January 12-13 Thursday and Friday Our last day at home until early June is spent doing a couple of errands, phone calls to a few, and visiting with a few friends. With things packed and a quick dinner, we are ready to head to the airport for our 8:35 PM British Airways flight. J tells us he’s not thrilled to be leaving once again – 5 months is a lot of time. We have had a wonderful month back home with family and friends, so leaving again is hard for him. The flight was smooth and uneventful – that’s a good thing and after our short stop over in London we arrive in Barcelona at 5:30 PM. Getting through immigration and collecting bags is quick. We manage to find our way to the hotel shuttle area (although we think we are in the wrong place at first) and then on to the hotel. We grab dinner and watch a movie before falling off to sleep.
January 14 Saturday – After a fitful sleep as we aren’t accustomed to the time zone up at 2:30, back asleep by 4 or 5. After arranging a late check-out, we let J sleep late. After lunch at the hotel restaurant, we check out and take the shuttle to the airport at 2:30. Check in is quick and we can certainly tell that it’s low season in this big modern airport. Having learned from December’s departure, we did not want to go through customs until closer to our 6:15 departure. There’s not much over in that section. So, we pass the next few hours walking around, doing homework and kicking back. By 4 pm. We find out our plane is delayed, estimated departure 8:05 UGH! Well, at least we haven’t crossed customs, so we can find a decent place to eat. At 7:30, we check in at information, the plane is on it’s way, so we check through customs and head to the gate. Our plane finally leaves at 8:30. We board our Royal Air Maroc plane and find the least amount of legroom between seats we have ever encountered! Nasty!! Quite the difference from the BA flight we took yesterday. We meet up with our driver Kamal and head to the van. Leaving the airport there is intense fog making driving difficult, but as we proceed toward Casablanca, it does let up somewhat. The drive to our hotel took 45 minutes. It’s late so we just drop off to sleep as soon as we get in.
Sunday, January 15 - Kamal will be our driver for the entire duration of our Moroccan tour. Today we toured around Casablanca. Casablanca, with 6 million people, is the economic centre and largest city of Morocco. Right away we notice the difference of this African country from Egypt. None of us knew what to expect but our first view of this country through exposure to this city is very promising: calm drivers, clean streets, lots of green space and many people out and about. It’s Sunday, many things are closed, and generally the roads of Casablanca are quiet. Due to French influence the Moroccans have adopted the Saturday and Sunday weekend concept. We can see the European influence on some of the architecture. Many families were out and about today enjoying the sun and family time.
This morning we find out that our hotel is located along the Atlantic shoreline in a popular beach club area. Couldn’t tell this last night as we arrived at 11:30 in the dark. The hotel is built along the promenade wall, entering at road level, and then descending below to access the rooms and beach – a cool setup.
We drive through streets taking us along the coastline
to the Hassan Mosque – the 3rd largest mosque and the tallest minaret, 200m, in the world. It and its surrounding grounds are immense and built along and out over the shoreline. Constructed in 1987, took 6 years of round the clock, and 880 million US dollars – paid by personal donations and some government support. We walked around this huge structure admiring the intricacy of the detail. Through a guided interior tour we find out at Ramadan it houses 25000 worshippers inside and another 80000 outside. It was beautifully adorned with intricate concrete detail that was carved when wet and then hand painted coated with egg white to protect it, (like other intricate structures toured in other countries), granite adorned floors and pillars, mosaic tiled walls and a roof that slides open if desired all from Moroccan materials. The only things not Moroccan were the chandeliers from Venice, Murano glass. The immense exterior doors were coated with titanium to counter oxidation and salt damge. It definitely showed the forethought of the designers. We were glad to have chosen to go on the tour adding another wonderful site we visited.
We drove along the walls and a gated entranceway into Old Casablanca – seeing market stalls similar to Istanbul and Cairo market places. In earlier times the important cities were enclosed by walls and had entrance gates. While wandering in the square by the Royal Palace (unfortunately we weren’t allowed up onto the grounds to take pictures of the huge structure), we walked along streets with shops when we passed without being hassled to go into the shops. This was a very pleasant surprise. Being day one of the trip, we are not interested in shopping or have any idea what we might want to bring back as a Moroccan souvenir. Amongst shops we find a café busy with locals where we order mint tea served in little silver teapots with funky cozies for the handles - delicious. We pass “diners where Moroccans eat” with animal carcasses hanging, drove through another street market, the largest we have seen on our travels selling everything and anything. We love seeing this!
We stopped by a Catholic Cathedral with simplistic design with both side whiles entire stained glass depicting Biblical stories – very different from European Cathedrals. Mass was in progress while we were there, so we stood at the back of the packed and admired the church and then quietly left.
We walked around a popular square with a fountain honoring Muhammed V one of their former kings
(and the man who negotiated Moroccan independence from France and Spain in the 20th century). Here we enjoyed watching the locals, street vendors, enjoying the atmosphere and taking some photos.
We learned from Kamal that it is only recent, 15 years, that there is inter-racial marriage in Morocco, before it was Arab to Arab and Berber to Berber – interesting. (The Berbers were the first settlers in Morocco and its not clear exactly where they came from, although its believed they arrived around 3000 BC, and were people migrating west from the eastern Mediterranean lands including Jews that had escaped from Babylonian slavery). People in Casablanca do like to go elsewhere during the year whereas the people in other big cities tend to stay put and head out when the weather is hot.
The last stop of the day before heading back to the hotel was to Rick’s Café, made famous by the film Casablanca with Humphrey Bogart. This is a great little restaurant with terrific atmosphere and food, and good prices too! From the type of people we see come in, it’s definitely a tourist destination. It wasn’t overcrowded and a great place to have our first meal in Morocco!
For the remainder of the afternoon, the boys kick back and T decides to go for a walk along the promenade outside the hotel. She pays heed to Kamal warning about where to go and what not to take from strangers … and enjoys a walk along the ocean wall enjoying the sunshine, sights, sounds and feeling of the place. A great way to end the afternoon of our first day here! Our room has a movie channel so we end the day by watching a movie that ends late – as its only mid-afternoon in Alberta staying up that late is easy as our bodies are not yet on this time zone.
Monday, January 16, 2012 - After going to bed at midnight, we all sleep through the night, and wake late this morning. J sleeps the latest, catching up on the sleep he missed on the flight over. We don’t have anything planned for today, and we just want to hang and enjoy. M and T go out along the ocean seawall in search of a coffee shop. We enjoy the view and coffee as well. Once J is up, we head back along the walkway and find Luigi’s restaurant. By now, it is clouded over and the wind has picked up. The surf is high and ocean spray is in the air.
It is a different view today than yesterday’s warmth and sunshine. After a good lunch, we head back to the hotel and relax for the remainder of the day, reading, blogging, listening to the surf and wind, and in J’s case, doing schoolwork.
Due to the blustery evening we decided to have dinner at the hotel restaurant. Listening to a duo playing Moroccan music, we enjoyed our Moroccan tangines – meat and vegetables (kind of like a stew) cooked within a cone shaped clay baker - absolutely delicious. We’ll certainly be having more of these while we are here.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 – After breakfast, Kamal picks us up at 9:30 for today’s tour. We are leaving Casablanca and are headed for Rabat, Morocco’s political capital. Our drive takes about 1.5 hours. It takes a while to get out of the busy city streets, but we do get to see more of Casablanca. There are a number of large projects going on along the shore as we travel outside of the city. The most ambitious, a new marina development both commercial and residential, enhancing the first time view of Casablanca for the cruise ship tourists.
Our drive to Rabat takes us north along the coast where we see many residential apartment complexes in what looks like the colors the locals favor, burgundy, peach, salmon, yellow and some white. We see industrial as well as agricultural, both crops and animal farming along the great roadway system. We find out that a number of projects taken place are in partnership with other international companies and countries. The fields are very green, with a number of rivers we have passed. We will have to ask Kamal tomorrow if the fields are different in the summer when the temperatures reach between 40 - 50 C.
Our first stop into this modern city is to the Roman ruins of Chellah. The walls are red brick/mud representative of the soil that we have seen on our drive. The walls of this fortress are still in very good shape, although likely the exterior has been restored to protect the structure. Within the walls we see a number of ruins similar to ones at other locations, inclusive of burial sites of previous royalty. The cool thing here was the huge number of storks that were nesting here. They had huge nests and they made a sounds with their throats that sounded like woodpeckers pecking a tree. J and T did some exploring while M hung back and took photos.
Our next stop was to the tomb of Muhammed V. The mausoleum and mosque were located within the walls of the old city. The mausoleum is very large and regal. There are ceremonial guards on horseback at each entrance of the grounds and a ceremonial guard at each entrance to the mausoleum. The building is intricate and gorgeous. The whole place is so ornate from floor to ceiling, we spend time admiring the mosaic walls, in-laid marble floors, domed ceiling that looks like stars in the sky, and loads of stained glass there, as well as the stark white tombs of three royal family members. Would have been cool to take a picture to remember it by, but out of respect, we didn’t take any of the interior. We also see the Hassan Tower that is in the same square that is Rabat’s greatest landmark – even J recognizes it ahead of time as it is on his Ipod “Air Tycoon” game representing Rabat.
Kamal took us along some of the new infrastructure between Rabat and it’s twin city Sale. He dropped us off at the walled city of Oudaya. We are told that the exterior of these walls are refurbished every twenty years to preserve them. Our entrance in through one of the large gates has us walking along a narrowing atrium and having us turn the corner to enter into the residential area. Wow, was this ever cool! Pretty much all the places were white washed and the lower half of the flat roofed building was a royal blue color. The streets were actually narrow cobbled walkways with graduated steps to account for the change in elevation going up or down – definitely no cars in this area! The house design is typical to Morocco where there is an external door, yet most of the house faces in, and upon entering the door you arrive in a central courtyard. We enjoyed walking along the streets. We had hoped to find a café to have a tea and soak up the atmosphere, but we weren’t successful in that. We did however come up to the north walls overlooking the ocean and enjoyed the view of the area, and some guys surfing in the waves.
After a great Moroccan lunch, Kamal dropped us off at the gates of Old Rabat to wander through the market place and check out the surroundings. There was an assortment of shops selling leather goods, jewelry, bolts and bolts of fabric, spices, shoes, arts and crafts, fresh fish and fruit. We even saw a furniture factory making ornate moldings. They reminded T of the gilded mirror or picture frames. As we wander about we are struck with “Wow, we have not been hounded at all!” Again a pleasant surprise as we had read from Rick Steeves in Spain, that Tangier was like that, so we assumed the rest of Morocco was like that. It was a neat way of seeing the locals in their surroundings. Many Moroccans wear these funky kind of shoes that have nothing to hold you heel in, so T found a pair and bargained to get a good price.
As we drive along the street outside the market place we notice a number of people setting up blankets with wares to sell along the sidewalk. This has just started to happen in the last year and they are Tunisian’s that have arrived since the uprisings in that country last year.
T’s French is certainly coming in handy to both in conversing with Kamal as well as dealing with the locals. Tonight’s hotel, Hotel Rabat, is in the centre of New Rabat and is very neatly designed. After checking in J wants to chill, so M and T go for a walk and find a coffee shop. As we are touring our breakfast and dinner is included so we eat at the hotel.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 - After breakfast, Kamal picks us up at 8:30 for today’s tour. The scenery out of Rabat quickly turns into agricultural holdings as well as natural reserves with cork trees as well as eucalyptus - pretty cool to see that. We really enjoyed traveling through the beautiful brilliant green hills as we left the coastal lowlands heading into the Middle Atlas Mountains.
We travel a couple of hours to reach our first stop. Volubilis, the most southern Roman city dating back to 2nd century AD, located in a beautiful green valley planted with crops today. The grounds were covered with wild marigolds (same color, but different flower head than the ones we grow) and that’s where the city got its name. A guide gave explanations of the layout as we toured. There were some great mosaics based on Greek mythology that we were given some explanations. In the distance we could see the sacred hillside city of Mly Idriss, where the first Arab who brought Islam to Morocco settled in the 7th century AD.
We travel a couple of hours to reach our first stop. Volubilis, the most southern Roman city dating back to 2nd century AD, located in a beautiful green valley planted with crops today. The grounds were covered with wild marigolds (same color, but different flower head than the ones we grow) and that’s where the city got its name. A guide gave explanations of the layout as we toured. There were some great mosaics based on Greek mythology that we were given some explanations. In the distance we could see the sacred hillside city of Mly Idriss, where the first Arab who brought Islam to Morocco settled in the 7th century AD.
As we continue our drive, we see fields bordered with cacti and others with huge agave plants. Our travels take us through a number of smaller Moroccan cities, busy with daily life. Some were holding their weekly markets and we could see some of the locals heading to town on their donkey led carts to attend. Kamal tells us that people who sell often arrive into the market as early as 5 AM to sell their produce or animals and then later use the money they earned to buy other things like sugar, flour or supplies they need at home. The market places were definitely bustling!
We drove onto Meknis, another busy Moroccan city complete with the walled old section and the new city. Kamal tells us that they hold many festivals here and it’s a popular to live here because of that. We had lunch here, toured Ishmal’s mausoleum as well as wondered around in front of some shops seeing sacks of wool sheared from sheep used to make sheep skin rugs, another man showed us the art of silver string inlays on metal – that was neat. Yet again we passed another royal palace, basically in every large city there is one. We can certainly see where the term “lives like a king” comes from, with these huge land holdings. We also wondered within the medina (settlements within the old city walls) through another market place filled with people selling and buying. It was lots of fun checking out the merchandise and walking amongst the vendors.
We left Meknis to head to our hotel in Fes where we are scheduled to tour tomorrow. The lobby was freezing, we figured out that they don’t heat this part. We have had heaters within the rooms, but walking in the public places requires extra clothing!
Thursday, January 19, 2012 – What a day we had today – probably one of the most interesting of any tour day we’ve been on during our travels. We left the hotel at 10 with Kamal and Hichal (our guide for the day) to tour Fes, the spiritual and intellectual Moroccan capital. We began with at the gates of the royal palace where we learned about the different dynasties of Morocco and its current, Atouile in power since the 17th century. It’s one of six imperial palaces within Morocco and the largest – 225 hectacres out of the 875 hectacres for the entire old city of Fes. We stood outside of the main entrance of 7 brass doors, symbolic for each day of the week. The doors appear small, but aren’t within the palace walls. We also learned all about the symbolism of the colors chosen for the mosaic gate walls. Fes is the academic and spiritual capital of Morocco.
We left the plaza outside the palace and crossed the street to walk along the Jewish quarters of the old city. In the ancient days the Jewish merchants traded in salt, and now they deal with jewelry. We could see the difference of the architecture on the buildings because they have windows facing out onto the street versus the medina homes where windows face into the courtyards. We walked along the street and mingled with the locals checking out natural products that people take home to make into shampoo, soap, and lotions. It was pretty neat to see sacks full of spices and other dry staples. It was gusty out this morning and nothing stirred from the bags.
At the end of the street, Kamal picked the four of us up to take us up to an old fortress that overlooked the area to give us a panoramic view of Old and New Fes. It was a wonderful view and with explanations by Hichal, we were able to get a good understanding of the layout of the city.
At the end of the street, Kamal picked the four of us up to take us up to an old fortress that overlooked the area to give us a panoramic view of Old and New Fes. It was a wonderful view and with explanations by Hichal, we were able to get a good understanding of the layout of the city.
On the way to the old city for the remainder of the day, we stopped at the pottery school where people as young as 16 enroll to learn the art of grey pottery throwing, tile making, making mosaic tables, fountains as well as tangine pots, plates, cups etc. Having learned that red clay contains lead while the grey contains magnesium and is safe for cooking. J had the opportunity to work with clay on a spinning wheel (like he did in Turkey) and also to help a young fellow placing mosaic tile pieces into a tabletop he was working on. When they work on a mosaic, they work on mirror image with the colored face facing away from the artist. It is fascinating to see them work on these. We’ve been enjoying tangines (stews) presented in red clay and found out that they don’t cook in, they only serve in these, but cook in the grey. Surprising to T it’s M that suggests we buy something here. We bought ourselves a couple of tangine pots to have shipped home – now we need a Moroccan cookbook. The food is deliciously spiced and oh so tender.
After spending time negotiating pricing and shipping, we were off to the Old city, the medina. We turned into the oldest section of the medina, established in 3000 BC, this is largest medina in Morocco, surrounded by 15 km of rampart walls. Hichal told us that it has 9000 streets and 40,000 dead ends within this walled city and there are no road signs. It’s trial by error, and locals memorize the streets so they don’t get lost. Really the only way around is to go with a local, Hichal’s our man. First stop was the chicken market and indeed there were live chickens to buy here as well as pigeon and starling, plus other foods. Here the locals can bring their bread dough to the local bakery and they will bake the loaf in its ovens. We saw a number of younger children bringing dough wrapped in cloth on a board. It was eye opening wandering through the narrow walkways, some really narrow, bend the elbows at your waist and you’re touching the walls. Some walkways were wider and some had high open ceilings and some were closed in. A fabulous experience for all of us! There were countless shops, gorgeous vibrant bolts of cloth for the women’s traditional garments, shoes, vegetable silk threads (from the agave plant), brass and bronze leather goods, drug store-like shops. There aren’t tourists in this section of the medina, but we were interested in checking it out, once Hichal asked us.
In the old medina there are countless artisans who practice and continue with age-old traditional Moroccan crafts. Walking along a route chosen by Hichal we saw copper pots being forged, ceremonial wedding carriages being constructed, and handmade furniture being built.
We visited a rug cooperative within one of the traditional houses in the medina. We were taken aback by the sheer size of the building – the courtyard was covered to prevent damage from birds. It was 3 stories with access to the rooftop where we had a panoramic view of the medina shops and we could see some of the landmarks we had walked by on our travels through the “maze”.
M asked about how they heat the building in the winter and our host explained they move upstairs in the winter, use carpets, wool blankets, and food to keep warm. There were an amazing number of carpets in stock, with the cooperative supported by the government to help stop the exploitation of women and young girls. We learned about the different rugs from the different regions and ethnic groups. They were very colorful and different from the rugs we saw in Turkey, so we added to our new collection of handmade carpets that we started in Turkey.
We visited a rug cooperative within one of the traditional houses in the medina. We were taken aback by the sheer size of the building – the courtyard was covered to prevent damage from birds. It was 3 stories with access to the rooftop where we had a panoramic view of the medina shops and we could see some of the landmarks we had walked by on our travels through the “maze”.
M asked about how they heat the building in the winter and our host explained they move upstairs in the winter, use carpets, wool blankets, and food to keep warm. There were an amazing number of carpets in stock, with the cooperative supported by the government to help stop the exploitation of women and young girls. We learned about the different rugs from the different regions and ethnic groups. They were very colorful and different from the rugs we saw in Turkey, so we added to our new collection of handmade carpets that we started in Turkey.
Hichal took us for lunch to a little restaurant where the locals eat. We had great food and we all ate for 100 dirhams ($13) compared to our lunch yesterday at a tourist spot of 450 dirhams! That meal wasn’t anywhere near what we had today. J had a kebab filled with sausage that he thoroughly enjoyed that Hichal had suggested, while M and T had quarter chickens grilled with sides of rice and fries. Hichal also got some cooked sheep brain and M was brave enough to try it but found the texture too soft to be added to his favorite foods list. We have found we truly enjoy eating at the local eateries in countries we visit.
A tour of a tannery along a maze of floors had us look out over the area where the locals were preparing and dyeing leather pelts in various clay vats of liquid dye that are all from natural products: indigo, mascara coal, saffron root, and poppy flower. An amazing sight to see the men stomping on leather pelts within the vats of dyes. The shop was loaded with products, but other than a billfold for M, we went away without anything! Its not that the products were not good, it’s more that we have been shopping in many countries now and really just don’t need any more leather!
Our last artisan stop for the day was to the weavers shop. We were shown how they use the loom to make fabrics and scarves.
Here they used wool, vegetable silk (strands from the agave plant) and cotton. One of the hosts wrapped a scarf around J’s head for a photo op in desert head gear. T once again opened the wallet and bought herself a lovely silk, wool, cotton scarf as the wind is cool on the neck with her new hairdo…
Here they used wool, vegetable silk (strands from the agave plant) and cotton. One of the hosts wrapped a scarf around J’s head for a photo op in desert head gear. T once again opened the wallet and bought herself a lovely silk, wool, cotton scarf as the wind is cool on the neck with her new hairdo…
Before we left the medina, we stopped by the Jemaa El Karaouuying, the world’s first established university, since 859 AD.
By 5:30 we had our fill and were ready to head back to the hotel. What an amazing time experiencing the atmosphere and seeing the life within this old city! We did comment that the tours are hurting the pocketbook because we keep being brought to such amazing artisan shops! M says it’s a good thing this is the last one!
By 5:30 we had our fill and were ready to head back to the hotel. What an amazing time experiencing the atmosphere and seeing the life within this old city! We did comment that the tours are hurting the pocketbook because we keep being brought to such amazing artisan shops! M says it’s a good thing this is the last one!
Friday, January 20, 2012 – We were out the door by 8 as we have a 480 km drive to do today. As yesterday was amazing for cultural exposure, today was a feast for the eyes of the various landscapes we traveled through to reach our destination. Leaving Fes through the “new city” showed the dichotomy from the old. Driving through the new we were in a modern large city that had great roads, modern buildings and modern homes. The housing colors in Fes were mainly beige and white.
As we left the city, heading to the southeast part of Morocco, its mainly agricultural land. With the ascent into the Middle Atlas Mountains the landscape changed to rockier soil and fewer and smaller settlements. We’re told that the winter is harsh on life in the High and Middle Atlas rural areas. School is offered at the primary level, with children having to travel up to 15 km to get there (usually by bicycle as there is no rural bus system). With our continued ascent we came across a village with architecture influenced by the French – roof lines were peaked and there was some wrought iron work. It was cold out for the locals, temperature dropping to -2 as we reached the summit. The locals were warmly dressed in jackets and hats. There were traces of snow along the road.
We came to the town Ifrane nicknamed “Morocco’s Switzerland” for the style of homes. The town was very pretty and popular in the summer for the Moroccans who want to escape the heat of the lower altitudes. It was a pretty place with tree lined streets and walkways, likely very pretty in the spring, summer and autumn. Kamal says that the rich have homes here and you could definitely tell by the houses. As we were driving out of the town, we could see a series of buildings reminiscent of ski/time share condos like at some of our ski hills. They actually do have a small ski hill in this area. There wasn’t as much snow as usual on the ground, must have known we were coming!
We came to the town Ifrane nicknamed “Morocco’s Switzerland” for the style of homes. The town was very pretty and popular in the summer for the Moroccans who want to escape the heat of the lower altitudes. It was a pretty place with tree lined streets and walkways, likely very pretty in the spring, summer and autumn. Kamal says that the rich have homes here and you could definitely tell by the houses. As we were driving out of the town, we could see a series of buildings reminiscent of ski/time share condos like at some of our ski hills. They actually do have a small ski hill in this area. There wasn’t as much snow as usual on the ground, must have known we were coming!
Once we left there, we were now entering the plateau of the Middle Atlas Mountains and the surroundings were quite barren. The nomads return in the spring with their flocks of sheep and goats. We reached an altitude of 2170m before descending and we drove past protected cedar forests as well as barren mountains. As we came into the valley below, the landscape changed once again. There was some vegetation, then that disappeared to barren landscape and in the far distance snow covered mountains. Off on the horizon Kamal pointed the direction to Algeria, but the border is closed between the two countries due to issues about which country owns part of the western Sahara, one has to fly there. Our journey took us through the Berber city of Azrou, then through Midelt, pass some fortified villages along the Ziz River to Erfoud.
Along the way we passed a funeral procession outside of one of these villages. In rural Morocco, the dead are often buried within a couple of hours of the death. It was a man who had died as only men were in the procession, if it had been a woman, the women would have followed the men. This gave us an opportunity to learn more about the Muslim religion and burial rites.
Along the way we passed a funeral procession outside of one of these villages. In rural Morocco, the dead are often buried within a couple of hours of the death. It was a man who had died as only men were in the procession, if it had been a woman, the women would have followed the men. This gave us an opportunity to learn more about the Muslim religion and burial rites.
Along the drive T has conversations with Kamal and then she passes on the info to Mark who has been sitting in the rear of the van due to his sore back (an issue he caused by over doing it while home splitting wood for the fireplace, so he gets little sympathy from T and J). However, riding in the van for this tour each day has not done much for his back at times! He does say he is on the mend and J and T do say they are rooting for him!! T and Kamal have had conversations about religion, education, living in a kingdom ruled by a royal family, agriculture and a host of other things. It has all been very interesting and informative. As well, T has been able to practice her French, which will help us when we get to France.
Our hotel tonight is a kasbah – a fortified dwelling that accepts over-night visitors from the days of the caravans on the trade route. This one has been redone into a hotel and is quite cool.
M and T join Kamal in the bar for drinks and a chat before and after dinner (while J chills in the room watching a movie). As we are in the desert now, it’s very cool at night, so when we arrive in the bar wearing our winter coats the bartender starts a wonderful fire in the fireplace to warm us all up. We thought he was quite happy to have patrons so he could warm the place up as he said he was cold too. This is the first hotel we have stayed in where we are the only guests. So we have dinner in the large hotel restaurant with only the three of us, a different experience once again.
M and T join Kamal in the bar for drinks and a chat before and after dinner (while J chills in the room watching a movie). As we are in the desert now, it’s very cool at night, so when we arrive in the bar wearing our winter coats the bartender starts a wonderful fire in the fireplace to warm us all up. We thought he was quite happy to have patrons so he could warm the place up as he said he was cold too. This is the first hotel we have stayed in where we are the only guests. So we have dinner in the large hotel restaurant with only the three of us, a different experience once again.
Saturday, January 21, 2012 - We decided to forgo the 5:30 AM excursion out into the desert to ride a camel – J’s done that and we like our sleep too much especially J and T. We left the Hotel Chergui in Erfoud to head for the village Tinghir for our overnight stay.
As we drive through Erfoud, we come across the date souk (market) where men are comparing and selling their dates. Later they will take the money they have made in their sales and buy other things that they need. Although to us the market looks disorganized, various areas of the dusty streets are organized according to products ie. clothing, shoes, vegetables displayed on tarps on the street surface. It is busy with people milling about from this village and from the surrounding areas. There are many Mercedes sedans parked nearby at the taxi stand we will see daily driving along the highways transporting people from village to village. We often see the rural people standing at the side of the highway when it appears there’s nothing around but desert, waiting for the next one to come by. The people in the rural areas definitely do a lot of walking. We also see lots of bicycles and pedal motorbikes used mostly by men and the occasional young woman to get around.
In prehistoric times before the separation of the continents, the Mediterranean Sea existed in this area. As a result of this, the area is rich in fossils. We had an opportunity to visit a cooperative that takes mined rocks and makes tables, fountains, benches, basins, artistic statues as well as many smaller pieces to sell. We were fascinated with the different colors, resulting from different levels underground. Depending on the level, there were different fossils found. In the deeper levels, black marble, there are long squid, while in the brown, nearer to the surface level, snails, nebulites and amulites. We had a wonderful time listening to the explanations, seeing the men at work as well as walking through the showrooms. The end products were beautiful! Our hotel room last night had a basin that was made from the fossils – very cool to see the fossils within the surface of the basin.
What a treat this was for us – to be able to see the raw product and then the finished. Although we are tempted we decide not to buy a table or basin today, but they were so cool we got the cooperative leader’s card in case we change our mind when we get home as they will make it to order and can ship anywhere they tell us.
What a treat this was for us – to be able to see the raw product and then the finished. Although we are tempted we decide not to buy a table or basin today, but they were so cool we got the cooperative leader’s card in case we change our mind when we get home as they will make it to order and can ship anywhere they tell us.
Our drive took us along roads bordered with palm trees (oasis) for about 10 km outside of Erfoud, then we were into desert again. Karmil says that in the summer the winds blow the sand covering the road and no doubt as we see the dunes along the road.
We drove through several villages with homes and buildings of ochre or salmon color that Kamal tells us is to deal with the blowing red sand. No use having white in an area where the winds blow sand. Besides, the color of the sand around here lends itself to that color. Life is simpler in the rural parts of Morocco and depending on which village we are in, the women’s attire color is different. As well, we see that the skin color also varies. In this area with the oasis, date palms are plentiful.
Although it is desert, we see the landscape is varied and in a distance, we can see mountains of varying degrees of brown/red. Not much is growing either than sagebrush, unless there is a water source nearby, then we see some crops for animal food as well as date and olive trees. Later on as we get near Tinghir, there are also almond trees as well as other crops.
We have also noticed that North Americans could learn a few things about how much a vehicle can carry of you are inventive.
We have also noticed that North Americans could learn a few things about how much a vehicle can carry of you are inventive.
For the last part of our tour day we traveled north of Tinghis about 15 km to the Todra Gorge that is carved into the High Atlas Mountains. It goes for miles and miles, and some of the walls as high as 300m towering over us as we walked as well as drove through this. We had lunch at a restaurant built against the tall walls within the gorge. J decided he wanted to scale part of one of the walls, easier up than down, of course. Tinghis is located on an oasis that is about 40 km long. The buildings are a mix of mud color and red sand color that paints a pretty picture amongst the trees, and near the mountains.
Once we arrived at the Hotel Saughora and dropped off our bags, we went for a walk to find a bank machine. When we neared the busy intersection by the bank a young Moroccan approached us asking if we spoke English. He was extremely pleasant and just wanted to chat. It was a great conversation with an enthusiastic ambitious guy who is soon to be working with the American Peace Corps teaching them Berber. He has learned 5 languages and hopes to one day be able to visit his brother in America. He wanted to go to a café to have coffee with us, but we had already been gone for a while and we made plans to meet Kamal at the bar in the hotel.
Once we arrived at the Hotel Saughora and dropped off our bags, we went for a walk to find a bank machine. When we neared the busy intersection by the bank a young Moroccan approached us asking if we spoke English. He was extremely pleasant and just wanted to chat. It was a great conversation with an enthusiastic ambitious guy who is soon to be working with the American Peace Corps teaching them Berber. He has learned 5 languages and hopes to one day be able to visit his brother in America. He wanted to go to a café to have coffee with us, but we had already been gone for a while and we made plans to meet Kamal at the bar in the hotel.
As like last night, we are the only guests staying in this hotel, so we have very attentive service in the restaurant. We also need to heat our room as the rest of the hotel doesn’t have central heating. This place isn’t as nice as the other places we’ve stayed in and when T sat down on the mattress and it didn’t move! M compared them to sleeping on a Therma-rest (a half-inch think air mattress he uses when over-night hiking). Oh well, despite the hardness, we did sleep well.
Sunday, January 22, 2012 - We had a later start this morning, 9:30. We left Tinghir for a visit to the Dades valley. This valley has numerous Berber villages, each one basically a family clan. The valley wasn’t as dramatic as yesterday’s gorge, but it had a beauty unto itself with the rocky red hills and the village homes like the red clay we used to use in pottery class. Near the small river, there were green fields with plantings for animal food as well as some vegetables. We did drive about 35 km into the valley and climbed to the high point to have a panoramic view of the valley below. The effort to build the road must have been substantial scaling the mountainside was immense, some great switchbacks! We got out at the top of the summit and took some pictures and J and M played a modified “Mantracker” as M’s back is still recovering so he is not as mobile as J would like but at least it is some playtime.
We drove through the large village of El Kella Mgouna that is famous for growing roses and making many rose products. The landscape again was dramatic, it was great driving along this road that is known as the ‘Road of 1000 Kasbahs’. We had lunch at the Auberge Famille Ben Moro, a Berber family who run a Kasbah. We sat up on the terrace and had a wonderful home cooked meal by his wife: creamed vegetable soup, and kefta tangine (minced meat balls in a sauce with vegetables and eggs are placed on top to steam just before eating). A flat round bread about an inch thick is a staple at the lunch and dinner meals. The Moroccans use the bread and their fingers to eat their meals. They do not use utensils like we do. The view of the surrounding oasis was beautiful with the snow-capped mountains in the background.
We were the only customers. He spoke very good English (he told us he studied for 3 years and he likes to practice with his clients). His 4 year son saw us and came up to the terrace to investigate. J decided he would play with him so the two of them played some hide and seek, and then the boy took J downstairs so J could bring the boy’s little two-wheeler up to the terrace. Next they played a game of chase with the boy leading on his bike. It was fun for all as J got some exercise and the boy had a new playmate for a while. After a great lunch under the sun, our host took us on a tour of his family run hotel. He was very pleased to show us some of the rooms. The building is made of brick and rock then finished off with a coating of clay and straw. The finish is quite resistant to rain, although it is high maintenance, needing to be fixed up every ten years or so.
Another thing we have learned on our travels is what wonderful facilities we have for sports. We have been reminded of that here in Morocco - which lead J to note that he was thankful for being able to play sports on grass. That being said, we see that kids anywhere can have fun with only a ball.
We were the only customers. He spoke very good English (he told us he studied for 3 years and he likes to practice with his clients). His 4 year son saw us and came up to the terrace to investigate. J decided he would play with him so the two of them played some hide and seek, and then the boy took J downstairs so J could bring the boy’s little two-wheeler up to the terrace. Next they played a game of chase with the boy leading on his bike. It was fun for all as J got some exercise and the boy had a new playmate for a while. After a great lunch under the sun, our host took us on a tour of his family run hotel. He was very pleased to show us some of the rooms. The building is made of brick and rock then finished off with a coating of clay and straw. The finish is quite resistant to rain, although it is high maintenance, needing to be fixed up every ten years or so.
Another thing we have learned on our travels is what wonderful facilities we have for sports. We have been reminded of that here in Morocco - which lead J to note that he was thankful for being able to play sports on grass. That being said, we see that kids anywhere can have fun with only a ball.
We then continued onto Ouarzazate nicknamed “Morocco’s Hollywood” where we are going to spend the night. Before going to our hotel, Kamal took us for a tour of this city that is the gateway to the desert. Immediately we could see how much more modern infrastructure there was here than in the other villages we have passed in the last few days. We drove by one of two movie studio grounds. It is in this area that they shot films such as Jesus of Nazareth, Lawrence of Arabia. Kamal drove us to a panoramic viewpoint to get a view of the river valley bordered with brown simple dirt houses.
Monday, January 23, 2012 - On the road by 9 AM today. We left Ouarzazate to he out to the Taourirt Kasbah that is now a UNESCO site. On our way we passed a second movie studio that housed various sets used.
We drove about a half hour until we came to the town near the Taourirt Kasbah. Kamal wanted to take us on a walking tour of this 15th century Kasbah that at one time was the home of the Sultan and his servants. Once the van was parked, we walked down a dirt lane to arrive at the river running out in front of the Kasbah. We walked across the riverbed on well-placed rocks or to reach the other side to explore the Kasbah. Here is where Gladiator and the Prince of Persia were filmed. As it is a UNESCO site, everything that was used as a set was removed and placed at the movie studios. It was neat walking through this very old collection of walkways and mud-encased buildings that some people still use today.
After having a coffee on the terrace of a local Riad (similar to hotel), we were off to continue on our journey. We saw a sign in the Riad that showed how far it was to Timbuktu had we travelling by caravan (just another 52 days!).
We traveled through flat land with the occasional oasis into the valley that harvests saffron. They sell it at 35 d per gram about $5 cents a gram. A far cry from the cost we pay in Canada! We traveled through a couple of mountain passes consisting of only rock and sand along many twisty roads. M wasn’t enamored with the bumps and twists as this jars his back in less than enjoyable ways. After a few hours in the van, it takes him a while to get out of the back of the van and stand straight again. He is looking forward to getting better and so are we!
Eventually we descended into the valley of the province of Touradante that is where some of the original Berbers first settled. The valley is rich in agriculture with miles and miles of orange trees including the Clementine variety (that we have been enjoying so much) both for domestic and exportation. We have been thoroughly enjoying on a daily basis freshly squeezed orange juice as well as just eating oranges so fresh the leaves are still on them. We can tell which vegetables are in season as the usual accompaniments to our meals have been carrots, potatoes, and zucchini. It was a long day of driving to reach Touradante where we stayed in the Palais Salam, just inside the old city walls. It was a rambling collection of buildings set among palm trees, with a couple of swimming pools, too cold to swim in at this time. When we arrived it was 16 C the hottest we have had it since arriving in Morocco.
T and M join Kamala in the bar where we watched the start of the Africa Cup of Nations soccer. Today Morocco is playing Tunisia so all the locals are watching and cheering for their home country. We have enjoyed being in countries to see the locals cheer for their teams – another good example that many things are the same the world over.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 - Before leaving the city of Touradante, Kamal drove us around inside the rampart walls. Within the walls are all the services, schools and homes of the residents of the city.
Apparently it is the mother city of Marrakesh. We are surprised at how many women we see out and about this morning – the most we have seen, other than the first day in Casablanca. The place is bustling with shop keepers opening up, deliveries and the standard groups of men standing around chatting or having coffee/tea at one of the many cafes. Small cafes, with tables strewn about at the exterior, are a huge part of this culture. No matter what village we’ve been through, all kinds of men are sitting around having chats and coffee or tea. Sometimes as we have been driving through some of the villages we wonder what all of the men do – as many are sitting or standing around chatting. Maybe its how they conduct a lot of their day to day business, although Kamal has commented several times when he sees this “no work to be had here”.
Apparently it is the mother city of Marrakesh. We are surprised at how many women we see out and about this morning – the most we have seen, other than the first day in Casablanca. The place is bustling with shop keepers opening up, deliveries and the standard groups of men standing around chatting or having coffee/tea at one of the many cafes. Small cafes, with tables strewn about at the exterior, are a huge part of this culture. No matter what village we’ve been through, all kinds of men are sitting around having chats and coffee or tea. Sometimes as we have been driving through some of the villages we wonder what all of the men do – as many are sitting or standing around chatting. Maybe its how they conduct a lot of their day to day business, although Kamal has commented several times when he sees this “no work to be had here”.
As we drive along the highway, we see that is being retrofitted for better drainage to deal with the flash floods that happen in this country. As we have traveled through the desert we have seen countless empty riverbeds, yet they do have flow in the spring from the spring melt high up in the mountains as well as the flash floods from the sudden summer downpours. Kamala related a tale of having to wait for 3-4 hours at a high point when a flash flood made the road impassable.
We head to the Atlantic coast to the “new city” Agadir that suffered a devastating earthquake in 1960 with much of it destroyed. Now it is a bustling coastal resort city with many hotels, the luxury ones along the very long sandy beach. Actually Morocco has 3500 km of coastline, with some great beaches. Many people who visit here year round are from Europe as well as Moroccans during the summer months. Definitely a resort town, with many stores and coffee shops lining the beach area where we stopped for a break, and of course our morning coffee.
We drove up to a viewpoint that at one time was home to a Kasbah – walled fortress that had a village within. It was a great view of the city at the beautiful beach coastline. Directly below us was one of Morocco’s major ports. As well, is it home to both commercial and domestic fishery. Kamala says the Moroccan fishing industry battles similar issues as other countries with over-fishing by other countries near their territory.
Our drive to our overnight stay of another coastal city, Eassouia, nicknamed the windy city. We drove along the coastline for a while seeing some great surf for the surfers in the water. Where there was beach, there were some small villages with newer condo units. Other areas along the coast were barren and rocky. Once we left the coast, we climbed up to the plateau inland passing some small villages with fields and fields of bananas and hillsides full of argan trees. Along the way we see goats up in the trees eating the nuts that grow on them.
When we finally arrive in Essaouia, Kamala takes us to a seafood restaurant. While waiting for our food, we watch kite surfers blazing across the water. J looked on enviously, “man, there’s so many things I want to do when I grow older.”
After a tasty lunch, Kamala took us for a tour of this coastal resort town with a great beach. Again we see busy streets mixed with donkey led carts, newer cars and trucks, old cars and trucks (at least 30 years old) along side bikes and pedestrians. We have seen this in pretty much every city and village we’ve been through. We drop by an artisan shop where they carve thuya wood to make beautiful statues, various sized jewelry boxes, bowls, and intricate furniture in-laid with lemon wood and other local woods. J decided to spend some of his savings on a funky box, while we actually resisted buying anything!
After a tasty lunch, Kamala took us for a tour of this coastal resort town with a great beach. Again we see busy streets mixed with donkey led carts, newer cars and trucks, old cars and trucks (at least 30 years old) along side bikes and pedestrians. We have seen this in pretty much every city and village we’ve been through. We drop by an artisan shop where they carve thuya wood to make beautiful statues, various sized jewelry boxes, bowls, and intricate furniture in-laid with lemon wood and other local woods. J decided to spend some of his savings on a funky box, while we actually resisted buying anything!
After dinner, and spending time in the hotel room, M and T went out to a local club around the corner to hear some live music, on the recommendation of Kamal. It was an entertaining evening. Kamal arrived with a friend who spoke very good English. It was an opportunity to ask questions about the Muslim culture within Morocco. We’re told that life is strict for young women. They must be home early, they don’t go out on a date in the evening with the knowledge of their parents. They visit with their boyfriend during the day. Women do not go out to the bar with their girlfriends. Actually, once the women are married and have children, they are expected to stay home with their children while their husbands go out for coffee or the bars in the evening. Some men do drink alcohol, but most of the women don’t. This accounts for why we see so few women out in the cafes or bars. Crime is low, but (like everywhere else in the world) don’t go looking for it in dark places at 3:00 AM…. Tourism is serious business in Morocco, so a crime against a tourist is taken very seriously.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 – We awake to rain today, not inviting to go out and explore in the steady rain, at times falling heavily. We enjoy a leisure breakfast at the hotel. This morning we try crepe-like Moroccan flat breads that we have with honey, strawberry and orange jam – all from local produce. They were quite delicious. The remainder of the morning we spent at the hotel with J completing some on-line course work and T doing trip planning.
For lunch we went out in search of a restaurant along the beach. We found a great spot to have mint tea, the Moroccans love to have, along with soup and J had a fix of ravioli. The skies opened up and we had to make our way back through the heavy deluge. T’s Moroccan scarf came in somewhat handy to keep some of the rainwater off her head.
We left for Marrakech at 2 and it takes us just over 2 hours to reach the city. Within this 180 km drive, we come across green grasslands and agricultural crops and then about 100 km into the journey, we come across desert once again until we get close to Marrakech. Along the drive Kamal brings us to a Argan Oil Cooperative supporting women in a village along the way. Argan trees only grow in Morocco (apparently no where else in the world). The oil from the nut is used in cosmetics, as well as used as a food. Goats love to eat the nuts in the trees. A guide gives us an explanation of the process while women work using the same means they have always used, with no modern tools.
It is very interesting seeing the food and cosmetic products made from the nut. We purchased a couple of lemon infused argan oils to help with dryness. Once we arrive near Marrakech, agriculture is flourishing. This city is bustling, with a population of 2.5 million. It is called the red city – with the ocre colored buildings and for the sunset over the High Atlas Mountains. We have a movie channel in this hotel, so we end the day watching the movie Alexander which tells the story of Alexander the Great and his many conquests.
It is very interesting seeing the food and cosmetic products made from the nut. We purchased a couple of lemon infused argan oils to help with dryness. Once we arrive near Marrakech, agriculture is flourishing. This city is bustling, with a population of 2.5 million. It is called the red city – with the ocre colored buildings and for the sunset over the High Atlas Mountains. We have a movie channel in this hotel, so we end the day watching the movie Alexander which tells the story of Alexander the Great and his many conquests.
Thursday, January 26, 2012 – Today is our day for exploring Marrakech with our guide, Mohamed and Kamala driving us around. The city has many wonderful gardens and wide boulevards copied from European cities. In the 17th century slaves from Spain were brought over to design and build similar to their homeland. In Marrakech, the buildings may not be more than 7 stories high so that they are not higher than the minaret in the center of the city nor can they obstruct the view of the High Atlas Mountains. Our first stop was to the minaret that matches the one in Rabat. This is the oldest mosque in the city with history behind it to make it historic. There are many public gardens and greenery within Marrakech, giving it it’s nickname “the garden city”, much more so than anywhere else in Morocco.
While going through the public garden across from the mosque we learn about the difference between oranges we eat and the ones used only for jam and oils. The difference is in the leaf of the tree. Sweet oranges have darker green foliage. Throughout the public areas, the sour ones are planted so no one will take the fruit as they walk by.
While going through the public garden across from the mosque we learn about the difference between oranges we eat and the ones used only for jam and oils. The difference is in the leaf of the tree. Sweet oranges have darker green foliage. Throughout the public areas, the sour ones are planted so no one will take the fruit as they walk by.
We toured the Palais Bahai – built for the prime minister and the courts. The rooms had beautifully carved and used natural dies to paint the ceilings. The walls were also beautifully decorated with Islamic. Our guide gave us explanations concerning the set up for the 4 wives he had, what the concubines did/did not do (meaning they were not mistresses, instead they were political emissaries from each tribe as a way to ensure the local tribes’ issues could be directly related to the head of the government). Part of the complex had a Koran school where children attended to learn and memorize verses of the Koran. Today at the age of 5, children begin attending schools at mosques to learn Koran verses. Some people know the entire Koran by heart. Kamal told his father could do this when he was still living. We walked through the garden areas seeing rosemary shrubs, orange trees, ginger plants, grapefruit trees, and all five colors of the bougainvillea plant. Mohammed showed us a male fig tree, we had no idea that there were male or female ones. He explained that pollination happens naturally or in some cases its done manually.
We walked around the old city of Marrakech, mingling with the locals, walking along the streets and narrow passageways in the Jewish quarter. It was a wonderful experience following through the streets. We walked amongst the traffic like the locals (although it was clear they could easily tell we were the tourists) – T remarked that she never would have dreamed of doing this on our own before we started our travels.
We went to a herbalist factory where we were introduced to various cooking spices, teas, creams, natural deodorants, oils for back pain, and other products that they manufacture. Mohamed said that often people in Morocco go to a herbalist before they go to a doctor. It was an interesting presentation. Amongst a couple of things we decided to buy, was something to help M stop snoring, it certainly clears the sinuses. The jury is still out on whether it works, time and uninterrupted sleep will tell.
We went to a herbalist factory where we were introduced to various cooking spices, teas, creams, natural deodorants, oils for back pain, and other products that they manufacture. Mohamed said that often people in Morocco go to a herbalist before they go to a doctor. It was an interesting presentation. Amongst a couple of things we decided to buy, was something to help M stop snoring, it certainly clears the sinuses. The jury is still out on whether it works, time and uninterrupted sleep will tell.
We walked across the main square, English translation, “Good for Nothing” square with merchants selling all kinds of things, and found a spot to have lunch. In the early 20th century, during French colonization, executions used to take place here.
Mohammed led us to busy eatery where many locals eat. We paid 96 dirhams for 3 meals: lamb tangine, ¼ chicken meal and lamb chops meal ($14 Can). A far cry from the tourist restaurant Mohamed first suggested at 180 dirham each!
Mohammed led us to busy eatery where many locals eat. We paid 96 dirhams for 3 meals: lamb tangine, ¼ chicken meal and lamb chops meal ($14 Can). A far cry from the tourist restaurant Mohamed first suggested at 180 dirham each!
After our tasty lunch, were walked along the square, coming across entertainers from various regions within the country. We came across some snake charmers complete with cobra, vipers and some snakes not poisonous. M and J each had water snakes around their necks for a photo op. No way was T going to partake in that!! J was much more relaxed with the snakes than his dad, it was humorous to see M squirm. We walked through the souk, market place of Marrakech, the largest in Morocco. At the entrance to the large souk, a few of the merchants were more pushy than we had encountered anywhere else in Morocco, but still nothing compared to Egypt. As we went deeper into the souk, the merchants weren’t pushy at all. We enjoyed wandering through this souk where we saw artisans making shoes, sandals, brass items, clothing, woodworking where the men were using very simple tools to produce products. It was the opposite of mass production!
After our tour of a number of covered laneways within the souk, we emerged into the main square again where there had been the bombing at a coffee shop in 2011. The spot is covered up to obscure from the public. Our guide explained the bomber’s reason for carrying out this tragedy. He had wanted to be recognized and associated with the Taliban but could not cross any of Morocco’s birders so he decided to cause an issue within his own country. Marrakech is clearly the city most busy with tourists that we seen, even more than the coastal resort town of Agadir. Across the square we met Kamal in the van and we returned to the hotel. Before dinner M and T go for a walk (which is great for M’s back) to get outside and enjoy a coffee, as usual J uses this time to chill in the hotel room before dinner.
Friday, January 27, 2012 – Kamal picked us up for 10 AM to begin our return trip to Casablanca. Before leaving Marrakech, we stopped at the Jardin Majorelle. These gardens, started within the city limits in the 1920’s by a French furniture maker who moved to Morocco to paint, were opened to the public in the 40’s. It was enjoyable to walk amongst this oasis within the city limits. It had a wonderful cactus garden, other trees and plants he had collected overtime. Two well-known Frenchmen, Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent acquired the property and had it restored to its former glory and it continues today because of their foundation.
Our drive back to Casablanca covered more than 200 km and took us about 3 hours from city centre to city centre. We passed a few condo resorts with golf courses on the outskirts of Marrakech. Then through a short hilly pass to drive along a really flat plateau with good size land holdings for crops as well animals. It’s raining when we’re driving toward Casablanca, but by the time we arrive back in Casablanca, it has stopped. We check into the same hotel that we were in at the beginning of the tour. Once we get the room situation straightened out, we drop off our suitcases and head out for a bite to eat. We went back to Luigi’s and had pizza and chatted about our highlights of this tour. The wind’s up (yet its warm something we all notice) and the surf looks great!
We have a nice walk and then head back to the hotel as we have several English TV channels here. Our final dinner in Morocco included the tangines that we’ve come to really enjoy and plan to cook when we return back to Canada.
We have a nice walk and then head back to the hotel as we have several English TV channels here. Our final dinner in Morocco included the tangines that we’ve come to really enjoy and plan to cook when we return back to Canada.
Saturday, January 28, 2012 – Today is a beautiful day with the sun shining and not too windy. After breakfast at the hotel, we walked along the waterfront promenade to find a café to enjoy a cappuccino in the sun looking at the waves. It was wonderful! We were picked up at noon to head to the airport for our return flight to Barcelona.
The flight back to Spain was about 40 min late departing, but was smooth. Royal Air Maroc airplanes have the least amount of legroom we have ever encountered in any airline travel! We found it weird that people lined up to board the plane as everyone has assigned seats, but we concluded that it’s merely a way for those that take huge carry-ons to find space in the overhead bins.
Once we arrive in Barcelona we know we’ve been through this airport a couple of times, so we’re comfortable with the routine etc. We’re staying at the same hotel as we did a couple of weeks ago, so we know where to go to catch the shuttle bus. Once we arrive, we drop off our luggage and head for dinner as it’s after 7 now. We enjoy a wonderful meal at the hotel and celebrate being back in Europe and the end of organized tours operating on someone else’s timeframe. Hurray!
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