Puttin' on the Fez.

We spent a couple days exploring Fez. There's lot to explore. The medina and the souks are some of the most vibrant in Morocco. And as befits the "cultural capital of Morocco," there are many historic buildings, palaces, and a beautiful medieval madrassa to visit.

The famous Blue Gate is the main entrance to the medina.

There are a myriad of wonderful doors.

The intricate designs in wood and stone that decorate the walls and ceilings of the old buildings are testament to the amazing craftsmanship of generations of Islamic artists.

We visited a school and watched the children learning to read.

Badly-painted "Disney" art seems to be a staple in schools worldwide.

Like the ubiquitous Disney princess paraphernalia.

The narrow alleys are crammed with people selling and buying produce and household goods. Except fo the clothes, we could almost be back in Vietnam.

But the huge population of cats is pure Morocco.

There are lots of other animals in the medina as well. Horses and donkeys still provide much of the transportation.

And it's easy to walk home with a brace of colorful chickens.

As in Vietnam, we were impressed with the abundance and quality of the foodstuffs on offer.

Delicious marinated olives in assorted flavors. There are numerous stalls selling fish and meat and spices as well.

Satisfying your sweet tooth is easy, too, with these tasty nougats made with local honey and stuffed with nuts.

Or a vast array of dried fruits.

He is the eggman.

You can also stop at a star for a cup of Moroccan mint tea with plenty of sugar.

Or a snack of fresh-baked bread.

No visit to Fez would be complete without a is it to the famous tanneries. 

The smell from the tanning vats is pretty horrific most days, but we observed from a distance, upwind, with a lovely fresh spring breeze protecting us for the worst of it.

On our last day, we took a long walk outside the walls of the medina to visit some of the ruins surrounding the city.

These are the remains of the old forts that used to guard the approaches to the city.

We visited a crowded old cemetery.

It was overrun by goats.

Along the way there were many lovely vistas of the city.

And plenty more goats.

P.