Northern Morocco, the kingdom of kif? (page 3 of 5)

No, I’m the only one who doesn’t drink Coke, Fanta, etc.!

Apart from alcoholic drinks, I usually only drink water.

Fresh fruit juice, but mostly outside of meals—except for freshly squeezed lemon—or tea, coffee, or sometimes a fruit syrup with water.

Coke is harmful in the long run, but it doesn’t give you traveler’s diarrhea...

I say she still needs to change one more (last 😏) time... actually, I was just thinking... 😇

Today, we’re braving the scorching heat to visit the imperial city of Meknes.

We would’ve loved to set off early to avoid the midday sun, but that’s without counting on the Moroccans’ certain tendency not to be morning people...

Breakfast, in fact, is generally only served from 8:30 AM, and the contrast is always striking between the empty streets in the early hours and the crowds in the squares from late afternoon onward.

And this is true even in relatively temperate regions...

It’s a bit frustrating for travelers, especially since Morocco abandoned daylight saving time, meaning it gets pitch dark by 6:30 PM, even in September!

We leave Azrou with the windows slightly open and arrive in Meknes with the air conditioning on full blast.

We park the Sandero in the Zine-El-Abidine parking lot and head straight for Bab El Mansour, the most famous gate of the imperial city.

Not without dodging a few offers for guided tours...

Morning isn’t the best time to admire this monumental arch, as it’s completely backlit.

Nor is it the eve of an election...

Supporters of the Authenticity and Modernity Party have gathered here, energetically chanting their slogans while handing out flyers that will end up scattered in the wind, like most of the trash in Morocco.

A few Fram-style groups are also out and about, but nothing too aggressive.

I won’t point fingers at any one group for the ammonia-like smell hanging over the city, because I soon discover the real culprits.

Carriages are stationed at strategic spots around the city, and the poor horses pulling tourists have no choice but to relieve themselves on the sidewalks.



At nearly 40°C (104°F), it’s *very* pungent!

As we’ll see throughout this trip, ecology and animal welfare are the least of this country’s concerns. If you’re deeply committed to these causes, I’d advise giving Morocco a miss...

We now follow the shade of the buildings to the mausoleum of the very likable Moulay Ismail, the bloodthirsty sultan of Morocco who made Meknes his capital starting in 1672.

Despite free entry, there aren’t many people inside this magnificent complex of inner courtyards.





Only access to the tomb itself is off-limits to non-Muslims, and you don’t need to dress in any special way to wander from patio to patio.

The logical next stop after visiting Meknes would’ve been the royal stables, but Google Maps tells me they’re closed for restoration.

Not keen on walking a few kilometers under the relentless sun just to check, we decide instead to get lost in the alleys of the old imperial city.



We emerge from the labyrinth at the other end of the city, just as our stomachs start grumbling.

How about lunch in the medina?











A quick web search, and we’re off in search of the coveted restaurant.

Is this the right place, do you think? There's nothing marked!

We knock on the door, and a man opens it for us.

Tables are set, menus are available—no doubt, we’re exactly where we wanted to be!

The owner is a bit grumpy, but the food served is really good.

Bread, warm starters with eggplant and peppers, a vegetable tagine—perfect for outdoor temperatures that don’t exactly make you want to stuff yourself!



A spiced Berber coffee to ward off drowsiness, and we’re off again to explore.

I then look for the Bou Inania Madrasa among the maze of souk alleys and finally find it.

Well, find its door, which turns out to be frustratingly closed...

A museum instead?

Soon, we’re at the Dar Jamaï Museum, a former palace whose rooms house an interesting collection of musical instruments, beautifully displayed.







We finally return to Bab El Mansour to admire the gate in better lighting before leaving the city.



I’d suggest visiting Volubilis, but we’d probably melt in the heat among the ruins!

Yeah, it was already pushing it in Meknes...

So, what do we do now?

We enjoy the AC and go for a drive!

We still head toward the Roman city, catching a glimpse of its ruins in the distance, then admire the charming town of Moulay Idriss from above.

38...

We only stop long enough for a few photos before heading back to Azrou via a backroad—*very* backroad...



We’re now passing through villages completely off the tourist trail, and it’s a disaster!

Puglia finally loses its top spot on my global filth ranking...

Piles of garbage of all kinds line the roads, plastic bottles end their lives in the grass, and kids play among the trash.

This place will be the worst I’ve seen in this country, and this trip has shown me just how disgusting Morocco can be—an aspect I’d only vaguely brushed against during my previous trips.

Northern Morocco is much more densely populated than the south, which probably explains it.

And Moroccans have other priorities than ecology: finding work, food, paying for gas (only 1.45 € here, but since the median salary barely exceeds 550 €, it’s a huge burden for most locals).

Maybe a 1 dirham deposit on plastic and glass bottles could help the problem a lot?

But the infrastructure would need to keep up, which doesn’t seem to be the case given the overflowing trash cans that never seem to get emptied.

If you want to avoid this, stay in wealthy neighborhoods, visit tourist hotspots, and in densely populated areas, steer clear of nature and beaches...

I’m rambling, but where are we?

Our GPS suggests a strange route to get back to base.

A route that takes us down dirt tracks and farm paths where we struggle to see the way out...



Phew, there we go—back on a main road!

At nightfall...

Tonight, it’s tagine and Sidi Ali water.

Don’t fix what isn’t broken!

It's Tuesday, market day in Azrou.

Why not drop by?



No sooner said than done—we pack our bags, leave the farm hostel, and park near the big souk.

Unlike the shops in the medinas, open-air markets have escaped the curse of souvenir sales, whether locally made or Chinese.

No chance of being bothered by a pushy merchant or a fake guide on the lookout for their commission.

This is the kingdom of the authentic, complete with strong smells and old-school practices.

Sensitive souls, beware...

We start by wandering through the sheep and other livestock.

The animals are packed together like sardines in a can.



If you buy one, the animal is quickly grabbed by its hind legs, and its new owner drags it to their vehicle like that.



Unlucky, you think?

Oh, quite the opposite—the critter comes out alive!

Which won’t be the case for the turkeys and chickens...

Out comes the poultry from the pen, then it’s slaughtered, plucked, and chopped into pieces.



The Moroccan version of farm-to-table.

The faint smell of fresh meat is slightly more nauseating than the scent of goat droppings.

Phew, it smells better over here!

Now we enter the fruit and vegetable section.

It’s an abundance: grapes, potatoes, olives, pumpkins, fresh herbs, spices!





Nothing gory this time...

The last stalls offer clothes, everyday items, and farm supplies.

If you want to wrap up your visit with some skewers or a cup of tea, no problem—everything’s available!

We pass, though, still put off by the smells we encountered earlier, and soon continue on our way toward Fes.

Not entirely on the main road but partly via the secondary network, following a suggested route from our Michelin guide.

We pass Ifrane and then Immouzer-Kandar before turning onto the tiny provincial road 5014.

Our plan: admire the viewpoint from the top of Jbel Abbad!

According to the Michelin guide, the road is drivable, and there’s only a short walk.

The P5014, yes—though it’s single-lane while being two-way traffic—but not the track that gets you closer to the panorama...

Very rocky and narrow, it seems a bit too tough for the Sandero.

No desire to get a flat under the scorching sun, and how would we maneuver if we met someone coming the other way?

The distance could easily be walked—maybe 8 kilometers round trip—but the heat makes us give up on this hike.

Plus, with the heatwave, the sky is far from clear. The 360-degree view must be pretty hazy!

We continue along the picturesque P5014 and then rejoin the national road 4 about ten kilometers from Séfrou.

There, we make the mistake of taking a detour toward Bhalil, whose charms we fail to uncover—hidden as they are by rapid urbanization that drowns the old village center under cinderblock constructions.

We turn back and stop for a picnic in Séfrou’s municipal park, under the watchful eyes of all the neighborhood cats...

The city doesn’t seem all that appealing either, but since the gates of the medina are just a few meters away, we decide to make the effort to explore it.



Once in the maze of alleys, the magic works, and even though this medina has kept its authentic feel—garbage included—we come out enchanted.













Fez is only about thirty kilometers away,



We enter the city in the middle of the afternoon. I don’t recognize anything! The city has gained 400,000 inhabitants in 28 years—could that explain it? The outskirts go on forever, and the boulevard encircling the old city doesn’t ring any bells. Maybe my memory will come back tomorrow when we dive into the medina?

We park the Dacia in the parking lot recommended by our host and then go knock on his door.

I made an exception to my need for quiet and booked accommodation inside the ramparts—I hope I won’t regret it too much...

The room is really nice, definitely the most beautiful of the trip so far.

It’ll be the only one run by expats.

We rest a bit, then head back out before nightfall to walk up to the viewpoint near the Hôtel des Mérinides.

Both locals and tourists gather here to admire the city lights.





Nice, but nothing mind-blowing!

This pre-dinner stroll made me hungry!

Where should we eat?

The challenge is finding a restaurant within walking distance of the riad that’s affordable, serves alcohol, and has decent reviews!

Let’s just say it’s not going to be easy...

When the menu includes wine, the place is usually upscale and banks more on the alcohol than the food to draw in customers.

I settle on Darori restaurant.

The decor is stunning, the service impeccable, the food decent, and the wine flows freely.





A great choice for a very reasonable bill—50 € for two (shared starter, one main each, a bottle of wine, a bottle of water, and a coffee).

In case of purchase, the animal is firmly grabbed by its hind legs and its new owner drags it like that all the way to their vehicle.

But you missed such a great opportunity! You should’ve grabbed one, dragged it to the Logan, and then dropped it off at a restaurant that would’ve made you a couscous with lamb!

A Sandero, not a Logan! !😉

Not sure my restaurant in Fez would’ve been too happy to see customers rolling up with a lamb... Or the riad owner!

Plus, meat that fresh isn’t great.

A Sandero, not a Logan! ;)

Kate struggles with the people’s cars 😏

Between the trash cans, the horse manure, the smell of the animals, and the traveler’s diarrhea, this travel journal is already giving the famous novel *Perfume* a run for its money. I had a good nose (!) for hanging out once again in the Travel Journals section.

A tip of the hat to Attila and Kate for their coming out about alcohol addiction, joining our Mountain Man on the impressive list of travelers zigzagging off the beaten path 😉

One thing’s for sure: this year, the Morocco travel journals have got real character!

A dog? 😮

Not the most common animal in the medinas!

Cats, on the other hand...

I’ll leave it to Perju to ask for them in couscous—I always stick with lamb.

Same as in Kyrgyzstan, except in the palaces you’ll find couscous with mutton more easily than with lamb ;)

The night was very peaceful; we’re perfectly rested to tackle this marathon day!

Our host shared a really useful tip for getting around the medina:

- If the street name sign is hexagonal, the street ends in a dead end.

- If it’s rectangular, the street has an exit.



Is your smartphone fully charged? Did you download Maps.me properly?

You can forget about dropping little pebbles to find your way back to your lodging!

Right, left, straight ahead.

U-turn, that was the alley from before!

Hmm, this way looks nice.











Argh, good thing I lost a few kilos before leaving—otherwise, I’d be stuck!



A little earthquake and everything collapses, right?



We finally emerge onto the lovely Nejjarine Square.



The foundouk doesn’t open until 10 a.m., a bit late for us!

We continue our exploration of the city of mosques and mausoleums, monuments whose beauty we’ll only glimpse once we’re at their doors.





Not sure I feel like converting to Islam just to go inside...

We’re now at Place Seffarine, the heart of the artisans’ activity working with copper and brass.



This is the first place that rings a bell!

If I compare a photo from 1998 to one from 2026, it hasn’t really changed.

Maybe back in the day, the hammering was constant. But today, the metalworkers only really get busy when a group of tourists approaches...

Not far from here is the famous tanners’ district.

It hasn’t changed much either!

Fake guides still pester tourists to climb onto the terrace of the merchant who’ll give them the best commission on any potential purchases...





Merchants still hand visitors a sprig of mint to mask the unpleasant smells coming from the vats.

There might be a *tiny* bit less activity, a *tiny* bit fewer olfactory assaults.

After the view from above, we get closer to the tannery.

A guy approaches us, offering a truly in-situ visit.

A visit I wouldn’t recommend for anyone a bit unsteady on their feet...

We’ll climb onto the vats, enter the workshops, and observe the skin-scraping stages.









And we’ll drop a big bill—well, big for Morocco...

But this experience was definitely worth the slightly over 9 € we paid! !

I’ll let Perju ask for them in couscous—I always stick with lamb.

If I understood correctly, you didn’t go to Meknes… for next time, I’ve got a top-notch address for a pastilla…😉

Next, we wander up the two main shopping streets of the medina, hopping from one to the other as the mood takes us.







We’re now in sight of the Bou Inania Madrasa, a beautifully decorated Quranic school.







You don’t need to make a profession of faith to enter here—money is the only "Open Sesame."

20 dirhams each. I think this very reasonable price might go up in the coming years...

We leave the old city through the famous Bab Boujloud and head to the shady paths of Jnan Sbil garden to cool off.



After a quick lunch, we enter the grounds of the Batha Museum.



A bit pricey for the collections on display, even if the building itself is pretty nice.

I honestly preferred the museum showcasing musical instruments in Meknès!

I’ve got a top-notch address for a pastilla...

At the camel place? 😇

Too strong 😏 Time hasn't budged between your visit and mine...

Not sure I want to convert to Islam just to be able to enter...

You should! Super easy—it only takes 5 minutes! You recite the Shahada (just one short sentence). Then you pick a Muslim name: Aghnès. And that’s it—done! If you’re willing and want to show you’re interested, you learn the ablutions, prayers, a few Quranic verses, etc. But nothing’s mandatory! It’s way quicker than becoming Catholic!