Everyone knows everyone in Fes, it seems, and personal connections matter a great deal in shops where the price tag is not on display. One early weekend a classmate went to the medina on errands and I tagged along to meet the shopkeepers she had befriended over the previous months. One early stop was into the Coin Berbère, which sells silver jewelry and handwoven rugs. I returned to the shop with Pam, where our purchases earned us an invitation to tea and a rug lesson in the upstairs shop. I returned again after Khalid mentioned a family house for rent and still hope to find an intrepid classmate or two willing to buy her own bed and chip in on a refrigerator in exchange for the experience in living in a proper riad in the medina, but so far no takers. Still, I stop by about once a week to admire the wares and say hello - and occasionally accept a cup of tea and a seat outside the shop.
Imagine my surprise when upon dropping in today, Khalid tells me a New York Times writer stopped by and wrote an article on the place, and my joy in finding that the lead photograph is of my favorite seat just outside their door. David is the director of the American Language Center here, and finding my little Moroccan community in my big American newspaper simply makes me smile. Enjoy the article here:
Le Coin Berbère
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