Fès, Morocco

My stay in Fès started with a trip to the Hammam, a public bath and cleaning ritual using Moroccan black soap that left me feeling wonderfully relaxed. It started with a massage, followed by the sauna, scrub, jacuzzi, and hair and body wash. I've never felt quite so much like a queen.

I took it easy that night and stayed in while the rest of the group went to a dinner and show, which I heard great things about afterwards. The next morning, we headed out for a tour of old Fès.

It started at the royal palace, where 7 ginormous gates lined the entryway. We took turns knocking on the front doors, which were several times my height and quite imposing.

Not far from there, we got a great panorama of Fès and its medina.

We headed next to a pottery collective and got a guided tour, walking us through the full process of the craft. It was the first of several artisan workshops we would visit throughout the day.

Then, we headed into the medina, through narrow winding streets, after many warnings to stick with the group lest we be lost in the maze for hours.

The stores were organized in clusters according to the products sold -- for example, brass and copper works depicted below -- which reminded me of Hanoi's neighbourhoods.

Also, big bonus about Morocco: cats everywhere!

Everything was close and accessible in the medina, so we got to see a lot of jewels. Behind one nondescript entrance, we found the Médersa Cherratine, a university founded in the 1600s, which was surprisingly large and ornate.

A highlight of the day was the leather tannery. We entered a leather shop like any other selling handbags, boots, jackets. Then, the shop guide took us upstairs to the balcony, where the amazing behind-the-scenes was laid out, depicting the process of the craft. We were all given mint leaves to disguise the smell.

Lunch in the old city featured my favourite Moroccan food yet, which Fès is apparently known for: chicken pastilla, a pastry dusted with powered sugar and cinnamon and filled with chicken -- an odd combination that somehow works.

After lunch, we passed by the Ahmed Tijani mausoleum and the blue mosque of Fès.

We also toured our final artisan shop of the day, featuring weavers making scarves, djellabas, and other silk products.

Our tour ended with the impressive blue gate, the Bab Bou Jeloud, which acts as the main western entrance to the old city.

Dinner that night was a special one. This was my first G Adventures tour without a homestay component, so this dinner with a local family in the city took its place. We had a lovely home-cooked meal and really nice conversations with our hosts -- a fun and insightful way to end a full day of learning.