in the 12th Century and belongs to her family which now shares the Riad experience and hospitality with travelers.
We had a delicious dinner of lamb tagine and veggie couscous with our friends on the 4th floor terrace overlooking Fes at night. We then moved downstairs to the lounge and played then played Jenga in front of the fireplace late into the night. We climbed into our warm beds with weighted blankets and snuggled in for a delicious night of sleep. We will never forget this night!
The next morning, we slept in and then ventured outside to see the Fes market before we got back on the road. We had our rainiest day since the last day on the Camino but managed to make it to the blue gate and did a quick tour of the Medina market.
We wish we had more time in Fes and we hope to be back someday. We said a reluctant goodbye to our friends and headed to Casablanca to meet our family flying into tomorrow from California. We’ll pick them up in the morning and drive to Marrakech to stay in a riad and do some day trips to surrounding areas.
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