Visiting Chefchauouen

There were two of us on the day tour; I shared my ride with a young attorney from San Francisco who teaches at UC-Hastings, I believe she said, This little blue city, about a 3 hour drive from Fes, was founded by the Jewish Moors who fled Spain in the late 1400s when the Catholic royalty decreed they must convert or leave the country. They settled here in the Riff Mountains.

On our drive north, we left arid Fes, and began a slow climb that took us through beautiful rolling hills of arable land on which grains, sunflowers, and corn are grown. The hills reminded me of Tuscany! There were few trees, but these began to appear as we gained altitude and the soil became rocky. Now sheep and goats were the occupiers. Every herd had its own shepherd, each of which had their little pup-like tent to provide a bit of shade. No fences anywhere. The higher we climbed, the mountains grew rockier, finally becoming sheer granite cliffs. We rounded a curve and Chefchauouen was there hanging onto the cliffside.

The original "old town" is here, with narrow lanes, alleys, and walkways, all paved with ancient stone. No room for cars, as most lanes are only 3 to 5 feet wide. And all the houses and shops are painted blue. The newer town has been built up around the old town. Apparently this is also a region known for growing hashish even though it's illegal, and it's said to be easy to obtain from any shopkeeper ....no, I didn't....

I've been really fortunate to have come to Morocco during Ramadan because there are few tourists here now. Many places are closed from sunrise to sunset, but they stay open until 3:30 in the morning, so towns get busy at sunset when everyone rushes home or to a restaurant to break their fast. We've been able to find restaurants open, but they ask us not to eat at outdoor tables "because of Ramadan". It's nice to be a tourist and not have to fight the crowds. You'll notice there are few people in my photos.

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