Casablanca, Morocco

 Cam checking out the tagines of mutton and couscous bubbling away on hot coals.  Fast food Moroccan-style!

 Sweet mint tea at local cafe.  The old medina, where we shopped, reflected in the window.

The very beautiful old law courts.  Fantastic mosaics and intricate plaster work.

Casablanca is Africa’s second biggest city after Cairo. It certainly has a big commercial buzz - modern buildings, with lots of construction and road works going on.  The port is vast.  And for a Muslim country it has quite a Western feel to it, despite the many minarets that can be glimpsed between buildings.  Street corners have vendors selling freshly squeezed orange juice, the sharp aroma refreshing on the city streets.  The outdoor cafes remind me of Paris, except only men seem to use them here.  They sit in long rows along the footpaths sipping espresso shots, or sweet mint tea.  We took a tea break at a very big cafe on Mohammed V Square.  There would’ve been thirty men, and not a single female (except me).

The people are incredibly friendly.  They spoke to us wherever we went, even if just to say hello, but many wanted to know where we were from.  Some just said, “We hope you enjoy your stay in Morocco.”  We went shopping in the ancient medina, wandering through the ever narrowing alleys of the souk, and at no time felt threatened or hassled to buy goods.  We caught a glimpse of men at prayer in a small mosque; saw the locals eating lunch in eateries with rooms so tiny they only held three rickety tables; watched people washing their feet in an exquisitely tiled fountain.  And always we were greeted with a friendly “hello” or “welcome”.  I bought a leather pouf which was so cheap I ended up buying another, because I couldn’t be bothered waiting for the guy to come back with my change.

Lunch was fun.  The Hyatt Hotel recommended Restaurant Imilchil for an authentic Moroccan dining experience.  It took some finding as it was a non-descript, unimpressive looking place down a grotty side-street.  However, the interior was every bit as amazing as the old law courts.  We sat in a dark, many-cushioned nook and ate off a large brass tray set into the table.  Our starter was a thick soup of lentils and chickpeas with chunks of lamb and finely chopped green herbs.  The main course, of course, was lamb tagines served with stewed prunes, almonds and fluffy couscous, all washed down with a Moroccan rose, and finished with mint tea.  We ran into a couple from the ship there.  They had been to this restaurant two years ago and couldn’t wait to revisit.  I didn’t blame them.

We did have time for a bit of sight-seeing.  Namely the Mahakma Law Courts which should really be a palace they are that beautiful.  Large open spaces, marble pillars, walls covered in mosaics and intricate plaster-work, carved cedar ceilings, and a huge internal courtyard filled with orange trees and roses.

Now, I’m not one for churches or mosques, but the Hassan II Mosque, completed in 1993, is a wonder to behold.  It took 8 years to build I believe, and I’m not surprised when you see the detail involved.  The minaret is the largest in the world, the mosque is the third largest in the world.  We didn’t have time to go inside, but we easily spent 20 minutes admiring the exterior.

I’m sorry not to be seeing more of this country, but I know I’ll be back.

The world tallest minaret (650ft) at the Hassan II Mosque