Fez Fantasia

Often people tend to think that the Moroccan fantasia is an event put on for tourists. Not so. Photographer Gérard Chemit was at today's event in Fez and sent us these photographs.

A fantasia is held annually in most towns and villages to show off the prowess of teams of riders and animals, and it's competitive. First the tents are pitched where riders rest between events. Horses are bedecked with embroidered saddles and bridles. The teams of men (and often women, too) dress up in special clothes.

Each team lines up at the start, and sets off at the gallop. Twirling the musket is a special trick.

At the end of the field, muskets are fired and the horses stop dead.

Don't miss the opportunity to watch a real fantasia - not just the ones put on for tourists. The horses are beautiful, the artistry and riding a wonder, and the whole event very exciting.

With thanks to Gerard Chemit for the photos.

Cafe Clock cookbook launch in Fez

Cafe Clock was packed solid last night for the launch of the long-awaited Clock Book: Recipes from a Modern Moroccan Kitchen, written by Tara Stevens.

Tara Stevens

The beautifully presented book, with a foreword by Tahir Shah and photographs by Julius Honnor, is a fitting tribute to Mike Richardson, owner of Cafe Clock. His vision has made the Clock a landmark in Fez.

Publisher Andrew Morris of 33Books in London, himself a house-owner in Fez, flew in for the evening. The books were quickly snapped up and Tara spent the evening signing them.

Cafe Clock at the launch

The Clock Book features, says Tara, "the dishes and the stories I have encountered in more than a year of regular visits to the Fez medina". She worked closely with Mike and Max and the Clock staff. "Together, we have updated many of the traditional dishes of Morocco to bring them more in line with 21st-century lifestyles, which means we account for busy working weeks as well as healthier diets and the Western kitchen".

The book costs Dh200 and will soon be available at www.amazon.com.uk. There are, of course, copies for sale at Cafe Clock.

RECIPE

Here's a typical example of the way in which Tara has adapted the classic Moroccan mechoui - a lamb dish traditionally slow-cooked in a clay oven.

"The smell alone", says Tara, "is enough to get you salivating, and by the time it emerges from a slow oven, it's maddening. No wonder it's traditionally torn apart with the fingers and eaten with no embellishment. Shoulder works better than leg as it is fattier, so you should get tender flesh running with juices and a delicious, crispy skin. Serve it with dishes of the juice, and freshly ground cumin, sea salt and dry harissa for dipping."

INGREDIENTS

2kg shoulder of lamb

180g butter

10 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbsp cumin seeds, crushed

1 tbsp coriander seeds, ground

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ginger, ground

1g saffron

salt and pepper

METHOD

1. Combine the butter and spices together and chill overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 220C

3. Wash and dry the lamb, slash crosswise to score the skin (avoid cutting the flesh), then rub the spiced butter into the lamb and roast on the middle shelf for 30 minutes until the skin begins to turn a golden brown.

4. Turn the oven down to 140C, cover the lamb in foil and continue roasting to another 3 hours.

5. Transfer to a board with the foil still on and leave to rest for 10 minutes before carving, serving the pan juices on the side (if they are on the scant side, add a splash of water or white wine and heat through on the stove before serving).

RECIPE FOR DRY HARISSA DIPPING MIX

Mix together 2tbsp bright red paprika and 1 tbsp cayenne pepper. Can be stored in an airtight container.

Reprinted by kind permission from Tara Stevens

Photographs: Omar Chennafi

Winter fruit in the medina

In all the years of living in the Fez Medina, we've never known the proper name of the exquisitely-hued fruit that makes its appearance at this time of year. Now we've found out.

Known in Moroccan Arabic as sheshnou, the arbutus (Arbutus unede) is sold at medina stalls during November. Locals say it wards off the cold, which is just about right for this time of year. It's a mountain fruit and doesn't keep, which is why you'd never see it in a supermarket, and the season is short. There's not much you can do with it except eat it fresh, and whole, despite its prickly skin. The colour is stunning. It's sold in paper cones and punnets - a cone costs Dh3.

Pliny didn't think much of it, but Ovid liked its 'blushing fruit'. In Spain and Corsica, a wine is made from the fruit. Beware - some people think the fruit is narcotic in large quantities!

Videos of Morocco

From time to time we come across videos that give a reasonable idea of what various parts of Morocco are like. So we have decided to create a link to some of the better ones.

To start the ball rolling, here are two, one of Fez and one of Chefchaouen.

FEZ and CHEFCHAOUEN VIDEO

New Theatre Complex for Rabat

Rabat will soon boast a state of the art theatre dubbed "the Great theatre". According to sources close to the project it is to be worth 1.35 billion dirhams.

The agreements on the funding, architectural design and the building of the cultural edifice were signed on Friday.

Spanning over an area of 47,000 square meters, of which 27,000 square meters will be covered, the new facility will have a theatre hall with a capacity of 2050 seats, a small theatre hall of 520 seats, a studio and an auditorium of 7000 seats, in addition to green spaces and a parking.

The theatre, to be operational in 56 months, will be built with the latest in modern theatre design in complete harmony with its surroundings and with a magnificent view on the Bouregreg river.

It will provide space for a variety of artistic expressions, including plays, music festivals, ballet, and opera.

The last thing you'd expect in Fez?

If you answered "tango dancing" - you are correct!

Unbelievable as it may seem, tango lessons are going to be available in the Fez Medina. And not just tango, but genuine Argentinian Milonga Tango!

Postcard from Tetouan

"It's about to explode", says Maribel Jimenez of Blanco Riad in Tetouan, of tourism in the city. The View from Fez takes a look.

Tetouan's location close to the Mediterranean coast makes it a sure-fire winner when it comes to tourism potential. There are plenty of developments on the coast, especially at M'diq with its beautiful beach, just a short taxi-ride away. HM the King spends time there and has lavished attention on it and the surrounding area.

The city has a wonderful Andalusian heritage that is reflected in its Mauresque buildings. Moors and Jews escaped persecution in Spain, particularly Granada, from the 15th century onwards and took refuge here.

Bacturia Church (left) in Place Moulay el-Mehdi

Tetouan also has its own style of decor - it's well known for its furniture made of cedarwood inlaid with mother-of-pearl decoration, and Spanish-influenced, heavily decorated ceramic tiles with a bronze sheen. This form of tiling is best seen at the guesthouse El Reducto in the medina.

tiled column at El Reducto guesthouse

We made a special point of visiting the Archaeology Museum, set in pretty gardens. It features Roman mosaic floors all the way from Lixus, that we'd visited earlier in our trip (see the story here).

Best of all, perhaps, are the four quirky towers on Place Hassan II, outside the Royal Palace. No, they're not minarets; they're light towers, designed by a student of Gaudi.

light tower in Place Hassan II

The whitewashed medina is well worth a visit. We stayed at the new Blanco Riad, a wonderful blend of traditional architecture and furniture with a dash of modern Spain. The original zellij floors have been retained in some of the bedrooms, and are magnificent.

The ground floor has a hammam in one of the salons; another is a superb restaurant that's open to the public. Traditional Moroccan food is served, but with a modern twist - for example, pigeon pastilla with foie gras, or stuffed calamari tubes.

The dining room at Blanco Riad; Tetouan furniture (right)

Outside is a peaceful, Zen-like garden, shaded from the sun.

Interesting architecture, new places to stay, excellent restaurants, proximity to fabulous Mediterranean beaches - we think Maribel might just be right.

Blanco Riad: www.blancoriad.com. Tel: 0539 704 202

See all The View from Fez POSTCARDS HERE.

Galerie Kacimi hosts new exhibition in Fez

Colombian arttist, Cristina Torres, has spread her wings, far beyond her homeland. As a graphic artist working in paints, drawing and printing, her career has been quite extraordinary.

After gaining a scholarship as artist-in-residenc at the Chateau de la Napoule near Cannes, Cristina then moved to the Cité Internationale des Arts Paris. The French experience opened other doors including being invited to the Biennale of Contemporary Art in Florence, Italy. Cristina has also exhibited in Miami, Panama, Tunis, London, and Monaco, where she won the Jury Prize at the International Competition of Contemporary Art in Monte Carlo.

Cristina Torres has lived in Morocco for three years and her exhibition in Fez is presented by The French Institute in Fez. Opening on Tuesday, November 9 it will run until December 9, at Galerie Kacimi.

Restaurant review: Fez Cafe

The Fez Cafe at Le Jardin des Biehn in the medina is now open for fine dining. The View from Fez team sampled the fare recently.

This new eatery scores full marks for attentive service and a warm ambience. The restaurant is quirky and fun, and for fine days or evenings, there are tables outside looking onto the beautiful garden.

There are two menus - a four-course offering including meat or fish, and a simpler one of three courses featuring a pasta dish. At lunch time, there are also salads. The chef, Hicham, has an interesting repertoire: the pasta on our visit was dressed with a light, creamy sauce of preserved lemons which was very successful. The leg of lamb stuffed with a duxelles and served with mashed potatoes with peas, was tender and delicious. The only downside is the price - the simpler menu is Dh170 per person, and the four-course menu Dh340 - certainly Parisian prices! But you can choose an a la carte option.

The Fez Cafe is at the new guesthouse, Le Jardin des Biehn (see our story here), at 13 Akbat Sbaa, Douh, and is open to non-guests. Telephone 0664 647 679 for reservations.