Casablanca to Rabat to Tangier

 

Casablanca to Rabat to Tangier

Up early this morning, tour starts with check out at 8:15 and meet in lobby, bus leaves at 8:30. Everyone is on time, a great start. Eggs/omelets for breakfast to order, so at least something is hot. First stop this morning is at the mosque for a tour that we visited outside yesterday. Very impressive inside. 25,000 can be inside, another 80,000 outside, it was huge. One of the largest mosques in Morocco, and many you cannot enter unless you are Muslim, so it was nice to go inside. The minaret is 210m high, it cost $500,000 million US to build and was finished in 1993. One interesting part was the washing area where they must wash before entering the mosque for prayer, quite a ritual. A tour guide from the mosque gave us the tour, Youssef our guide from Exotica cannot give tours inside.

Back onto the bus for our next stop. Our bus seats 45, so lots of room to spread out. We had a tour by bus of Casablanca with stops for pictures. Lots of pigeons at pigeon square. Football stadiums are being built here, and some renovated in other cities for world cup which will be here in 2030.

Next off we went on to Rabat. This is a city Andre and I have visited before. We visited the Kasbah of Oudayas for views of the streets and the Atlantic Ocean. We visited the botanical garden inside the Kasbah. We have visited here before but then many homes were painted blue, now they are all white as when it became a UNESCO World Heritage site they were forced to paint them white. We visited the mausoleum of Mohammad V and saw the changing of the guards. This is on the same site as the Hussan tower that was from the 12 century that was where the mosque was never completed, lots of pillars still standing, it would have been huge if ever completed.

Lunch was at the Marina in Rabat, football was coming on the televisions in the restaurant, Morocco vs Congo turned out to be a tie, lots of locals dressed up and out to watch the game. So funny to see so many sports fans out and not a beer on the table, the restaurant did not serve alcohol, many don't here. The owner was actually from Laval, Quebec, but spends his winters here.  The food was very good here.

After lunch we drove to Tangier with a stop to watch the sunset. We visited a lighthouse where you can see where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea. On clear days you can see Spain and Gibraltar, but today was not very clear. It is about 15 km across.

Off to our hotel, a busy day as we arrive at about 7:30PM and we started out at 8:30AM. A lot of time is being spent on the bus, but we do get breaks and what we do stop to see is pretty amazing, just not enough time.

Rick's Cafe from the movie Casablanca. We walked by yesterday and did not noticed.  The movie Casablanca was not filmed in Casablanca, so not the restaurant from the movie but cool anyway.

Hassen II mosque in the morning light

The architecture is amazing outside and inside as well.

Amazing details everywhere. Everything for the mosque is from Morocco except for the glass chandeliers which is from Moreno Italy. 

The ladies pray on the second floor and have lattice so the men can see them

 

Small part of a large door

When you go to wash before prayers.

A photo stop along the way to see the Atlantic Ocean and the Lighthouse

Park while on our tour of the city on the bus

Photo stop at guess where, Pigeon Square

Across the street, performing art center

French Architecture

where we got money exchanged last night and again this afternoon

Now in Rabat and the wall from way back that protected the city

Behind the wall are Roman ruins

At  the Mausoleum of Mohammad V. Amazing details. 

A few guards on duty

Hassan Tower with the mosque that was never completed because he died before it was.

The changing of the guard

The river that divides the town in 2. Boats ferries people back and forth the river

At the Udayas Kasbah. A Kasbah is a wall city with a fort. No cars in this one.

so many to choose

Not much time to shop as this whole tour is pack with thing to see and driving time

The windows have screen so that the women can see outside but the men can't see the women.

So many beautiful doors and windows

Many narrow streets

The Andalusian Garden

The beach at the same the Rabat Fort.  Many surfers here for the small waves

Last time we were here, they were using the beach as football (Soccer) fields

Cool balcony, make a place for pigeons to hang out

The new library that looks like a cobra snake and the new tower that is almost completed.  Tallest building here by a mile.

Lunch at the marina.  Delicious

On the road now to Tangier where you catch the ferry to Spain

Lots of farming in this area. Livestock is goats and sheep mostly with some beef. No pork as the country is 99% Muslim.

Fruit and vegetable farming as well

High speed train from Marrakesh to Tangier

At a comfort stopped, the locals were selling strawberries for $1. Much tastier than what we get at Costco

The guide was excited to take us to see the sunset over the Atlantic. The two of us not so much. LOL

In the parking lot, you could pay to sit on a camel for a picture