0304 Moulay Idriss, Volubilis, Meknes to Fez

Via Apia at Volubilis


Moulay Idriss from Volubilis


The garbage donkeys in Moulay Idriss

In the morning we got up for the sunrise on to of the mountain but it was cloudy. It was still good to see the houses as the dawn rose.

Then the same taxis to Volubilis which is ruins of a Roman city which operated from 1000 BC to 400 AD. It was raining gently when we arrived and it was quite cold. It was a city of 20 000 people and there is lots of evidence of bakeries and butchers, shops and also a Christian Basilica as well as a Roman Temple side-by-side. It was here I met my come-uppance. I was having a bit of trouble walking slowly which some of you will know is an affliction I suffer from. Long story short, I took a hesitant step and went down like a ton of bricks. Consequently I have a black eye and one very sore knee. As we left the area, some agave plant was cut and the juice wiped on my bruises but there was not as much juice in the plant as there is in aloe vera.

The brothel was marked in an obvious way and the bath and toilet area was clearly visible. Our guide was a professor of archaeology who has done most of his study on Volubilis so he was a mine of information and made the tour very interesting.

From here we went to Meknes for lunch after having a look at the Granaries (for the stable horses), the Palace and the Souk. Back on a train, with seats this time to travel to Fez.