Mr. Tom, a Big Welcome!

After over a year volunteering in Cambodia, I am back in Fez. Anita of Anita’s feast offers her view of our return to the Fez medina.

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Mr. Tom, a Big Welcome!

It’s been more than a year away from Morocco for Tom. He’d previously spent the better part of two years on-site here, managing the restoration of our 400-year-old house in the Fez medina, before leaving for Cambodia. Not surprisingly, he made many friends during his time in Fez. Heart warmingly, they remembered him and as soon as they got a glimpse of us toting suitcases from a Petit Taxi, came running with bear hugs and Moroccan kisses of welcome. On our first foray through the medina, there were greetings on all sides.

Walking through the oldest part of the Medina, we stopped to chat with several shopkeepers, and the friendly warka maker in the souk around the corner from our house.

We spotted carossas taking a break from ferrying goods into the pedestrian-only streets. The moment we stepped into the Medina, our neighbors were giving directions to the fellow who was loading our suitcases into his carossa.

While standing beside the R’cif roundabout waiting for a taxi, I thought I heard someone call out “Tom!” “Tom!” I was not imaging things…It was Abdelrahim, owner of the local hardware shop we’ve frequented ever since coming to the medina. In a moment, we were admiring telephone photos of Abdelrahim’s daughter. Miriam, born not long before Tom left Fez the last time, will turn two next month.

Our favorite fruit vendor introduced his son, grown in our absence big enough to run the shop with his dad. The boy weighed up grapes on the balance scale, made change and waved us on like the little businessman he’s become.

We’ll have numerous opportunities to reconnect with old friends over the coming weeks in Fez, but it will be hard to top an extraordinary Fassi welcome extended to Mr. Tom.