A sacred travel experienceFind yourself... in Fez

6th June to 17th June 2012 Detailed Itinerary

THE VIEW FROM FEZ

The City

Fez is unique. There is no other city in the world which has a fully intact medina (city wall). Inside there are no cars; simply pedestrians, donkeys and mules. To walk along the winding alleys is to feel as if you have travelled in time; back to the fourteenth century.

Although it is a World Heritage listed city, it is far from being a museum – it is a living city, where artisans pursue their ancient crafts from weaving and dying to copper-smithing and candle making. Markets redolent with spices and rose petals; beautifully tiled fountains; small mosques and hammams or bath-houses are a feature of every quarter.

Fez is also the most Western-friendly city in the Islamic world, where warm-hearted and generous people will go out of their way to greet you in kindness and invite you for a cup of mint tea.

The Fez Medina offers something that no other place else can - an experience that can change your life.

The Festival

Each afternoon and evening on this magical trip you will be enchanted by music from all over the world. The Fez Festival of World Sacred Music is held each year in June. This is a music festival like no other. In the afternoons you can listen to these world-renowned musicians beneath the shade of an oak tree in a former palace, while the evening concerts are held in within the towering walls of an ancient armoury. Late into the night, Sufi groups perform at a traditional riad.

Started as a peace intiative during the first Gulf War, the Fez Festival of World Sacred Music has become a major event on the international arts calendar. Now in its eighteenth year, it stages astonishing performances of music from all the world’s great religions: from Sufi trance dancers to black American gospel artists; from Eastern Orthodox polyphony to ancient Hassidic and Hebrew songs. Artists from previous years include Ben Harper, Jordi Sarvell and Salif Keita.

The theme for 2012 is Re-enchanting the world: a homage to the grand poet Omar Khayyam.

The Tour

While at first glance the Medina may appear exotic and mysterious, take time to study it and it does become knowable. This tour will give you the opportunity to explore as as well as learn something new, from Moroccan cooking to travel photography.

You will also get the chance to travel further afield to the port city of Casablanca; the Andalusian Gardens of the Moroccan capital Rabat; the Roman ruins at Volubilis; the sacred city of Moulay Idriss and the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas.

What is included: • 11 nights of accommodation; one in Casablanca and 10 in Fez.• Half board (breakfast and either lunch or dinner. Alcohol

where noted).• Land transportation and transfers in an A/C chauffeured

vehicle.• Services of experienced English speaking guides and tutors.• Season ticket to the Fez Festival of World Sacred Music.• A choice of five morning workshops.• Entrance fees to monuments and museums.• Hotel taxes and service charges.

Day 1 – Wednesday 6th June 2012Casablanca

You will be greeted at the airport and taken to your comfortable hotel. After rest and refreshment, a tour of the major sights is on offer. In the evening, a welcome dinner awaits at Rick’s Cafe, a clever interpretation of the famous restaurant Humphrey Bogart’s character ran in the movie Casablanca – complete with Issam at the piano.

Welcome dinner and accompanying drinks provided.

Day 2 – Thursday 7th June 2012Rabat & Fez

After a buffet breakfast, we will depart at 9am for Rabat, the capital of Morocco. Rabat faces the Atlantic Ocean. Spanning centuries and dynasties, it has a rich architectural legacy. We will walk through the Oudaya Kasbah, through the Andalous Gardens, before having lunch.

In the afternoon we will drive to Fez, where you will check into your riad accommodation. The late afternoon is yours to settle into your unique Fez accommodation, and to start soaking in the beautiful ancient surrounds.

Dinner is at Ryad Salaama, where a superb French chef will prepare a three course Moroccan-style meal.

Breakfast and dinner provided - alcohol at own expense.

Day 3 – Friday 8th June 2012Volubilis & Moulay Idriss

Departing Fez around 8.30am, we arrive at the Roman ruins of Volubilis mid-morning. This is the ancient Roman capital of Africa where you can see history and mosaics under your feet. Then it is a short drive through the olive groves to the holy city of Moulay Idriss – the centre of Sufi culture – where we will have lunch at Scorpion House, while enjoying the spectacular view.

We return to Fez mid-afternoon when you are free to explore (with a good map of the Medina!!) or relax until dinner and the opening concert of the Sacred Music Festival at Bab Makina at 8.30pm.

Breakfast and lunch provided - soft drinks and coffee/tea included.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 4 – Saturday 9th June 2012Fez

At 10am we set off for a tour of the Fez Medina - the most famous ancient walled city in the world and the last one to remain intact. A visual and sensory explosion!

We have lunch at the Berada Family Restaurant, deep in the Medina, where the hosts are friendly and the food is authentic and delicious.

The afternoon concert begins at the Batha Museum at 4pm and the evening concert is at 8.30pm at Bab Makina. Afterwards, you can opt to go to Dar Tazi to see a Sufi group perform.

Breakfast and dinner provided - drinks at own expense.

Day 5 to 9 – Sunday 10th June to Thursday 14th June 2012Fez

Optional activities will be held in the mornings on these days - Interest in activities will need to be given before arrival.

Activities include:

The afternoon concert is at 4pm – Batha MuseumThe evening concert begins at 8.30pm – Bab MakinaSufi concerts begin around 11pm – Dar Tazi

Breakfast and either lunch or dinner will be provided on these days - alcohol at your own expense.

Day 10 - Friday 15th June 2012Sefrou and the Middle Atlas

An optional day trip to the ancient Jewish city of Sefrou in the mountains is available. More than a thousand years older than Fez, Sefrou was once an important stop for sub-Saharan caravans taking goods to Europe.

We will have a picnic lunch in the cedar forests nearby and on the return trip to Fez, we’ll visit the village of B’Halil; renowned for its unusual troglodyte dwellings.

Afternoon concert at 4:00pm – Batha MuseumEvening concert at 8:30pm – Bab Makina

Breakfast and lunch provided.

• Moroccan cooking classes• Souk tasting• Bread making• Street cooking• Yoga• Photography• Travel writing and blogging your journey• Henna designs

• Architectural / design talk• Fez download - cultural talk• Guided shopping• Hammam• Jewlery design and assembly• Impressions of the Medina• Arabic calligraphy

Day 11 - Saturday 16th June 2012Fez

A treasure hunt through the Medina – your last chance to explore the city (alone or in a team) as you find your way to a pre-determined point. A reward awaits the first of those to make it.

The afternoon is free to relax, take care of last minute shopping, or enjoy a hammam.

Final afternoon concert at 4pm – Batha MuseumFinal evening concert at 8:30pm – Bab Makina

Breakfast and dinner provided - drinks with dinner included.

Day 12 – Sunday 17th June 2012Casablanca

7:00am departure from Fez for Casablanca airport in our chauffeured air conditioned van.

Please note, if there is sufficient demand, the smaller classes can be run again on different days.

Moroccan cooking class - 10am to 3pm (maximum 10 people)From souk to kitchen to plate, chef Souad will share the secrets and mysteries of authentic, local cuisine. The workshops start with choosing your personal menu then shopping for ingredients in the souk with your chef and then learning to prepare your feast in the kitchen of Café Clock. Enjoy the fruits of your labour in the spirit of hospitality which is at the heart of Moroccan cuisine. This is suitable for chefs of all levels.

Souk tasting – 10am to 1pm (maximum four people)Culinary anthropologist and owner of Fez Food, Gail Leonard, will take you exploring the souks, showing an amazing array of Moroccan ingredients and where to find them. You get to taste as you go – everything from honey to spices.

Bread making and souk tasting – 10am to 1pm (maximum four people)Learn how to make traditional Moroccan bread and take it to a local wood-fired bakery. After cooking, Gail will take you to a special souk where you can taste a variety of Moroccan honeys and choose one to eat with your bread.

Optional activities

Street cooking: make your own tanja – 10am to 1pm (maximum six people)Tanja is workers food; a slow cooked stew traditionally made by Moroccan men.In the souk, Gail will help you gather the meat, vegetables and spices to make your own tanja. After preparation on the street, the ingredients are baked in a ceramic urn for several hours in the furnace of a local hammam (bath-house). The result is a rich and delicious stew you can eat that evening, along with salads and bread.

Yoga – 9am to 10:30am (Maximum of eight people)Under the sky in the garden of a riad, stretch those tight muscles and work your way towards fitness under the eagle eye of Belgian-trained instructor Serge Bukasa.

Photographing the Medina – 9am to noon(Maximum of four people)Get tips to improve your travel photography from professional photojournalist and author Suzanna Clarke. The Medina of Fez is incredibly photogenic and this workshop will help you to capture some iconic images.

Travel writing/blogging your journey – 10am to noon (Maximum six people) Ever wanted to share your travel experiences with others and found it difficult to put them into words? This workshop gives you techniques to do so effectively. And if you would like to start your own blog, Sandy McCutcheon, who runs the most widely read blog on Morocco, The View From Fez, can help you to do so.

Henna designs (Maximum six people)Sip mint tea in the courtyard of a riad with local women, as they draw traditional decorative designs in henna on your hands and/or feet. The finished effect looks as if you have a temporary tattoo.

Architectural/design talk – 10am to noonLearn about the design and construction of traditional Moroccan houses and the decorative elements that the World Heritage listed Medina of Fez is famed for. This talk by David Amster will give you an insight into some of the extraordinary craftsmanship used in some significant examples of architecture.

Fez Download cultural talk – 10:30am to noonWhen visitors first arrive in Morocco, they are often curious about the difference in cultural expectations. Khalid, a Moroccan who formerly worked with the Peace Corps, talks about food and feasts, marriage, Islam and the rituals around going to the hammam, among other local practises. It is also an opportunity to ask questions about any Moroccan customs you find puzzling.

Guided Shopping (Maximum six people)Over the seven years Sandy and Suzanna have been in Fez, they have come to know the best local artisans and merchants. Whether you want carpets, leather goods, ceramics, jewellery, antiques or ironwork, they can take you there and help to negotiate a better price. If you would like to have something specific created, they can point you in the right direction.

And more...

Additional activities can be arranged at an extra cost, including:

Hammam - price depends on the services you chooseYou will be taken to visit a local hammam or bathhouse, where you can have a traditional gommage – a full body scrub that leaves your skin feeling like a newborn baby. It is also possible to have an argan-oil massage if you wish.

Jewellery design and assembly 10am to 1pm 500 dh per person includes base materials/souk purchases an additional fee(Maximum four people) Be taken through the souk in the Fez Medina to select beads, trinkets and other elements for a session with visual artist and jewellery designer Jess Stephens. She will then guide participants through the process of design and assemblage of necklace making. Creators take their unique piece of Fez jewellery away with them.

Impressions of the Medina 10am to 1pm 500 dh per person, plus materials(Maximum four people) Take a closer look into the Medina of Fez and create your own unique art piece, using the media of drawing, collage and rubbings. Visual artist Jess Stevens will take you to fascinating locations to make discoveries into the surfaces, textures, icons and Arabic designs that may not have been obvious at first glance. Participants do not need an artistic background for this exploratory venture.

Calligraphy 600 dh per person(Maximum four people)Cost includes materials and a small calligraphers kit containing a modern and a traditional pen, an image and the participants name written in Arabic script to take away.

This workshop offers an introduction to the art of Arabic calligraphy. Discover its importance in the ancient medina of Fez with artist Jess Stevens and practicing calligrapher Adbellah. Plasterers, woodworkers and ceramicists continue to use this ancient practice, along with script illuminists and script writers. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to use the traditional materials of calligraphy to gain an insight into the practice of this spiritual craft.

Tutors

SuzannaSuzanna Clarke has been a professional photographer and writer for more than two decades – most recently as Arts Editor for The Courier Mail newspaper in Queensland, Australia. Her book, A House in Fez, has been published in Australia, the US, UK, Korea and Poland. She can help you capture enduring memories of your Moroccan trip with some insider’s photo tips.

SandyWell known in Australia as the former presenter of the radio show Australia Talks Back on ABC Radio National, Sandy McCutcheon has published ten books he has authored and had numerous plays performed. He is also the main writer and editor for A View From Fez, the top English language blog on Morocco. Sandy can assist you to hone your writing skills or even set up your own blog.

Gail Culinary anthropologist Gail Leonard runs Fez Food, which offers cooking classes and gourmet adventures in the Medina and further afield. She has taken celebrity chefs such as Heston Blumenthal on her foodie walking tours of Fez.

SouadA renowned chef in the Fez Medina, Souad is now in charge of the kitchen at Cafe Clock. Last year she made lunch for Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and 50 of her closest friends. Souad was largely responsible for turning Cafe Clock into what Footprint’s Morocco Guide 2009 labelled, “probably the best cafe in Morocco”. She has grown up with the secrets to traditional Moroccan cooking and is passionate about keeping them alive.

David The head of The American Language Center and Arabic Language Institute in Fez, David Amster is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the ancient architecture of the Medina. He gives yearly lectures on the subject to visitors from the Smithsonian Institute in Washington. David’s tour of the Medina will give you an insight to the superb craftsmanship required to construct significant buildings in the World Heritage listed Fez Medina.

Serge Originally from the Congo, Serge Bukasa trained and taught yoga and fitness in Belgium. He gives regular classes in the Medina and is renowned for his firm but humorous attitude to teaching. In fact, “I can feel the Serge” is a saying often used by his students when they return to his classes after holidays.

JessJess Stephens is a visual artist and events coordinator who has enlivened the creative life of the Fez Medina. As well as doing costumes and set design for stage shows, she also designs jewellery collections and gives workshops to those aspiring to enhance their creative side.

KhalidFrom the Middle Atlas town of Sefrou, Khalid completed a university degree in English in Fez and then worked with Peace Corps volunteers in the region. He says he sees the need to give visitors to Morocco a better insight into the culture and language from an insider’s point of view. “I tell tourists to greet people in Arabic, even if they don’t know them,” he says. “It makes Moroccans smile and feel good and then they smile with them.”