The First Few Pieces of the Mosaic
Salaam Alaykum from Fes!
We arrived yesterday afternoon after spending a whirlwind two days in Casa. A dinnertime chat with journalist Hannah gave us some perspective on current issues affecting the press in Morocco. We visited the Hassan II mosque overlooking the ocean - the third largest mosque in the world, and stunningly beautiful.
Today the French and Darija classes began, giving us yet another window into the culture. Afterwards, we enjoyed a medina tour from our guide Mohammad, visiting a pottery workshop on the outskirts of the old part of the city and then venturing in to visit the largest tannery in Fes. Being in the medina gave us a chance to look at the beautiful architecture that we will be helping to preserve through our medina restoration project which begins tomorrow. A lecture from Youssef, our leader in this project, cemented these ideas. This evening everyone retreated to their homestays for the first night of cultural immersion (and their first homecooked meal in the country!)
The group above the landscape of the densely packed Fes medina
We hope all is well at home!