This post, from February 2016, only features Casablanca, Rabat and El Jadida.
A sunny day at Heathrow – good flying conditions to Casablanca
Casablanca
Kenzi Tower Hotel:
Casablanca from the 28th floor of the Kenzi Tower HotelCasablanca from my hotel room – with the Hassan II Grand Mosque minaret as a backdropSomewhere out there is the Casablanca Voyageurs rail station – from there you can get to Rabat in an hour…At the Kenzi Tower Hotel. Not come across lifts like these before – yes, they are fairly standard Schindler lifts – but you select the floor you want using the control panel on the walls outside the lifts. There are no controls in the lifts…The waitress was unimpressed by my choice of wine: “I am sorry, sir, but your white Grenache will not go well with fish.” she told me emphatically…Casablanca: the city and the beer – brewed by Société des Brasseries du Maroc – it is owned by Castel of France
The Hassan II Grand Mosque:
The stunning Hassan II Grand MosqueThe stunning Hassan II Grand MosqueAccording to the guide the doors are made of titaniumDifficult to capture the grandeur on an iPhone…
Casablanca Cathedral:
This ugly thing is the Sacré Coeur – Casablanca Cathedral Built in 1930 when Morocco was still under the French protectorate, Casablanca’s cathedral was converted after Morocco’s independence to a school and then to a cultural centre. Empty inside – as bleak and gaunt as the exterior. Allegedly there is a service held here every Sunday…I went up to the first stage in the tower – abandoned to birds…
The City:
Empires come and go…The Rialto Cinema – stuck in a time warp endlessly showing the film “Casablanca”…There aren’t many attractive buildings in Casablanca but this one is quite colourfulThe bones of an idol…Art attack or installation – on the Boulevard Zerktouni In addition to the usual trip hazards found on pavements – the council here have installed these little things – scattered randomly to catch the unwaryDon’t make the mistake of assuming it is safe to cross when the little green fellow is illuminated – note also that this sign only ever appears on one side of the road . Novel…Two-tone Renault 4Casablanca is supposedly famous for its French colonial architecture…At Place Des Nations UniesParc de la Ligue ArabeThe trees are full of nesting egretsAt Place Mohamed VAt Place Mohamed VWall art on the Boulevard Hassan IISo: it took me over 50 minutes to walk to the Casa Voyageurs (the main station) from my hotel, whereupon I discovered that I can use the tram to cut the journey down to 25 minutes (15 mins on the tram & a 10 minute walk). A trip to Rabat is now looking promising…
El Jadida
El Jadida: the old Portuguese Medina is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Portuguese held the city (Mazagan in those days) from 1506 – 1769The gulls are having fun riding the thermals – there’s a fresh old breeze blowing in off the AtlanticThe younger gulls sometimes struggle to master the turbulent air currentsThe tower is an old lighthouse
Rabat
Mosques:
The Assounna Mosque in RabatThe Assounna Mosque is not open to the general publicHassan Mosque Rabat dates from the 12th century – in the middle of restoration during my visitThe Hassan Mosque was begun in 1195 but abandoned in 1199
Chellah:
Rabat’s city walls also date from the 12th centuryChellah – on the edge of Rabat – is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Believed to have originally been a Phoenician city, it became a major Roman city and then became a great city during the 12th century Almohad periodIt only cost 10 dirham to visit (about 70p)…In ChellahThe Chellah is a walled ruin of a town that lies in a short walk from Rabat and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012. It has Roman ruins dating from around 40AD and a medieval Muslim necropolis dating from the 12th century. Chellah is now a popular nesting site for Storks Chellah is now a popular nesting site for Storks Easy to lose yourself in this lovely place: all this wonder for less than a euro…
The City:
Run, Rabat, run…A very calm citySt Peter’s Cathedral, built between 1919-21Only open for the daily services – a shame it is locked otherwiseRabat Ville Station. The first high-speed railway system in Africa, connecting the coastal city of Tangier with Rabat and Casablanca was launched in November 2018. It will eventually the tourist destinations of Marrakech and Agadir.Despite the sign formally warning people not to cross the tracks – people cross willy-nilly
