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Morocco's Increase in Street Vendors
Blog: The View from Fez - 9 July 2011
In the aftermath of the bombing in Marrakech and uncertainty caused by the unrest in North Africa, tourist numbers have declined and the economy is suffering. Hardest hit are the small traders and many are selling whatever they can in order to feed their families. In Fez, Casablanca and Marrakech, this has resulted in an increase in the number of stalls and carts.
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Marrakesh bombing suspects on trial
Blog: The View from Fez - 5 July 2011
Seven suspects have gone on trial for the bombing of the Argana Cafe in Marrakesh that killed 17 people.At the opening of the trial last Thursday in Rabat, lawyers were granted an adjournment until August 18 to allow victims and defense teams sufficient preparation time.
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Sunday's Protests in Morocco
Blog: The View from Fez - 26 June 2011
Another 42 degree Celsius day in Fez - not the sort of weather to encourage people to get out and protest. However, the hardy were not discouraged and at 5pm, several hundred, mainly young women, turned out in central Fez to show their support for the constitutional changes. Later in the march they were joined by others.
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Travel Writing about Morocco #31
Blog: The View from Fez - 20 June 2011
Many times The View from Fez has been critical of travel writing about Morocco. However, today we give the thumbs up to Steve McKenna from the Australian newspaper, the Sydney Morning Herald. As he discovers, train travel in Morocco is a brand new experience. Here is an edited extract:
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Marrakech International Humour Festival Ends Tonight
Blog: The View from Fez - 12 June 2011
The first ever Marrakech International Humour Festival was a bit of a giggle. It opened on June 8 and ends tonight (June 12) The event goes under the title “Marrakech du rire”, with the participation of eminent stars stand-up comedy and one man shows. The programme was the initiative of the Franco Moroccan comedian Jamel Debbouze.
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Morocco's Residential Real Estate ~ Update
Blog: The View from Fez - 29 May 2011
Prices in Morocco's residential real estate market are holding steady in 2011, with a slight overall decline balanced by increases in the key apartment segment and in some high-demand areas of the country. Residential rentals have also held up well and, in spite of the wave of political unrest in North Africa earlier this year, the development of major real estate projects is largely on track, with domestic investors and low-cost housing set to drive further growth.
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The Weather in Fez ~ Still Lurching Towards Summer
Blog: The View from Fez - 27 May 2011
The odd spell of weather that has brought days of sunshine alternating with rain (and even hail) continues. "I thought Africa was warm," exclaimed one bemused German tourist. I might have been warmer in Hamburg!"
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Iceland's Volcano Disrupts Flights - LATEST UPDATES
Blog: The View from Fez - 24 May 2011
Airlines halted dozens of flights on Tuesday after a plume of ash from an erupting volcano in Iceland blew over Britain, even forcing U.S. President Barack Obama to revise his travel plans. With the volcanic plume reaching twenty kilometres into the atmosphere, forecasters warned that the plume could reach the European mainland later in the week. The View from Fez will update airline information in this post, as it comes to hand.
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Did Modern Humans Evolve in Morocco?
Blog: The View from Fez - 21 May 2011
About one hundred kilometres west of Marrakech is a cave in the mountain known as Jebel Irhoud. For anthropologists it is an important site and known for the numerous hominid fossils discovered there. Speculation amongst scientists is that this site is one of the locations in which modern humans first evolved. In a sense, are we all Moroccans?
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Moroccan News Briefs
Blog: The View from Fez - 20 May 2011
Marrakech feels the painMorocco has seen around 23,000 cancellations in holiday bookings since the bomb blast in Marrakech on April 28.
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King Mohammed VI visits Marrakech
Blog: The View from Fez - 1 May 2011
In the aftermath of the bomb blast on Friday, HRH King Mohammed VI visited the Argana Cafe in Djemaa el Fna, Marrakech medina, on Saturday afternoon. He was accompanied by HRH Prince Moulay Ismail.
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Marrakech bomb has all the hallmarks of al-Qaida - Moroccan Interior Minister
Blog: The View from Fez - 29 April 2011
According to Taib Cherqaoui, Morocco's interior minister, the Marrakech bombing has all the hallmarks of an al-Qaida attack16 people have died and 25 people were injured, 14 of them hospitalized.
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BREAKING NEWS - Blast in Marrakech Cafe
Blog: The View from Fez - 28 April 2011
According to a Reuters photographer who witnessed the incident earlier today, a blast hurt several people in the Argana Cafe in Marrakesh. The latest reports say that at least 14 people have been killed. The blast took place around 11.55 am. The cause of the blast is still to be clarified.
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Update on Protests in Morocco
Blog: The View from Fez - 25 April 2011
One of the clear differences between Morocco and other countries where protestors are calling for reforms is that the protests are peaceful. Although thousands of Moroccans nationwide held demonstrations yesterday, they were without violence. Here in Casablanca as in other parts of Morocco the demonstrators are calling for a radical overhaul of the country's governance before a new constitution is unveiled in June by King Mohammed VI.
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French Circus School Performances in Morocco
Blog: The View from Fez - 17 April 2011
The Centre National des Arts du Cirque (National Centre for Circus Arts, CNAC) is an advanced education and research centre. It was created in 1985 by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication.
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Getting the best from The View from Fez
Blog: The View from Fez - 4 April 2011
Over the last few months The View from Fez has had a big increase in the number of regular readers and so for newcomers, here is a quick guide to getting the most from our site.SEARCHING THE VIEW FROM FEZThe first thing to remember is that the site is totally searchable. There are around 3000 stories on the blog and chances are the topic you are interested in has been covered. Simply type a key word into the search box located at the top left of the page.
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Mountaineering in the Moroccan High Atlas
Blog: The View from Fez - 29 March 2011
Until recently anyone wanting detailed information on climbing in Morocco would turn to the 1942 edition of Le Massif du Toubkal by Jean Dresch and Jacques de Lépiney. Now that has all changed. The View from Fez just received a copy of a new book that is destined to become the definitive guide. The book is Mountaineering in the Moroccan High Atlas by Des Clark. Here is our review.
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Escapada a Marruecos, día 2: Marrakech por Míriam
Blog: Diario de a bordo - 26 March 2011
Sábado, 4 de diciembre de 2010.Después de dormir unas diez horas, me levanté descansada y con ganas de desayunar en la agradable terraza del riad. Hacía algo de frío, ¡pero el cielo estaba despejado y prometía un día espléndido! El té moruno y las tortas me sentaron de maravilla para empezar el día. En el horizonte se podía vislumbrar la silueta del Atlas nevado, aunque la visibilidad no era muy buena.
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Escapada a Marruecos, día 1: Marrakech por Míriam
Blog: Diario de a bordo - 25 March 2011
Viernes, 3 de diciembre de 2010
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Marrakech Airport Bus Introduced
Blog: The View from Fez - 15 March 2011
The days of having to haggle with taxi drivers at Marrakech airport may be over.For tourists arriving in the country for the first time, the effort to get a taxi for the six kilometre journey into the city has always been a problem and one that often leaves an unpleasant first impression. Although there have been attempts to control taxi drivers, until now it has had little effect.The new bus service, operated by Spanish company Alsa City, will run every thirty minutes from Menara Airport and we are told it will stop at several popular destinations along the route.
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24th Cycle Tour of Morocco
Blog: The View from Fez - 15 March 2011
The 24th cycle tour of Morocco will take place March 25 to April 3. So far seventeen teams from Africa and Europe have confirmed that they will participate.
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Going to Mars ~ in Morocco?
Blog: The View from Fez - 12 March 2011
The online magazine Astrobiology is hardly the first place that The View from Fez team checks each day for Morocco-related stories. Today is different. In a fascinating article by Leslie Mullen, the article describes the testing of Mars vehicles in the rocky wastes of Morocco. Here is an edited excerpt with a link to the full story.
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Marrakech Grand Prix cancelled
Blog: The View from Fez - 11 March 2011
In a blow for Marrakesh tourism, the city has lost the Grand Prix. It is understood tht Morocco was unable to organize a round of WTCC after the one of 2009 because the local organizers do not have enough financial resources to meet the expectations of the organization of the event. The View from Fez has learned that no national institution has wanted to give them a helping hand to complete the construction of the circuit, public facilities and other infrastructure to meet the demands of a world circuit FIA.
