Royal feast

09.03.23. Fes We are in a royal city. And so today we treated ourselves to a royal feast. Hanne and Bernd wanted to try Pastilla, a specialty that can only be found in Fes. Angelika and Martin were also interested, so the five of us set off after the city tour – more on that later. We didn't have to search because our guide Ali brought us to the Riad Fes restaurant, which he believes serves the best Pastilla in the whole city.

As everywhere in Morocco, one hand washes the other, and so Ali was also well known in the restaurant and may have earned a few pennies from the referral. In any case, we were amazed when we entered the premises. We were in a large hall, ten meters high, very elegantly furnished and decorated. Compared to the restaurants we had visited so far, it was a different world. The waiters, all dressed in black suits, were very attentive. We didn't have to study the menu for long. We were here to taste a Pastilla and that's what we ordered, even if the corresponding menu was very expensive at 200 Dirham (20 euros) by Moroccan standards.

Now I want to explain what a Pastilla actually is. The origins of the Pastilla go back to Islamic Spain. When Granada, the last Muslim bastion, fell at the end of the 15th century, the refugees brought their culinary tradition with them to North Africa, including the Pastilla. It consists of several layers of puff pastry and finely chopped chicken, cooked with various spices and processed with beaten eggs and almonds into a pie. The mixture of cinnamon and powdered sugar on the top layer of puff pastry is particularly refined. The Pastilla is a very elaborate dish that is served in Fes only on special occasions. In the end, we all agreed: together with the seven different appetizers and the final vitamin bomb of fresh strawberries, bananas and oranges, we were served the best food of our entire trip at the Riad Fes.

That was the perfect ending to an interesting city tour that we started shortly before noon. Our guide Ali took us through the Jewish quarter after visiting the Medina, the Muslim part, yesterday. The alleys between the houses were the narrowest I have ever seen in a city and in some places only just over a meter wide.

Of course, the royal palace was also on our program, which was built in the 17th century and serves King Mohammed VI as a summer residence. That's why the magnificent building could only be visited from the outside. In the past, it was the headquarters of the sultan, who could reside suitably on an area of ​​80 hectares.

We then took a minibus to one of the two fortresses that once oversaw the Medina for the protection of the population and the smooth running of trade. Today, they are a popular viewpoint for a fascinating view of the many houses and alleys of Muslim Fes, which we enjoyed extensively.

Afterwards, we visited a pottery workshop that specialized in mosaic work. It is simply incredible how much meticulous work goes into these works of art, from the extraction of the clay to the delicate processing of the shards and the shaping of the small pieces. Accordingly, the prices for the largest and most magnificent fountains, vases, and tables reached high five-figure amounts – in euros. There was nothing suitable for our little house on wheels.