latin oleander

In the afternoon, we visited Volubilis (latin version of qualili, the oleander flower), the capital of the Roman province of Mauritania Tingitana. The main drag Decumanus Maximus was lined with decorated columns which ended at the triumphal arch. Behind it was what’s left over of the once grand forum and the opulent Basilica with its arched gates still intact, and the Capitol with its columns still standing. The houses had the most intact mosaics, the most I've seen in any Roman towns. The House of Hercules and the House of Orpheus had the most depictive mosaics. The 12 labors of Hercules were all depicted and Orpheus had a circular mosaic that showed all the animals and one with Poseidon riding a chariot. One room had a giant bronze penis and we the girls took turns straddling on it. Being a sucker for Roman ruins, this was the highlight of the day. The afternoon was very hot and the ruins had no shade and it felt like being in Italy or in Roman Europe. After the feast of Roman marvel, a long drive to the oldest imperial city, the country cultural capital Fez, our third imperial city. Our hotel was inside the medina, right on the main square. The hotel offered a fantastic courtyard with a good size pool and even a bar at the back. The rooms were big, however, everything inside the room was outdated. You stepped up to the bathroom (which incidentally had no door) was in blue and the bathtub sunk on the ground, the toilet was in a separate room (hate those) and 2 steps up to the window. The bedside tables were part of the wall and covered in blue Moroccan tiles. But the room was comfortable. Dinner was at a local family. again the round of Moroccan tapas. This time with fried eggplant/aubergines. But the chicken pastilla (another Moroccan signature dish) was tough and dry. Nobody liked them. We sat on turkish sofas and cushions. the table was low and eating like this took a bit getting used to. The dinning room we were in had a beautiful Islamic style ceiling that made you feel like you're inside a moroccan palace We were told the owner's cousin did the ceiling himself. in the evening we had beers at the bar, at the back of the hotel and chitchated. Young people in jeans and tshirts congregated at the bar with alchool in hand, and very old rock music was playing. Not too shabby a hotel actually.


See Volubilis pictures: