A Tour of Casablanca and Return to Marrakech

Saturday, November, 30, 2019

A Tour of Casablanca and Return to Marrakech

And so, finally, we reached the final day of our touring package in Morocco. We awoke in our Riad Dar Zahfour in Rabat and enjoyed a breakfast that was very personal—not a buffet but served by the women of the house. There were tiny parfait glasses filled with sweet yogurt (I added a bit of honey), and muesli. There were crisp croissants and Moroccan pancakes which we enjoyed with honey and apricot jam. There was also olive tapenade. Everything was beautifully served together with tea, coffee and freshly-squeezed orange juice (which I have been avoiding) As soon as I stopped overindulging myself with the OJ, the acidity became history. 

Then, it was time for us to bring our bags down and have them loaded into the van. Llew and I were sorry to leave our lovely luxurious suite, but all good things must come to an end. We walked out of the kasbah and found our van outside. Just a little later, we said goodbye to Rabat and began the three hour drive to Casablanca. 

Although Casablanca was put on the global map by the 1942 classic film starring Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogard, it really has not much to offer the tourist but one stunning mosque—which is the only mosque in Morocco into which non-Muslims are permitted. Other that that, the city is the commercial hub of the country and all the multi-nationals have a presence here. I actually spotted Marks and Spencer in a shopping mall as we were driving by!

Stopping at the Fictional Rick’s Café:

     Everyone who has seen the film Casablanca knows about Rick’s Café, the fictional setting in which the piano is an important prop. It is the setting in which the black pianist is urged by Humphrey Bogart’s character to “Play it again, Sam”. And the song, of course, is the famous one, “As Time Goes By”.

     Well, thousands of tourists have arrived through the years looking for Rick’s Café in Casablanca; but the fact remains that the café was only fictional—it never existed. However, based on the huge cinematic interest in the site, an astute businessman came along to create Rick’s Café which has now evolved into an important stop for film buffs. 

     I was keen to have lunch there…but when you are on a package tour (and this is its biggest disadvantage), you simply cannot stop where you please or eat lunch where you prefer. Hence, Abdul told us that we had to stay on schedule and could only make a short stop to see the café from the outside. Apparently, the place is always packed to capacity and it is hard to get reservations (for very good reason).

     Hence, Llew and I had to content ourselves with merely seeing the place from the outside. We paused for pictures at the door to the café, but since it was early, it had not yet opened for the day and we could not go inside. Just as we were leaving, a huge tourist bus filled with equally enthusiastic film buffs drew up and they all trooped out to take similar pictures. We were so lucky that we hit the spot when we did!

Visiting the Mausoleum of Hasan II:

Casablanca’s best-known monument is also a very contemporary one. The Mosque is named after Hassan II, the father of the current King (Mohamed VI), who began the project and sank a large sum of money into it. Rumor has it that it cost above $500 million and that part of the funds were raised in a controversial public funding scheme. 

The site was very carefully chosen on the waterfront. Apparently, the faithful can actually see the swirling waves beneath them through the transparent glass floor on the lower level when they kneel down to prayer. Designed by the French architect Michel Pinseau, it is the second-largest mosque in the world after the one is Mecca and can accommodate more than 25,000 people in prayer at any given time. Construction began in 1986. It is supposed to have taken 35,000 artisans and craftsmen about six years to complete the project—figures that appear completely improbable after one has toured the complex inside and out. It opened to the public in 1993 and has attracted large crowds ever since. There is an entrance fee to the Mosque but it was part of our tour and so we did not pay extra for it.

We would be given an hour long guided tour in English; but because we had a little while to spare, we walked down to the rocky promontory that forms the waterfront where we posed for pictures with the lighthouse in the background. Casablanca is really the western- most point of the continent of Africa. After one leaves this city behind, one is directly over the Atlantic Ocean for miles before one sees lands again. The minaret that towers on high for 656 feet can be seen from way out at sea.   

In keeping with the traditional Arab-Andalusian architecture that characterizes most of Morocco, this mosque too follows the three-layered decorative design involving a highly ornate ceiling (theses are in cedar and mahogany wood, all indigenously obtained from the Atlas Mountains), the middle stucco layer and the lowest level made of ceramic zeliij tiles in vivid colors. There is also profuse use of marble on the flooring, along the walls and indoors. All of the ablution fountains, inside and put, are made of carved marble in the form of lotus flowers and they are stunning. 

We were required to remove our footwear and walk about with them in the bags provided. Women were not required to cover their heads or their bodies (unlike the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi where we had to wear abayas before entering). The tour guide led us to the great prayer hall which is covered with soft carpeting—this is where the faithful kneel in prayer. The ceiling is hung with ornate chandeliers made of Murano glass—the color scheme is very subdued and very subtle (again, unlike the bright colors of the glass found in the Abu Dhabi mosque). There is an abundance of decoration in the macarabe design which creates a honeycomb pattern on the rich granite and marble walls. We were led to the mihrab (which is the holiest altar and which also faces Mecca)—the faithful face the mihrab when praying. This is also where the Minbars are located—these are the pulpits on which the mullah stands when preaching. The tour guide made a funny joke at this point—he sad that they were minbars, not mini-bars! These structures are to be found at the end of a long prayer hall fully strung with Murano glass chandeliers that light up the entire extent of the long prayer hall. It reminded me very much of the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles or in the Opera Garnier in Paris. We were a large group of visitors representing various nationalities and speaking different languages—and all of us were taking the tour in English.

The guide then led us downstairs where there were even more spectacular sights to be seen in terms of interior design and craftsmanship. We could not stop taking pictures and truly none of them do justice to the beauty of the interior.

An hour later, the tour was over and we returned to our van. By then it was past 12 noon and Abdul talked about finding us a spot for lunch.

Lunch along the Casablanca Corniche:

We then drove along the waterfront past upscale bungalow-type houses which, obviously, house the rich and famous.  This is called the Corniche and is basically the curve of the city that ends in a series of restaurants that face the sea. We chose a place that overlooks the slow waves that melted into foam at the shore as we ordered a final meal that would be our last one together and one for which we would pay separately. 

Llew and I chose the Mixed Grille and the Koftas (we thought they would be meatballs in a tomato sauce but they were dry flat cutlets). The mixed grill has pieces of beef, lamb and chicken. Served with these items were fries, salad, sautéed vegetables and a variety of sauces including the spicy Harissa sauce. It was a fairly good meal and I think I ate a bit too much. We had no dessert and as soon as we settled our bills, we left.

A Last Ride in the Van to the Hotel:

Many members of our group were leaving us behind in Casablanca while four of us (Llew and myself with Evelyn and Didi) would be heading back to Marrakech. Hence, we took our last group photographs and made sure we took one with Husain, our driver, as well as Abdul, our guide, and then we headed to the hotel, not too far away where we said goodbye to Chintan and Jenny, Astrid and Meliz. Rakhi and Vijay were also staying behind in Casablanca for the next few days but they had booked another hotel. 

Hence, off we went trying to locate their Hotel Casablanca which took us to the wrong place and then eventually to the right one by which time we had spent about an hour trying to get them to the right destination. That done, we said goodbye to them and then were off.

The Last Drive Back to Marrakech:

It was a very quiet van that made its way back to Marrakech—a journey of another three hours. We stopped for restrooms and ice-cream en route and then we were on the outskirts of the ochre city of Marrakech and suddenly everything seemed familiar to us again!

Not too long after, we were at our Adam Park Hotel where we received a wonderful homecoming and the keys to our rooms. Llew and I did not waste too much time as we rushed off to settle down, drop off our things and get to the Carrefour as we had kept all our shopping for the last minute.

Last Minute Shopping at Carrefour:

We did the ten minute walk to Carrefour and set about buying the things we wanted: Llew bought a bottle of Moroccan Cabernet wine, I picked up the oil of seeds of cactus flower (prickly pear) as I really wanted another bottle. We also bought a jar of preserved lemons, ras-el-hanout (the spice that cost us about $1.50 (the same quality was being sold by the herbalist in Fes for about $10!) We bought two bottles of Thyme honey (one or my brother’s family, another for us), and two large boxes of Galaxy chocolates (for my brother’s kids and for Llew’s office colleagues). When I spotted Amora Dijon mustard, we picked that up as well as we do not find this in the States and the bottle I had bought in Paris is almost over! So with those few purchases, we prepared to go back to our hotel. We then ran into Abdul who was also doing some shopping for items to send home to his family. We all walked back to the hotel together, then parted in the lobby.

Last-Minute Packing: 

  Llew and I had to spend some time putting things into our cases—as we have small ones, it is always difficult to buy too many things. Still, we wrapped up all the breakable bottles in clothes and placed them in our cases quite carefully as we would be checking in our bags.

When we were done, it was time for dinner and we decided to go to the Italian restaurant for the last time—Traviata.

Last Drink and Dinner in Morocco:

It was already pretty late when we arrived at the Sinatra Bar where I decided to relax with a gin and tonic and Llew had a glass of red wine. We also ordered tapas—shrimp with garlic which was a tad too spicy for us. Then, we took our glasses and made us way to  Traviata and ordered a beef tajine with apricots. It was very good and made a good meal with the bread and olives provided. We settled our bill, said goodbye to the wait staff and made our way back to our room where we did not lose too much time before we went off to sleep.

A Bientot!

From Fes and Volubilis to Meknes and Rabat A Varied Day of Many Delights in Morocco

Friday, November, 29, 2019

From Fes and Volubilis to Meknes and Rabat: A Varied Day of Many Delights in Morocco

Today was all about being on the road again. Awaking in our Riad in Fes to the sound of the muezzin calling out the azan, we got ourselves ready for a buffet breakfast downstairs—Corn pancakes, regular Moroccan paratha-like pancakes, etc. I chose to eat two hard boiled eggs with Le Vache qui Rit cheese washed down with coffee. Funnily enough, just that protein-rich meal kept me going all the way until lunch, although that said, we did snack en route on biscuits and chips.

The ride was about two hours along. We went past fields that were far from arid. In fact, for the first time, we actually saw green shoots in the plowed fields and past many miles of olive groves. We saw workers harvesting the olives by simply shaking the tree or reaching up into the branches with long sticks. Large sheets were placed at the bottom of the tree and the olives were collected as they rained down. We also saw flocks of sheep—clearly this land is productive and fertile.

Arrival at Classical Volubilis:

Two hours later, we arrived at one of Morocco’s primary attractions—the ancient Roman ruins of the town of Volubilis that were only discovered through French excavations in 1915. The area and the settlement dates back to 300 BC and shows all the remnants of a thriving Roman city complete with Circus Maximus, Triumphal Arch and a Roman Forum. Simply splendid.

We were met by a local guide called Majid to whom I enjoyed chatting, partly because he paid me lavish compliments on the fluency of my French. He told me that he has been guiding tours for 30 years but he has never come across an Indian woman who can speak French—and, he said, such good (grammatically correct) French too! Needless to say, I was chuffed!

Majid led us to a huge map on the wall that showed us the extent of the Roman Empire under Emperor Caligula when the Peloponesian Wars were fought that brought the Maghreb under Roman control. As we walked further into the ruins, we were struck by the spacious layout of the settlement that once housed about 2,000 people. Excavations are still on-going and we had the pleasure of seeing some current archeologists at work. 

As we moved through the area, we were shown the House of Orpheus, so-called because the ground was covered by a finely-wrought mosaic (similar to Pompeii, Delos, Caesarea  Catania, etc—such ruined settlements that Llew and I have had the pleasure of viewing in Italy, Greece, Israel and Sicily). The mosaic has been restored and the original is to be found in the Museum in Rabat.

Next, Majid led us to a large dome-shaped stone that was used to crush olives to extract olive oil. He told us about the gradations of olive oil produced by the various stages  in the crushing process. 

From there, we moved on to yet more floor mosaics that were once to be found decorating the interiors of the dwellings. Further on, we arrived at the arched columned complex that would have been the Roman Forum.  This is restored and is one of the best pre-served of the many little shops and store houses that would have comprised the heart of the commercial area. From there, we pressed on to arrive at the Triumphal Arch that has formed the prototype of so many grand arches in places around he world where Roman architectural influence thrives including Washington Square Arch in New York! This structure was the culmination of the end of a long parade route (similar to the Champs-Elysses in Paris) that ended in another ceremonial arch called the Tangier Gate. It was amazing and evocative of a time that has stood still in the midst of the bucolic countryside of Morocco. I loved this venue so much and even more because it was not crowded and oppressive as are some of the better-known ancient Roman sites. 

Back at base, we had a peep inside the little Museum where the actual archeological items obtained through the live digs in the settlement have been beautifully displayed. We saw tiny bronze statuettes, busts of women, complete mosaics representing the Medusa and Poseidon, God of the Sea, etc. It was truly wonderful!

Llew and I raced to a store where we found magnets for Volubilis—wish I had picked up one for Meknes also which was the next town we would be visiting in passing in order to have lunch. Later on, I was not able to find magnets of Meknes anywhere else. However, I did pick up a bunch of postcards for my scrap-book—so that was great.

A Stop for Lunch at Meknes:

A half hour later, while making picturesque curves through the mountainous countryside, we passed by the hilltop settlement of Moulay Idris which was really pretty with its white-washed houses built in tiers. Moulay Idris built the beautiful city of Meknes using stone from the columns at Volubilis. His son is the famed sage Moulay Idriss II whose shrine is one of the most venerated in Morocco and which we passed through in Fes. 

Lunch is Meknes was a disaster and possibly the worst part of our trip so far. Llew and I, who always eat an enormous breakfast when we are traveling or on the road, were both unaffected by hunger pangs. But other members of our troupe were starving and could not wait to sink their teeth into lunch. Abdul chose a place called Restaurant Alpha which promises food other than Moroccan cuisine (as many members of our party are already tired of couscous and tagines). There were burgers and pizza and the like and Chintan ordered a cheeseburger with much glee. Llew and I chose the Chicken Shwarma and the Merguez (Spicy Lamb) Sausage in a panini. The panini were the best part. The chicken shwarma was not too bad but the merguez was awful as it was not cooked!!!! Chintan hated his lamb burger which was, I have to admit, quite tasteless. But the worst part of the meal was the endless time we waited for it—well over an hour. Folks from our party were buying ice-cream and eating chips in order to tide themselves over the long wait. Seriously...it was the worst meal we have eaten so far.

Back on the road, we had about two hours of another drive to get us to Rabat, capital city of Morocco, where we had a walking tour in store.

I spent most of the two hours deeply absorbed in my book ‘An American Marriage’ by Tayari Jones which is simply awesome. The writing is so crisp, so heartbreaking and the narrative voice so mater-of-fact that it is hard to believe this was not a first draft! Brilliant! I am not surprised that my friend Elisabeth Scharlatt, Managing Director of Algonquin Books, who accepts no more than 20 manuscripts a year, grabbed this one and ran with it. I am also not surprised that the book has won a slew of awards and is getting amazing press in the US. Lovely lovely book!

In a very short time, we arrived at the outskirts of Rabat and were actually passing through the twin city of Sale (Sa-lay). Abdul showed us the walls of the Royal Palace as the Royal family of Morocco lives here in Sale in a heavily-guarded palace. Daily, the current monarch Mohammed VI makes the journey to Rabat to his administrative offices (which we would see later). The Aborakrak river separates the twin towns of Sale and Rabat and it is, therefore, called the ‘Budapest of Morocco’. 

Arrival in Rabat:

We finally arrived at Rabat, on schedule and our first stop where we met our guide, Ali. We jumped off the bus at a huge and very popular tourist complex called the Mausoleum of Mohamed II, grandfather of the current king of Morocco.

Visiting the Mausoleum of Mohammed II and the Unfinished Hassan II Mosque:

Construction on this Mosque began in the 1100s under the Almohad sultan Youssef, founder of the city of Rabat. It was visualized as the largest mosque in Morocco and, to this end, columns were harvested from Volubilis to create the large open-air prayer hall. When he died in 1199, work was abandoned by his successors—the mosque remained unfinished and the remaining minaret was further affected by the great earthquake in Lisbon, Portugal, of 1755 which toppled its highest storeys. As a result the entire complex remains a silent testament to the kind of constructive activity that characterized the reign of the Almorahads although everything was brought to a stunning halt by their lineage. This venue, quite stirring in the entire Maghreb, was chosen as the site from which on November 18, 1955, King Mohammed V announced the Independence of Morocco from French colonial rule.

Hence, it was only fitting that when he died in 1961, this site was chosen to be the final burial place for his mortal remains. A truly grand Mausoleum has been designed and built here on this site—in Moorish architectural tradition that imitates the genius of the builders of Andalusia, you limb up a series of marble steps to arrive at the main gate that is well guarded by squaddies on horseback! We posed for pictures here and then made our way inside to see the environs in which he currently rests.

And it was truly phenomenal! The inside is so closely decorated with every element of Andalusian design (Koranic Caligraphy, lace-like stucco work, countless pieces of Zellig tiles that completely cover the walls in stunning geometric patterns), sturdy bronze doors with decorative knockers, etc. But it is the ceiling that truly amazes! Built of cedar and mahogany wood from the Atlas Mountains, it is covered in gilt to form the interior of the dome. There are stained glass windows mounted at the very top through which jewel-like patterns are created by the setting sun. Created in Arab-Andalusian style, it is the brain child of the Vietnamese architect Eric Vo Toan. The tomb itself of Mohammed V is crafted in Pakistani white onyx—it is simply magnificent. 

We encircled this area reverentially and then made our way downstairs.  Llew and I tried to get into the Mosque, but we were not allowed in as we are non-Muslims. A little later, we were back in the van and headed to our hotel.

A Waking Tour of Rabat:

Before we actually got off the van to take a Walking tour of Rabat, we passed by the new part of the city and it was gorgeous. We saw the administrative buildings, the new tram lines that run from Sale and Temara to Rabat, etc. 

This is where we went on our tour of Rabat:

1. The Royal Palace and the ‘Band 55’:

We drove through the gate of the royal palace of Rabat past a most interesting alley made with topiaried ficus trees. We got off from the van and took our places in front of a band dressed in djellabas in green and red (the two colors of the Moroccan flag) and wearing Fes hats on their heads. They are 55 in number and they are the official palace band—I suppose they play on ceremonial occasions (it was a Western band with a conductor). On this occasion, they were playing at the end of Friday evening prayers—which is also a ritual of sorts. We listened to them for a few minutes and then we went to the entrance gates of the place to get some pictures.  We could not get inside.

 A Tour of the Kasbah:

Back in the van, we set off for the Kasbah which is the most unique of the many one finds in Morocco. You go past the most stupendous gates that stretch at the end of a humongous wall in orchre colors that go on and on and on. They form a solid bastion that separates the old city and the new. Ali led us on a Walking tour that took us into the little winding lanes which suddenly became two-toned in just blue and white. Blue signifies the sea and white signifies peace. The white washed walls conceal little doors that are decorated with potted palms. Occasionally the charm and quaintness of these streets is enhanced by the fact that they open out into a cobbled square, some of which overlook the blue of the ocean. 

The Kasbah also contains its own formal gardens, laid out in a geometric square plan filled with orange trees laden with fruit and bursts of bougainvillea bushes. We were invited to go and take a look at the pavilion at the end of the gardens when the arched columns reminded us, once again, of the architecture of Andalucia. We really did think this was all quite enthralling as the greenery contrasted with the ochre of the towering wall with their peep-holes, turrets and crenelations. 

Once we got out of the Kasbah, we were back on the same road outside the towering walls. We crossed the street and walked to our hotel for the night—a Riad called Dar Zahfour. 

Inside, we were quite charmed by the decor of the interior courtyard and the Moroccan design. Abdul got us our keys and Llew and I were delighted to discover that although we were on the second floor, up a steep spiral winding staircase, we actually had a suite: a beautiful living room done in shades of blue and white and a lovely sanctum sanctorum—the bedroom comprising a  double bed in vivid shades of red and white. There was also a spacious attached bathroom with double sinks and shower. 

We carried our own small bags up and settled down for a nap. Llew got busy with his phone as there was WiFi reception in this room. Just an hour later, we were downstairs again as we all made plans to meet for dinner at 7.30 pm. 

Dinner on the Rabat Waterfront:

Rabat is indeed a very charming city. It has all the amenities one would look for in a world city without any of the irritations of crowds, noise and pollution. I could easily see myself living here as it seemed to have the perfect combination of ancient and modern, East and West. As we tried to find our way to the waterfront restaurant, we passed by the city walls that were beautifully spot lit and illuminated. The impact was spectacular and I could not stop taking pictures. 

We settled down for dinner at a place called Apricot which overlooked the water. It was dark, of course, so we could not see much, but the menu looked enticing. Llew and I decided to order the seafood paella for two and we shared a Diet Coke. The paella was amazingly delicious and we really and truly enjoyed it. After the lousy lunch we’d had, everyone was famished and ready to eat a horse! I actually ordered a Ferraro Rocher Sundae for dessert which Llew and I split—it had Ferrero Rocher, Hazelnut and chocolate ice creams and was awesome. 

Not too long after, we headed back to our hotel, where we simply bedded down for the night as it was already past 11.00pm.

It had been another incredible day in Morocco and we looked forward very much to the very last day that lay ahead of us tomorrow.

A Bientot!