Out and About in Fes, Morocco

It’s May, and I’ve (sort of) nearly made it through recapping our trip last year to Spain and Morocco – we’ve covered Brighton on a layover, Madrid, Seville, and the eats and the hotel in Fes. Now, on to what we DID in Fes, with the final piece of the puzzle (Marrakech) and our home-going layover still to come! Whew. Thanks for sticking with me.

Before I get to the fun stuff, though, a setting of the stage and a little cautionary tale on what not to do in Fes: we arrived at the airport, confident in our abilities to navigate Morocco just as easily as we had Spain. That was our first mistake.

The Boy speaks French, and we (thought we) negotiated a taxi rate from the airport to our hotel. This was our second mistake.

Dogwood 2018 Photography Challenge: Weeks 18-19

Week 18 – Wildcard: Photographer’s Choice [Shot with Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM]
Capture an image on your terms; who, what, where, when, why, how … it’s all up to you. Caveat: You must tell us your intent.

I definitely had an intent – and a vision – for this challenge, which was to capture “a sunset in a glass.” I think it came out a bit more photoshopped than I would have liked, but the overall effect is there.

Week 19 – Vision: Edge Cut Sun [Shot with Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM]
Having an edge cut through the sun looks nice, or having the sun rising over a line or diagonal within the photo. Stop down the aperture to create a starburst.

Eating Out in Fes, Morocco

I’ve already posted about where we stayed in Fes, but now to tell you about where we ate – with one disclaimer: on the last day, we got quite ill. We don’t know what exactly made us ill – the Boy got it worse than me, but we mostly ate the same things, and nothing was particularly suspicious. Still, a good note that Morocco is one of those places you might be likely to get a bout of traveler’s disease (the worst of ours lasted about 24-36 hours), and that it’s possible one of the below places brought it on…

Breakfast

I don’t have any photos of breakfast, but we ate every day in our hotel Riad Dar Bensouda, and they put out an impressive (and varied) spread of eggs, fruits, breads, cheeses, and more, along with juices and the ubiquitous sweet mint tea (free).

Dogwood 2018 Photography Challenge: Weeks 16-17

 Week 16 – Technical: Portrait Lighting [Shot with Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6]
Whether Butterfly, Rembrandt, Split, or Loop Lighting, choose the technique which best flatters your subject.

I was traveling and not in a great setup to take actual human portraits the week of this challenge, but while on a walk I stumbled across a bunch of deer and the evening light fell in such a way that I decided that this counted.

Week 17 – Creative: Humor [Shot with Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM]
Laughter is the best medicine. Make us laugh.

Where We Stayed: Fes

I’m going to have a lot more to say about Fes, Morocco (speaking of which, is it Fes or Fez? I feel like the one I’m using is more accurate, but just doesn’t look right to me, so I’m torn), but I figured I’d kick off by sharing where we stayed for the three nights we spent in the city. Note that we booked through Chase, and the pricing reflects what we paid – make sure to check on your own.

Riad Dar Bensouda
14 Zkak El Bghel, Elquettanine, Fès 30202, Morocco
$95/night for a Standard Room

Morocco is a truly incredible country, and while we did have some struggles while visiting (more on that to come), it was an awesome experience. Also awesome – you can get truly beautiful accommodations in Morocco for very little money