By the third day of my tour Morocco I was really letting go. Letting go of my work stress, relationship stress and other worries I had in Canada. And was able to appreciated the architecture and history of the imperial city of Meknes before heading out to the ruins of Volubilis.  

You see, Meknes was once a capital city and ruled by Sultan Moulay Ismail and so the grandiose buildings including the granaries and Agdal basin, Bab Mansour and the mausoleum built by this great ruler still remain although perhaps not in their glory.  However, like Rabat, I think Meknes is a little gem. As it’s largely a stop for most travellers en route to Fes from Casablanca, tourists can enjoy an authentic and quiet atmosphere.

A perfect place to reflect. Or just sit and watch the world go by.

At night, the main square, Place El Hadim, comes alive, similar to Jeema el Fna in Marrakech.  It’s also a fabulous spot to sit and enjoy a coffee with a view during the day.

During lunch in a local medina home, I realized the beauty of a simple life. Living with less. Not not holding on to so much “stuff”. Purchasing only what’s needed. In the West we tend to have these enormous homes filled to the rafters with “stuff”, mostly purchased on credit. And that’s when I really started to see the appeal of living in Morocco.

But forget thinking too much. Before I knew it we headed off to Volubilis for a guided tour of a former Roman city in the hills of Morocco.

(Tip: Hiring a local guide for your tour through Volubilis is worth-while otherwise it may feel like you’re just looking at a pile of rocks! Also, if you’re coming from Moulay Idriss, grande taxis will do return trips, but be sure to agree the price before you get in the car.)

Are you starting to understand why Morocco grew on me?