- Marrakech, Morocco — starting of the Morocco segment of our 2026 adventure
- Essaouira, Morocco
- Ourika Valley and the Atlas Mountains, Morocco
- Errachidia and the Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp
- Fes, Morocco
- Volubilis and Meknes, Morocco
- Chefchaouen, Morocco
- Tangier, Morocco
- Casablanca, Morocco
- Rabat, Morocco
We took the high speed train from Tangier to Casablanca in First Class which was the most genteel mode of travel we have had on this trip to date. Arriving in Casablanca, it became immediately apparent that this was “the big city” — it’s huge and is the biggest city by far in Morocco. It was a bit of culture shock arriving here after the other places we have visited which have been 3-5 times smaller. The crush, noise, and absolute craziness of the traffic is intimidating to say the least. But this is Morocco’s commercial and economic hub, with most of the country’s big companies headquartered here. While most of the other cities seemed to focus on the past, Casablanca focuses on the present and future. Hence blending its historical story with today’s reality becomes a bit more of a challenge. One other thing to talk about up front is that we are here during Ramadan. As such, many things changed during our stay — scheduled openings/closings were changed to accommodate the fasting practices of Muslims as well as to provide time for people to fulfill their religious obligations while managing their daily responsibilities. In some cases that meant delaying or speeding up visits to meet the revised schedules. In other cases, it meant walking around virtually empty streets in the city in the early evening when everyone was breaking their fast at home. Finally, there was the whole question of alcohol. The expectation is that alcohol can be served to non-Muslims but, in many cases, it meant no alcohol at all. We found ourselves have to ask if they served alcohol when making dinner reservations. In some places, it almost felt like you had to know the secret knock at a speakeasy. And that’s probably a good way to start — after relaxing at the hotel on our first day, we had dinner at Rick’s Cafe, an homage to the 1942 movie “Casablanca” which is actually celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The experience there is what you hope you would experience throughout the city — transported back to a time of elegance and intrigue. I have to say that they did an excellent job. The interiors were elegantly of the period and the live piano quite captivating.
From there, we did a driving/walking tour of the city, starting with the El Hank Lighthouse that has been protecting ships at sea since its erection in 1919. At 169 feet in height, it reaches out to 30 miles at sea. While originally multi-colored, it is now all white. From there, we went to the Sacred Heart Cathedral that was originally built in 1930 when the French ruled Morocco, but after independence, it ceased to be a church and now hosts government functions and exhibition. It really is an impressive structure with it twin towers looking like square minarets. What I really loved was the stained glass, very contemporary and probably quite controversial for the time. Right next door, we visited the Arab League Park, which when first built in 1918 was Casablanca’s largest green space (which is saying something since the city has so many green spaces)! The long rows of palm trees and the arbor of ficus trees helps to focus your attention on the beauty of the place. Nearby, we visited the Place Mohammed V, the main square of the city. Surrounding the park are most of the city’s administrative and economic centers. The very modernistic new theater is also near by. Our driver warned us about accepting anything from anyone for fear of getting ripped off. So we stuck to ourselves and the multitude of pigeons there. We then visited the Central Market, constructed in the 1920s and a UNESCO World Heritage Site (although I’m not sure why). It was less busy than usual given that it was a Sunday and during Ramadan, but it had all the usual subjects there. One fairly unique thing here, though. At the fish market, you can pick out the seafood you are interested in and they will prepare it for you right there. The only other place we found that was in Japan. Sadly, we didn’t have time to do it. There also was an interesting vendor who sold old movie posters, postcards and other bric-a-bracelet. He was quite the character and got very chatty with Deb. Our last stop for the day was the Old Medina, a quagmire of shops, buildings, alleyways, etc., most of which has been given over to shops. If this had been our first souk or Medina, we might have been impressed, but there was little to get excited about here. The things they sold there were mostly repetitive and looked like they were from China. It was actually a little depressing. Granted, many shops were closed when we visited, but somehow I don’t think things would have improved that much. Tomorrow we head off to Rabat to visit Morocco’s capitol.
I am a traveler and sometimes clay sculptor, following a long career working in consulting. My work allowed me to travel the world extensively and I was hooked. Today, I travel with my wife/best friend to explore new places, meet new people, and learn new things.
