Riad Alkatib Meknès

We were greeted at the car park by one of the staff, who helped park our car & carry our overnight bags to Riad Dar Alkatib, set in the middle of the medina / souks. Walking past the fragrant perfume shops, the colourful spice bazaar, we went through the retail cloth stores, before arriving at the Riad. An old building, from 1695, this Riad was the house of the Public Writer (Ecrivain Public) who is defined as "a person who writes letters, deeds, for those who do not know how to write or who have poor command of writing" With a majestic open courtyard, beautifully restored rooms, ceilings and furniture, our first experience of a Riad was very unique, indeed Our host, Salehah received us with the customary Moroccan mint tea and explained the history and heritage of the place. We were given a beautiful room, on the second floor, done in a regal Indian style. High ceilings, sun light filtering through the stained windows have the room a mystical feel. After a wash, we had a couple of G&T in the lobby and decided to venture out into the local area for dinner. Just outside the Medina area, there were plenty of roadside stalls / shops selling a multitude of items We found an area selling food and after a quick recce, narrowed in on a stall grilling fresh Merguez Sausages (spicy lamb sausages, a speciality of the region) After trying a couple of their freshly grilled meat / sausage sandwiches, we returned back to Riad Dar Alkatib Breakfast the next morning was a treat, a selection of honey, jam, marmalade with local breads, Rghaif (Moroccan version of Indian Paratha) as well as an omelette. It was a great stay at Riad Dar Alkatib, warm hospitality, excellent food and an excellent host. Morning walk around the old town, visied the Mausoleum of Moulay Isma'il and then headed out of town, to our next stop.