Morocco - Fez to Marrakesh 9 day itinerary, help needed

Hello all,

I have some queries regarding my impending holiday to Morocco and I would like to hear the opinions of those seasoned travellers out there who know the country a little better than I do.

I am scheduled to be arriving in Fez at 7PM 16/01/11 and will be departing from Marrakesh at 8PM 26/01/11 (which gives me 9 full days approximately) and I am trying to create an itinerary based around this.

Having done some research I have come up with a few places that I could visit in between visiting these two cities that look both interesting and that should not be unpleasantly cold in January, they are:

1) Meknes (including Moulay Idriss and Volubilis)
2) Erg Chebbi
3) Essaouira

Ideally I would like to visit all of the above but having read previous threads on the forum I understand that it is preferable to slow down the pace and not to try to do too much in the limited time that I have.

I would greatly appreciate any opinions from those on the forum in helping me to create a well varied and balanced itinerary, that takes in to consideration the climate at this time of year, and that will give me a wonderful snapshot of Morocco and a holiday to truly remember.

I will be travelling by public transport throughout the holiday and using overnight services wherever possible to maximise what limited time I have.

Thanks in advance for all your help and support.