Back into the Souks

Today, both of us were feeing a little worse for wear after yesterday's walk, Stu's stomach bug had set back in with a vengeance :-(

After breakfast we set out for a local architectural site,  Ben Youssaf Messina, an old Islamic school. But first we went to find a pharmacy!

We walked through the souks with determination in approximately the right direction. Unfortunately we had slightly too much determination and overshot the school by quite a way, but we had headed on an eastward path the whole time which was our aim, a minor victory perhaps ;-)

By chance we had come out the souks next to another beautiful mosque and a pharmacy! Now able to reorient ourselves and stocked up with meds we re-entered the souks. The smells in this part of the district were especially pungent. We passed through the leather tanning district, the most pungent of them all, and butchers with whole bull heads dangling - fully intact with nose ring and tongue hanging out! In the cold open air, surrounded by colourful fruit and veg stalls we finally found Ben Youssaf Messina and mosque (or what's left of it as it has been destroyed during various invasions).

It was absolutely packed inside the Messina but after a while it cleared a little. The main courtyard had intricate carvings around all the windows and doorways.

Upstairs were the student rooms. Each quite small, cold and plain. Most but not all had a tiny window letting in a meager amount of light. As we walked up the corridor there was a definately change; the rooms became slightly bigger and some even had a small 'attic' space.

Having seen all the was to see at the Messina we made our way to our lunch stop, Le Jardin, a converted Riad with the central courtyard full of plants.

After lunch, with Stu still not feeling well, we decided to head back to our Riad for a lazy afternoon in the sun.