|
The
residence
restored in the heart of the medina of Fez
It's a
tiny street just like so many others in the Medina
of Fez. Use the knocker to ask to come in and
you will immediately find yourself in the
, Batha square. The house hostess receives
visitors in a huge
patio bathed in light softened by
the extensive glass canopy above. Inside, everything
is hushed, the color of the ceramic tiles, of the
velvet covering the divans, the shapes of the coffee
tables and seats. Each piece of furniture, each
object has been designed by the owner, Aycha, a
professional architect who has spent many years
overlooking the painstaking restoration of her
dwelling in Fez.
The
result of this determination: a magnificent
guesthouse consisting of seven
rooms, or better
said, seven huge spaces akin to living rooms. Each
one is different: red curtains in one, and
ochre-colored shutters next door. A vast living room
with comfortable armchairs or office for the
studious visitor. The rooms are heated or
air-conditioned according to the season.
Six of
the rooms are upstairs and one downstairs with its
high doors opening up onto the patio. To get to the
seventh room, one has to move up one floor onto the
terrace where the entire city of Fez unfolds before
the eyes. Just one more door, and you come to the
last room provided with a chimney were the logs
already put in place appear to be awaiting winter.
 Downstairs,
in the dining room next to the patio, breakfast is
served in the morning in orange colored recipients
taking inspiration from Moroccan design. Breakfast
includes extra thin pancakes and doughnuts for
anyone looking for a foretaste of local
gastronomy,
much more in evidence when dining at Aycha's. It's
worth the experience, as right here one can taste
one of the best cuisines in Fez. A genuine expert
for all kinds of appetizers and tagines, couscous
and pastries, the chef belongs to an old family who
has always known what good cooking really means. If
the weather is not too cool, one can revel in the
fragrance of the jasmine flowers that have lent
their name of the Riad, in addition of verbena and
roses, while settling into the
garden where a large
table is set up. Aycha often likes to dine there
with her visitors to whom she reveals the splendors
of her city while discreetly watching over the
slightest detail.
Far from the maddening crowd in the
street that could never get past the walls of her
Riad, one is welcomed and immediately feels
completely at home. That is the secret of her
success: in a splendid setting, offering elegant and
discreet hospitality. The feel of home in
magnificent surroundings. A true pleasure no one
should miss. |
