2016-09-25 Palais Faraj Hotel, Fez to Hotel Dar Rhizlane Marrakesh via Meknes, Voulibus & Casablanca, Morocco

Today we have organised a driver to take us to Meknes , Volubilus and then on to Casablanca where we have a flight booked in the evening taking us to Marrakesh

On our way through the city we pass the Puerta de Palacio

Departing the fabulous city of Fez with it’s wonderful history, sites and culture we vowed to return in the future

We begin our journey and head west on highway N4

Once we departed the bustling city of Fez we found ourselves traveling through open fields framed by spectacular mountains

We pass many people going about their daily tasks

On the side of the road, approximately 70 km from Fez, we stop to stretch our legs at an open air market

Many local crafts were on display for sale

Ric immediately makes friends with the son of the vendor

Nuts, dried peas and beans, gourds, onions, melons, dried fruits, oranges and pomegranates were also on offer for sale here too!!

Barage Sidi Chahed, an inland lake can be seen from the market area by the road above the valley

No wonder a permanent market is set up here by the road, as the scenery alone is well worth stopping for!!

We continue west on our journey enjoying the spectacular scenery

The scenery is certainly quite outstanding!!

The donkeys have a hard life here in this country!!

We spot a well laden cart of fresh bread as we pass through the small town of Nzala Beni Ammar

One must be careful of the local herds that feed beside the main roads

Our first glimpse of the ancient town of Volubilis which is north of the town of Meknes

The entrance to the Volubilis site

Volubilis was settled in the 3rd Century BC and prospered until 40AD

An English speaking local tour guide was organised to take us around the site

We head towards the remains of the ancient Basilica

The ancient ruins of the Basilica are one of the only buildings that are still quite impressive at the site

The Basilica stands high on a hill overlooking the farmlands below

Ric and our very informative and jovial tour guide

Overlooking plantations of cereals and olives the Triumphal Arch is the only other structure on the Volubilis site that still is in reasonable condition

The site contains many well preserved ancient mosaic floors

There are plenty of ancient relics to be found around the site too!!

We head uphill along the street that links the Triumphal Arch to the Tangier Gate, passing the remains of the House of Dionysus and the Four Seasons

Looking back towards the Triumphal Arch

Another fabulous mosaic floor at the Volubilis site

Volubilis was thriving in 2nd and 3rd Centuries AD when most of the buildings in the city centre were built

Our tour guide was certainly one of the best guides we have ever had!!!

Once back in the car, we leave the site and head for the small hilltop village of Moulay Idriss where we intend to stop for a quick lunch

Moulay Idriss Zarhoun is not far from the ancient site of Volubilis

The owner and staff were very friendly at the little restaurant we arrived at in the small village

Our driver told us he enjoyed the food at this little restaurant

The food looked very good and the restaurant was also very clean

Spicy kebabs on the grill looked delicious

Ric and I share a plate of the delicious spicy kebabs and tomato

We continue on our journey and hopefully in the future we may have time to see more of this delightful little village including the Tomb of Idriss 1 !!

Looking back to Moulay Idriss

Nearby is the city of Meknes which together with Volubilis has been situated in the heart of the major agricultural area of Morocco since ancient times

We approach Meknes which was founded in the 10th Century

Meknes has grown over the years and now has a population of around one million people

As we enter the city we pass the Bab El-Khemis Gate built in 1673

We visit the Bab Mansour Gate, with its building finished in 1732

Opposite the Bab Mansour Gate is a large square that has a permanent covered food market which also sells pottery, flowers, gifts etc

On our tour around the city we pass the Prison de Kara which is an underground prison, no longer in use today

We continue along the Palace wall towards the lake

Sahrij Swani is an artificial lake which acts as an enormous reservoir that was built by Moulay Ismail to provide water for the Imperial City

Looking towards the Royal Stables by the lake

Inside the elegant Royal Stables

We leave Meknes and our journey to Casablanca continues

We finally arrive in Casablanca and fortunately have time to visit the Hassan 11 Mosque before our dash to the airport

The Hassan 11 Mosque is the 2nd largest religious building in the world behind the huge mosque in Mecca

The complex here covers 90,000 sq metres with two-thirds built over the sea

Ric & Helve at the Hassan 11 Mosque in Casablanca

The Minaret, the lighthouse of Islam, towering above the massive mosque is 25m wide and 200m high and has two laser beams reaching over a distance of 30km that shine in the direction of Mecca