Starving, we head back to the Medina and meander our way to Le Patio Bleu for a delicious lunch. The chef/owner is Touzani Abdelouhab, whom we meet along with his cousin Ahmed Kohan. As it is my birthday, we have a sumptuous lunch of pigeon pastilla and chicken with preserved lemon and olive tangine. The food is fabulous, as are the tasty desserts!
Afterwards we wind our way through the Medina to visit Palais Quaraouiyine to look at more beautiful Moroccan rugs. The selection is large and the ambiance so very different from our experience in Chefchouen. We are taken up four flights of narrow, steep steps to the rooftop. Here rugs are laid out side-by-side on the terrace and draped over the low walls to dry in the sun after having been thoroughly washed. One, with an intricate design that is so very different from the one purchased in Chefchouen, catches my eye. On the rooftop, too, two men are retying the warp yarn "fringe" on the newly cleaned carpets.
Downstairs, we are offered mint tea, water and cookies as we begin the process of looking at carpets. The manager asks us what style, colors and size of rugs we are interested in. Having felt that we were less than adept in negotiating prices for our last rug purchases, we've created an internal system to show disinterest while letting each other know what we really think. When it is my "turn," I mention the rug on the rooftop and am told that it is a really fine (expensive) rug in the Moroccan Imperial style. Unfortunately, my heart has made up its mind and no others compare even though the price quoted is more dear than I am willing to spend. But, this is Morocco . . . the game is on!
I am asked how much I am willing to spend and I rely upon my friend Richard's suggestion of offering 1/3 the asking price. I am immediately told that that is much, much too low, and a counter-offer is given that is a few thousand dirham less than the original asking price. "No," I say as the price is still too high. I make it clear that I recognize the quality of the rug, but must stay within my budget. What is my final price, I am asked. And, I reiterate my last offer. still holding tight. The manager throws up his hand and turns to another Nuesta. After their negotiations are finalized, he asks me again what I would be willing to spend for the rug. I state a final offer that is 1,000 dh higher ($123) more. Reaching out to shake my hand, he says "fine." I am complemented (back-handedly) as being a High Atlas Berber, who are known for their hard bargaining tactics. Over paperwork, I ask how much to ship the rug to me and again, we negotiate a price.
Meanwhile, Gypsy tells the manager that it is my birthday . . . and after Jewel and I conclude our business, the Manager presents me with a birthday gift . . . a "Berber bank" — a pillow-shaped woven cloth that Berber men have used for centuries to keep their money and valuables under their heads while in their most vulnerable state (sleep)!
Downstairs, we are offered mint tea, water and cookies as we begin the process of looking at carpets. The manager asks us what style, colors and size of rugs we are interested in. Having felt that we were less than adept in negotiating prices for our last rug purchases, we've created an internal system to show disinterest while letting each other know what we really think. When it is my "turn," I mention the rug on the rooftop and am told that it is a really fine (expensive) rug in the Moroccan Imperial style. Unfortunately, my heart has made up its mind and no others compare even though the price quoted is more dear than I am willing to spend. But, this is Morocco . . . the game is on!
I am asked how much I am willing to spend and I rely upon my friend Richard's suggestion of offering 1/3 the asking price. I am immediately told that that is much, much too low, and a counter-offer is given that is a few thousand dirham less than the original asking price. "No," I say as the price is still too high. I make it clear that I recognize the quality of the rug, but must stay within my budget. What is my final price, I am asked. And, I reiterate my last offer. still holding tight. The manager throws up his hand and turns to another Nuesta. After their negotiations are finalized, he asks me again what I would be willing to spend for the rug. I state a final offer that is 1,000 dh higher ($123) more. Reaching out to shake my hand, he says "fine." I am complemented (back-handedly) as being a High Atlas Berber, who are known for their hard bargaining tactics. Over paperwork, I ask how much to ship the rug to me and again, we negotiate a price.
Meanwhile, Gypsy tells the manager that it is my birthday . . . and after Jewel and I conclude our business, the Manager presents me with a birthday gift . . . a "Berber bank" — a pillow-shaped woven cloth that Berber men have used for centuries to keep their money and valuables under their heads while in their most vulnerable state (sleep)!
The souk-system of organizing shopping and trade is fascinating. The location of each souk reflects an old hierarchy determined by its intrinsic value in relation to everything else offered for purchase. In this way the makers and sellers of everything from food to spices; slippers to leather works; and henna to fabric are grouped together. Not far from the henna souk, we are shown Fondouk el-Nejjarine, which is one of Fes' most renowned buildings and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built in the 18th century, this was a place that offered caravan travelers shelter and food. Today, it houses the privately run Musée du Bois (Museum of Wood). We also pass the Karaouiyine Mosque, which is one of the oldest in the western Muslim world. It was built in 859AD and served as the first university in Morocco. As
Our final stop our tour is the leather tannery souk, which is near the Wadi Fés, the central watercourse that provides water to the Medina. To prepare our noses, we are given bunches of mint to sniff if the smell becomes too strong. Below us are vats of solutions where the hides of sheep, goats, cows and camels undergo several processes including the removal of hair and flesh, soaking in vats followed by drying and rinsing before they are dyed and given over to the leather workers.
Our final stop our tour is the leather tannery souk, which is near the Wadi Fés, the central watercourse that provides water to the Medina. To prepare our noses, we are given bunches of mint to sniff if the smell becomes too strong. Below us are vats of solutions where the hides of sheep, goats, cows and camels undergo several processes including the removal of hair and flesh, soaking in vats followed by drying and rinsing before they are dyed and given over to the leather workers.