Medina Gossip #3502!

After a very fruitful day wandering around the souqs we can report that Fez is truly buzzing at the moment. There are fresh faces and some old ones returned. Others have departed for a break. And the house hunting is in full swing with both sellers and buyers in the market and prices edging upwards.

Top of the hot gossip file goes to a rumour of a truly different approach to making a living in Fez. The View from Fez can report that a massage centre is in the planning stages. From what we understand the person behind this bold scheme is a French woman with skills in ayurvedic massage, reiki, reflexology, Thai massage and various other techniques. We will keep you posted.

On the new faces front, we can reveal the identity of the tall man who has been seen all over the Medina, looking at houses. Yes it is another prospective buyer of a dar or riad and the good news is that he is not planning to open a small hotel or guest house, but rather to spend part of the year living in Fez.

Mike Lilley
The man in question is Mike Lilly, a Canadian from Vancouver, works in graphic design in the film industry. He has visited Morocco before, but this time he has really caught the bug and is seriously looking for the right place.

Also in the Medina at the moment is Fred Calmes, a Frenchman with a fascinating line of research. Trained as an anthropologist, he is studying Sufi brotherhoods and actually performs with one. We can attest to his skill as a musician as we have had the pleasure of eavesdropping on his rehearsals - he plays Oud and sings superbly. His other talents include storytelling. Fred is building an environmentally and energy sustainable house in the countryside near Fez and after several years in the country speaks Darija very well.

Fred in Fez

The number of people looking for houses in Fez is still increasing and while many people are taking a measured and sensible approach we hear some weird and wonderful stories of people paying exorbitant prices for dars and riads. One story describes three Englishmen who have purchased what is described by one cynic as a "hole surrounded by walls and without a redeeming feature"! We have still to view this gem, so we will withhold judgment, but with the housing bonanza has come an element of greed on behalf of some sellers and when matched by the ignorance of the buyers the result can be a disaster. So a word of warning. Get good advice and don't rush into a purchase you may later regret.

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news