Fez Medina - post Ramadan.

With Ramadan over, the Fez Medina is getting back to the normal busy pace of life. The tour buses are back - ferrying groups from France, Spain and Italy. The Brits are also here in droves. Viewing from a vantage spot near the Bab Bou Jeloud is like watching a passing parade from the United Nations. Those in big groups trail along behind guides, trying to catch a word or two of what he's saying. Those either more savvy or with more cash are travelling in small groups of four or so, allowing them to get the full benefit of the guide's knowledge.

The tour guides of Fez are experts on the Medina and if you have done enough homework to ask the right questions, you will find them wonderfully erudite. However, if you simply trail along in their wake, you will get the standard descriptions of a few well known buildings. Today we spotted a couple of the female guides and although they are resented by some of their male colleagues, they are extremely good at their jobs.

The local expats have also been out in force. Jon and Jenny from the Fez Renovation Blog are back in town and looking well rested after their break, but still busy on the publicity trail, posing for an English women's magazine. Hopefully they will have a chance to crank up their blog again soon.

Diane, who has started work teaching English was spotted striding down the Tala'a Sghira, as was Louis of the Louis-Fes Blog was also enjoying the fine weather after the rain. As he says in his blog... "Not a lot to report as the workers are still on a Ramadan break should be back by the weekend to crack on to the second phase of putting the house back together. Its been raining here for a few days the first for ages which brings the Medina to a bit of a standstill and has us frantically covering open roofs with plastic to keep carpets dry."

The house buyers and renovators are back in town. Michael from England was seen happily enjoying a coffee in the Cafe Firdous while waiting for his first day of work with his builder. We wish him all the best for the months ahead. Linda and Allen have started the "decapo" ladies at work stripping the paint from their doors and Fred and Katinka are over the moon at having completed the restoration of their wonderful house - Riad Laaroussa. Have a look at their website.

From England, new arrival Jennie is having her first look at the property market and is excited about the prospect of using Fez as her base for humanitarian work in other parts of Africa.

From Ireland, Mark, Yvonne, Nathan and Nisha are staying at Riad Zany - having the "best holiday of their lives".

There is other gossip about - but we decided that you really don't want to know....


Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news