We departed for Fes thinking that it would look a lot like Marrakech. How wrong we were! Fes is incredibly different, with its medina where a thousand and one artisans ply their trades and its atmosphere which is far less touristic. We appreciated this trip even more thanks to our good fortune in meeting incredibly sweet and friendly.
The RIYAD ALATIK is run by two vigorous, welcoming women; so vigorous and welcoming, in fact, that they became our guides and our friends over the course of the five incredible days we spent here. Their house has the advantage of being ideally situated in the heart of the medina. We adored our room located on the terrace: we were able to admire the rooftops of Fes El Jedid while relaxing in the sun! (Yes, of course we were there to work – spoilsport).
Karine and Valérie introduced us to almost all of the artisans in the Medina, including Rachid and Samira… Ah, what can we say about this incredible couple except that their goodness and generosity literally amazed us. We’ve been on many voyages but few have offered us the joy of such an encounter.
Not only are they extraordinarily kind, they are gifted. For making tea, for proposing a selection of brilliantly colored kilim rugs, for offering a wide choice of scarves in “cactus fiber”, woven in their own boutique (see photo below) and magnificent throws. Their boutique is the sanctuary of fassi treasures, as far as we’re concerned.
We strolled in the narrow streets of the medina, where the odors of spices and leather and – occasionally, and unfortunately, the unpleasant smell of the tanneries – mingle. The smell can be as violent as the spectacle of the medina is beautiful.