Missing out on a right old knees up

Although I get to visit the Fez medina regularly, I'm feeling left out of the hussle and bussle of daily life there. When I visit, the time seems to vanish in a blur of plaster, rubble and paint stripper and then I'm back on the big white bird and off back to blighty picking bits off zellij out of my hair.

But it's good to get a daily fix of Fez happenings from the ever reliable View From Fez and Louis Da Fez blog sites.

The talk in the medina has apparently focused on the subject of the knees of tourists lately. Normally you would imagine that observing these articles is the passtime of someone too long in Morocco. But there are some basic guidelines for visitors to Islamic countries as outlined by the Morocco Report blog;

Women:
Don’t bare your cleavage, and make sure your skirt goes past your knees. Short sleeves are okay in big cities, and even modest sleeveless (shell) tops; in smaller towns and villages, mid-length or long sleeves are recommended. Sandals are fine, ankles are fine, lower arms are fine. Don’t cover your head if you’re not Muslim - you’ll just stand out more. Just remember - the more you cover (reasonably), the less attention you’ll get.

Men:
Unless you’re a teenager or a child, don’t wear shorts. Men look stupid in shorts anyway, but it particularly irritates Moroccans. Those “flood” pants are okay, even though I think they’re silly. And don’t show your armpit hair - frankly, that rule should apply in your home country, too.

Read the whole article here.

At Dar Mystere we feel that it's right to follow these wishes. Let's face it, some of the tourists I've encountered in Fez would benefit from a burka, let alone covering their arms up! (blokes included).



Maybe they'll get some doormen on the various babs (gates) around the medina to stop the problem, "Sorry guv, can't let you in with those knees showing, I don't care how long you've been queueing"...

So, back here in the UK while the weather takes a turn for the worse and I'm here under a pile of small children, the work on Dar Mystere cracks on. No new pics to look at the moment, and no news (which is good news).

While I miss the socialing in Fez, I'm glad I don't have to deal with renovation process on daily basis and can look forward to the progress when I visit. Next time I'm over in mid-April will be the last time before we take a 3 week visit in May with loads of friends so I'm hoping to see a lot of progress and even get to stay there. Inshallah!

If you've not read this blog before, have a look at a previous post to see what Dar Mystere is all about.