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The Eleventh Marrakesh International Film Festival
Blog: The View from Fez - 22 November 2011
The 11th annual Marrakesh International Film Festival runs from December 2nd to the 10th.The festival jury will vote for the Golden Star for best film, a jury prize and kudos for best actress and actor.
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Moroccan Photo of the Day - Omar Chennafi
Blog: The View from Fez - 22 November 2011
For those who think that Morocco is all kasbahs, camels and carpet souks...Photograph by Omar Chennafi
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Travel Writing About Morocco ~ #33
Blog: The View from Fez - 21 November 2011
What do you do if you are a travel writer at a major newspaper and your travel editor decides that you should go and do a story about Marrakech? It's a tough call. Almost everything that can be said about the 'kech has been said.
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Marrakech Palm Groves Under Threat
Blog: The View from Fez - 20 November 2011
"This legendary and emblematic site that gives the city of Marrakech its identity and specific mark is nowadays exposed to incessant degradation, due to the combined factors of drought, human activity pressures, the lack of maintenance and the aging of palm trees, and the absence of replanting," ~ HRH King Mohammed VI
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Transparency and Monitoring of the Moroccan Elections
Blog: The View from Fez - 20 November 2011
Morocco's special accreditation commission has approved the final list of national and international organizations that will supervise the 25th of November legislative elections in Morocco.The National Human Right Council in Morocco (CNDH) has indicated that the list includes 16 organizations and a total of around 400 observers.
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Fancy a Weekend Break in Libya?
Blog: The View from Fez - 19 November 2011
Royal Air Maroc Resumes Flights to LibyaThose of you who have been hanging out for a weekend get away in Libya will be pleased to hear that Tripoli is now back on the tourist map. Royal Air Maroc will its resume flights to Libya on November 21st.On Thursday, Royal Air Maroc (RAM),announced it would resume its flights from Casablanca to Libya. This comes after the reopening of the Tripoli International Airport.
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Kid-Friendly Tour of the Marrakech Medina
Blog: Ciao Bambino! - 18 November 2011
The highlight of Marrakech for adults and kids alike is undoubtedly the medina (old city). Stepping into the medina is like landing on another planet — one where the same traditions have been in place for hundreds of years. The medina is comprised of a network of souks — open-air markets — where anything and everything is on display. Many of the handicrafts are produced within the market and you can watch artisans at work. This is the only shopping experience we've encountered thus far in our travels that our 8-year-old has enjoyed.
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A Guide for Women Travelling Solo in Morocco
Blog: The View from Fez - 18 November 2011
One of the most frequent questions The View from Fez receives is "how safe is Morocco for women travellers travelling by themselves?" - Our response has been that it is safe if you dress and behave in a sensible manner. Now we can bring you a point of view of a woman who has been travelling solo in Morocco.
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Moroccan Independence Day
Blog: The View from Fez - 18 November 2011
The late King Mohammed V returns from Madagascar
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Morocco's Parliamentary Elections ~ November 25th
Blog: The View from Fez - 17 November 2011
The official campaign for the parliamentary elections scheduled for November 25th was launched on November 12th. The campaign has been particularly low-key at a local level, but there have been large, peaceful, demonstrations, particularly in Casablanca.Morocco’s pro-democracy activists threaten to boycott the legislative elections in which voter turnout is seen as critical to reforms made by King Mohammed VI in wake of the Arab Spring.BOYCOTT OR APATHY?
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Scorpions in Morocco - Update
Blog: The View from Fez - 16 November 2011
Androctonus mauritanicus (Pocock, 1902)
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The American Fondouk ~ Healing Animals in Fez
Blog: The View from Fez - 15 November 2011
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Arab League Foreign Ministers Gather in Rabat to Discuss Syria
Blog: The View from Fez - 15 November 2011
Following the Arab League's dramatic decision to suspend Syria from the organization, on Wednesday there will be an extraordinary meeting in Rabat.
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A Joyful Moroccan Wedding
Blog: The View from Fez - 14 November 2011
The first Saturday after the festive Eid al-Adha holiday is one of the most popular times for Moroccan weddings. Every wedding reception hall in Fez was in full swing last Saturday, but none more than the wedding of Abdoulhadi Bouzidi-Idrissi and Yousra Elalaoui Hachimi.
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Four Seasons Marrakech Highlights for Families
Blog: Ciao Bambino! - 14 November 2011
Marrakech has experienced a huge tourist boom over the past several years and the hotel possibilities are endless, particularly for couples in search of a romantic retreat. For families, however, the list of optimal options is quite small. Staying in a riad, a traditional Moroccan house or palace with an interior courtyard, seems appealing at first blush as many are in heart of the atmospheric old city (medina). The challenge of this accommodation category ...
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Casablanca's bid for Olympic Glory
Blog: The View from Fez - 11 November 2011
Casablanca often gets overlooked by travel writers and journalists. Ibn Warraq has been trawling through the Internet and has discovered an article that takes an interesting angle on Casa.
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Freaking Out Barbary Apes in Azrou, Morocco
Blog: Vagobond.com - 11 November 2011
Wonderful friends and a wonderful day in the woods among the apes.
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More Cold Weather Predicted for Fez
Blog: The View from Fez - 11 November 2011
The beginning of winter in Fez has been marked by some cold and wet weather. The last few days have been an improvement, with clear, sunny days and temperatures reaching the low twenties (Celsius). This fine, crisp weather is set to continue until mid-week, when once again the temperatures will drop. The forecast night time lows are predicted to be down to 4 degrees Celsius.
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Fez Students Offer Insights into Changing Culture
Blog: The View from Fez - 10 November 2011
An innovative film-making course is helping students share their perceptions of Moroccan society. “Documentary making is useful for exploring the intermingling of modernity and tradition,” says Jihane Stella, a Masters student in Cultural Studies at the University of Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah in Fes.
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Eland Editions of Classic Morocco Travel Books
Blog: The View from Fez - 9 November 2011
English publisher Eland Books specializes in keeping the classics of travel literature in print. Eland's aim is "to open out our understanding of other cultures, interpret the unknown, reveal different environments as well as celebrating the humour and occasional horrors of travel." Eland is owned by three travel writers: Rose Baring, John Hatt and Barnaby Rogerson.
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Alternative Energy in Morocco ~ "All systems go"
Blog: The View from Fez - 8 November 2011
The plans for a giant solar plant in the Moroccan desert have moved ahead with the announcement that the Desertec Industrial Initiative plans to begin construction in 2012 on the first of many renewable energy power stations that would together supply 15 percent of Europe’s electricity by 2050.
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Eid Mubarak Said
Blog: The View from Fez - 6 November 2011
With the Eid holiday upon us, The View from Fez is taking a short break to join the festivities. It only remains to say... SHARE THIS!
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Fountain Restoration in the Fez Medina
Blog: The View from Fez - 6 November 2011
The Fonduk Lihoudi fountain in the north of the Medina is the latest of the many neglected fountains in the Fez Medina to be restored, thanks to the riad booking agency, Fez Riads.
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Wet Weather in Fez ~ but maybe fine for Eid al-Adha
Blog: The View from Fez - 5 November 2011
The expected cold and wet weather arrived as expected, but so far the winds have been a lot more moderate than predicted. The low temperature this morning, of only eight degrees Celsius, was a reminder of just how cool Fez can be. This fact is often lost on tourists who equate the African continent with warm, sunny days. Maybe the weather here is great - compared to Glasgow, Olso or Helsinki- but for really warm days you will probably have to wait until next year.
