'The city was getting nearer, and at the same time it loomed up within my own mind, rising out of the darkness of memory.

A geode of amethyst, brimful of thousands of tightly packed crystals and surrounded by a silver-green rim: this was Fez, the Old City of Fez, in the twilight.'

(Titus Burckhart – Fez)

If you decide to come to Fez and discover why a lot of people fall in love with this magical city, make sure you treat yourself to a nice lodging. Gatsby is an experienced traveller, has slept in a lot of beds and knows a lot of houses. But even in Fez, with its many wonderful riads and lovely restored houses Gatsby has found one that specially suits his mood and its willing to recommend to other discerned travellers.

Dar Attajalli stands out for the beauty of its walls, yes, but specially for the soul that breathes in the entire house and invites you to relax while whispering uncovered secrets of other times and cultures. Not little of that soul comes from the propietor and host, Kleo, that will make sure everything runs smooth around you. Relax in the patio listening the deep sounds of the monumental fountain, lounge in the terrace watching the sun go down, stay in your suite with one book from the well stocked library, here there is only one rule, follow your bliss. And Gatsby knows one thing or two about that.

www.attajalli.com

When thinking about coming to Fez there are multiple things you should take care of, being the most important of all booking the right place where your moroccan dream will come true.

Tripadvisor is a great tool but beware, many things are highly manipulated. Edreams, Lastminute and Booking offer many riads in the medina, but not usually the most refined, and feels utterly inhuman.

Remember that Gatsby was a tourist in Fez once too, and everytime he had to come he took care of reserving through www.fez-riads.com run by Helen Ranger. Why? She has handpicked the most beautiful riads in the Medina to provide you with that magical feeling you're looking for, she knows everyone and everyone knows her, her website is clear and in three different languages and has -that is the part we like the most- a small selection of private houses ready for rent, all special, all detail, all wonderful. On top of everything she donates a percentage of her earnings to several restoration projects in the Medina. And if that was not enough I will reveal that she amongst others is resposible for the Lonely Planet basic guide Fez Encounters. Of course she is as well one of Gatsby's friends and goes without saying, a true lady.

Jazz in Riad is ultimating its new 2009 edition, and this year's program includes plenty of concerts, exhibitions, conferences and even some films. After a few years keeping a low profile this year edition promises a lot of action, and a huge number of assistants have already been confirmed.

Jazz is a musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United Statesfrom a confluence of African and European music traditions.

From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th century American popular music. Its West African pedigree is evident in its use of blue notes, improvisation, polyrhythms, syncopation, and the swung note but one of jazz's iconic figures Art Blakey has been quoted as saying, "No America, no jazz. I’ve seen people try to connect it to other countries, for instance to Africa, but it doesn’t have a damn thing to do with Africa".

Well, for sure from the 9th to the 11th of October Jazz will have a lot of things to do with Africa

and you can have a look at the program in the official website

http://www.fesjazz.com/site/programme.htm

The Cervantes Institute is a worldwide non profit organizaion created by the Spanish goverment in 1991. It is named after Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616), the author of Don Quixote and perhaps the most important figure in the history of Spanish Literature. The Cervantes Institute, a government agency, was modeled on the British Council and the German Goethe Institut, and is the largest organization in the world responsible for promoting the study and the teaching of Spanish and culture, with more than 80.000 students a year.

Well, you might not know it but there is a pretty good Instituto Cervantes in our beloved Fez, and they run spanish lessons and much more all year round. They also have a well stocked library were you can borrow books and DVD's, or just read worldwide newspapers.

Very often they organise exhibitions, flamenco concerts and conferences.

Is really a favourite hidden spot for Gatsby, and you should check it out when in the new town. Here is a link were you can check the program.

http://fez.cervantes.es/es/default.shtm