Wake up call: 7:30. Departure: 9:00. We were all reluctant to leave the wonderful hotel and wished for a sunny day by the large pool in the center of the beautiful courtyard. But sightseeing beckoned.

500 million years ago the Sahara Desert was under water. Erfoud is known today as the gateway to this part of the Sahara as well as for its fossil beds discover in the 1960s. We toured an impressive fossil-filled marble workshop, watched the skilled craftsmen work, and learned about the process of finding them and turning them into beautiful things and, go figure, ended up selecting things to buy from their three huge showrooms. A fascinating stop for sure.

Our second stop of the day was in Rissani, a caravan stop in days gone by, where we met our guide all decked out in his native dress of royal blue with orange (that he referred to as yellow) trim, called a booboo, and a six+ yard scarf wrapped beautifully around his head. He was terrific. He stopped the group at a bakery, so we could watch men making traditional round meat pies called pastilles. He explained that the ones we saw were probably made in the bakery from start to finish and would be sold for the noon meal, but often women make their own meat filling and pay the baker to wrap them in pastille (crust meets phyllo) and bake them.

We then entered a maze of twisted, narrow alleyways, all interconnected in some way, that form a very old housing complex that is home to 80 families and their livestock. Not only were we surprised to know the families bring their few animals into their homes at night, it was explained that the animal waste as well as the human waste is collected and stored in a designated place close to an exterior wall of each home. When the storage area is almost full, arrangements are made to have a door of sorts opened on the alleyway side of the wall, so the waste can be shoveled out and carted away to be used as fertilizer in the fields. The whole maze of dwellings was fascinating!

Before heading into the Sahara for the night, Safi surprised us all with identical blue and black cotton scarfs. This area of Morocco has been deeply influenced by foreign countries as well as numerous tribes, so with our identical scarves we were now identifiable as members of the same tribe: Safi’s tribe. In turn we each had our scarf wrapped around our head in the traditional way.

All decked out in our scarves, we grabbed our duffels and backpacks, which had just what we would need for our one night in the desert, and loaded into four by fours for the ride to the dunes. We made a stop at a public well along the way. If you didn’t know where to look you’d miss it completely since the wall of the well was made of cement the color of the surrounding sand. The cutest thing happened minutes after we arrived. A three to four year old girl  with a little satchel walked out of the desert toward us. All alone, without saying a word, she approached, sat down, dumped a tangle of simple necklaces onto the sand, and began to untangle them. Our hearts melted! Safi knelt to speak with her as her family slowly approach. Had her family not approached we would have bought everything in her little bag. I’d put money on it. After they concluded their business we were welcomed into the tent of a nearby Berber family for tea and a tour. A small stable was nearby as well as an adobe kitchen.

We stayed the night in a rectangular shaped tent camp with a courtyard in the middle, a dining area at one end, and sleeping ‘rooms’ forming the outside ‘walls.’ The walls and ceilings were made of heavy, wool blankets and the floors throughout were covered in huge Moroccan rugs. Each room had a sink, shower, and flush toilet.

As soon as we dropped our stuff in our ‘rooms,’ we hustled up the small dune surrounding our camp and hopped on a dromedary (one humped camel) for our ride further up the dunes to watch the sunset. Two dromedaries to one dromedary handler   who lead the first of the two camels. Of course we were all thrilled and taking a buzillion pictures. It was not the first rodeo for the guys leading the camels evidenced by the fact that they took our cameras and phones right out of our hands and took pictures at the best spots. No doubt a tried and true tip-enhancing move. We got off our trusty beasts of burden at the top of the dune and enjoyed the sunset before heading back down. At the suggestion of one of the handlers I got off my camel half way back to camp. He then situated me on my camel blanket and pulled me down the dune as if on a sled. A clever and fun idea.

Cocktails were served in the courtyard of out encampment and then we went into the mess tent for a delicious dinner of the meat pie we had learned about earlier in the day, chicken with vermicelli, soup, and fruit.

Just as we were finishing dinner the same musicians who greeted our group when we approached the camp entertained us again. The music is strange to our ears but interesting. The main event was a man who managed to do amazing things with a tray loaded with tea glasses and a full pot of tea. He balanced it on his head while he sat, stood, did push ups, walked, and crawled. His finale was somehow wriggling it from his head down to his feet.

I don’t remember how I managed it during such a busy, fun-filled day, but I somehow purchased two scarves and two necklaces. I’m getting a reputation, by golly, for showing no restraint!

We climbed into our very comfortable beds with a mountain of heavy covers and dropped right off to sleep.

Wake up call: 6:00. Luggage out: 6:45. Depart: 7:30. When we turned in our keys in preparation to check out of the opulent riad, the staff surprised us with a farewell gift: a fez for each man and a scarf for each woman.

The day’s objective was to cross the Atlas Mountains and approach the Sahara Desert. We woke to the rain that had dogged us off and on yesterday which really wasn’t much of an issue because we spent most of the day on the bus. Rain turned to sun which transitioned to snow flurries before more sun switched back to flurries and then rain again. The landscape was just as varied as the weather. Rock, rock, and more rock; beautiful pine and cedar forests; seemingly barren landscape where scruffy vegetation has somehow managed to take hold; olive groves; rock walls; terraced farmland. Something different around every corner.

After being in cities, it was fun to see the small villages and lone farms scattered around. Shepherds, some with dogs and some not, were herding small groups of sheep and goats. Small rivers supported ribbons of dense green that came as a surprise in the arid environment. We drove through apple country and were surprised to see a roundabout with a huge apple sculpture in the middle. In fact when we stopped for lunch we had apple tart for dessert. We stopped in Ifrane, a charming university town with Swiss architecture, to see a carved stone monument honoring the last wild Atlas (or Barbary or Berber) lion killed in Morocco. We began to see women covered from head toe in black with only their eyes visible. Other women were dressed in modern clothing but wore head scarves. In certain conservative, traditional areas boys did not walk with girls, even in groups.

Toward the end of the day we stopped for the night in Erfoud. Our accommodations at Kasbah XalucaMaadid were just as stunning as the others but in no way similar. It was opulence meets the desert with mustard and yellow tiles on the floor and walls, cedar ceilings, woven window coverings, and stone sinks with fossilized sea creatures. Really stunning! We were offered mint tea and cookies upon arrival and were entertained by two dancers and three musicians dressed all in white. The thing that caught our attention right off was the use of rugs along the open air breezeways and in the courtyard by the pool and outdoor bar. I guess when the rug sellers say Moroccan rugs are sturdy and hold up under harsh conditions they are not exaggerating.

We enjoyed a beautiful sunset on the roof, had dinner in the dining room, and called it a day.

Laugh of the day: at one rest stop I washed my hands with a small piece of a mothball type bathroom deodorizer that had been inadvertently put in the soap dish.

Purchases of the day: scarves. Best buy: Cleone’s $5 scarf. Typical price: $7-$12.

FUN FACTS
The king’s wife is not a queen but a princess.

We’ve seen a few popcorn vendors popping and selling their product on the street. Obviously not reserved for movies.

The government has a successful program in place that helps farmers as well as other entrepreneurs get established. Today we passed apple, plum, and olive farms
that are worked by families who were set up by the government in return for
the commitment of farming and improving the land for a minimum of 25 years
and the agreement that they will employ others. We used a public restroom
in one town that was set up the same way.

 

My day started with Moroccan pancakes, yogurt, OJ, and coffee.

Today was spectacular and jam packed. We had a fantastic, well educated, fun guide who kept us entertained all day. His mission was to show us as much of Fez as he could squeeze in. He pointed out signs that were written in the ancient characters of the Berber language as well as Arabic. He took us to an overlook so we could get an idea of how large Fez is and filled our heads with fun facts about all the firsts Morocco can boast. It is the home of algebra, for example, as well as the oldest, still functioning, university (859) in the world, and the first sociology book. Who knew?

We spent most of the day in the 12-centuries-old Medina, home to a quarter million people and 174 mosques. It was unlike the other Medinas we have seen in that it is much bigger and has a considerably more elaborate maze of, in places, very narrow (barely wide enough for two people to pass) alleyways. Mules, donkeys, and hand carts are used to move heavy loads. Sectors where like items are sold include those featuring spices, meat, wood carving, clothing, shoes, jewelry, hats, etc. We loved it! The guide pointed out two interesting things most of us had not noticed. Many of the doors have a door built into a larger door with a handle on each. The smaller is used for close friends and family and the larger for everyone else. The other interesting thing had to do with public water sources. Every so often we’d come upon a spigot, with a drain and catch basin below, built into a wall along one of the alleyways. Although these can be used by anyone, they are most often used by those who have had their water cut off due to lack of payment.

We made two very impressionable stops in the Old Medina. The first one was at a large rug shop. Salesmen gave us a brief explanation of the kinds of wool rugs they sold (camel, lamb, sheep) and the various styles (Berber, for example) and then worked their little hearts out to sell all of us at least one. They talked so fast and looked us right in the eye. We said no and that meant they had even more ideas for us. We said no again and darned if they didn’t have other suggestions for what would be even more perfect. Barb haggled for a runner. She would not budge on her offer of half of the asking price. I chimed in and said she was a really nice, generous lady … the kind deserving of their generous spirit. Pretty soon the manager was called over to talk some sense into Barb. He finally relented and agreed to her price. He assured her she was a born haggler; I assured him she was giving it to a deserving niece; he put one big hand on each of her cheeks, lowered her head, and kissed her on the forehead all the while saying he wished she was his sister because they would be great business partners. She kissed him, he her, and the rug was wrapped. Cyd then looked like she might have chosen one. When my efforts to help her drive down the price failed I called Barb over and the salesman gave up and said Cyd could have it for her price. We had a barrel of expensive laughs!

The next stop was the 14th century tannery which is my favorite site of the trip so far. We learned how pigeon poop (Caca Chanel … get it?) is used in the process and how much lighter in weight camel leather is than cow leather. We were maybe three stories above the ancient dying vats and could look down on the amazing sight of men working in them. I couldn’t help wondering what ordinances protect their health and welfare. My guess is few if any. Of course we needed to look at leather good: purses, poofs, footstools, handbags, and the irresistible leather jacket. If a coat you liked was not available in your size or color preference it could be ordered for delivery to the hotel before 10:00 that same night. Four ladies in the group had coats made and I bought a red one off the rack. Once we got to the register there was a price fluctuation due to the fine belly leather of the particular coat I was purchasing. I said I would not, as agreed, pay more than 2,000 dirhams … he said 2,500 … I started to leave … he came down to 2,250 … I started to leave again … and he said I drove a hard bargain (what are those odds?) and said the coat was mine for 2,000.

Unlike where we had been prior, there were very persistent hockers near the Medina in Fez. They were drawn to Cyd like a moth to a flame! No matter how many times she said no, they persisted. More laughs. At her expense obviously.

Other interesting sites included a small 17th century synagogue, an old Jewish cemetery, and the seven intricate brass gates that mark the entrance to our third Royal Palace, Dar el-Makhzen.

Our day ended with a home-hosted dinner at a large, modern apartment in the new part of town. We were served a delicious dinner of tagine chicken and olives and then had the opportunity to ask the family questions. My big surprise was having two pastries for dessert that were peanut based. I have to remember to ask where peanuts are grown.

FUN FACTS
One man can not work more than four donkeys or two mules in the Fez Medina.

Coffins in Morocco are yellow. The dead are typically buried laying on their right side with their head tilted toward Mecca (southeast).

The rain we had avoided as long as we’ve been here finally caught up with us
and it poured off and on all afternoon.

 

 

It was painful getting up today. We’re such slugs! Luggage out at 8:00 with an 8:30 departure. I was moving a little slow because I twisted my ankle yesterday when I stepped off a curb onto a piece of rubble and basically face planted smack dab on the street. I digress.

For breakfast I tried two kinds of Moroccan pancakes drizzled in honey, homemade yogurt, as good a brownie as I’ve ever eaten, and to-die-for honeydew melon and oranges. Dan and I sat with a fun couple from Albuquerque who are retired English professors. He taught Shakespeare and shared this joke: Arabs credit themselves with Shakespeare’s body of work because they were written by the one and only …wait for it… Sheikh Spear. Get it?

We enjoyed a beautiful ride on a clean, well maintain highway. There are 22 of us on a 45 passenger bus, so we have plenty of room to spread out. Safi, our tour coordinator, gave us a briefing on some of the history of Morocco which is so alien to most of us that he’ll need to repeat it often for any of it to begin to sink in.

This area of Morocco is very green and beautiful. The modern bus, which has WiFi, by the way, is in stark contrast to what we see out the window. Burrows pulling wagons, people on horseback trudging along dirt paths, small stucco houses with laundry hanging out to dry on the roofs, and countless olive trees (introduced by the Romans). We saw no fences, just shepherds tending small groups of animals, some of which grazed right by the hiway. We passed fields of lentils, chick peas, and fava beans as well as forests of cork oaks, their bark stripped to arm’s reach to make corks for wine bottles. So picturesque!

We made a ‘comfort stop’ at a highway gas station that was as clean and tidy as any I’ve ever seen. There were loads of tempting treats; Dan succumbed to ice cream and others tried a hot half coffee, half milk drink.

Our first stop was in Meknes, known for its wine. We made a quick visit to the old Medina (old town) to visit the town square and market. We were taken with the little mountains of colorful olives, carriages, our very first snake charmer (we all kept our distance!), and colorful ceramics. The square boasts the biggest gate in the Arab World. Like so many others here, it is shaped like a key to indicate the key to paradise.

Lunch was at La Grillandiere. Cleone and I shared an amazing veggie pizza with very crisp crust topped with zucchini, red pepper strips, cheese, and eggplant. No tomato sauce.

Our favorite stop of the day and the highlight of Cyd’s trip so far was in Volubilis where we visited ancient Roman Ruins. We had a great guide who explained that Volubilis was on the southwestern frontier of the Roman Empire. Since becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site it has gotten greater attention. Intricate mosaic floors that are 2,000 years old are open to the elements. We walked through residences that had private hot tubs and in-ground fish ponds. Public toilets and the colosseum have not been excavated yet, but we did see the brothel and a vomitorium (think gorge yourself, vomit, and go back for more).

We passed the holy town of Moulay Idriss which is nestled between two mountains. It is so named because it is the burial place of Moulay Idris Al Akbar, great-great-great grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, considered to be the founder of Morocco as an independent state. I wish we had had time to explore this pilgrimage town.

Our destination for the night is Fez, the most ancient city in Morocco. We are staying at an eye-popping riad, a traditional Moroccan residence built around a court yard … very unassuming on the outside but designed to wow on the inside. We are at Riad Salam Fes which is three stories of over-the-top opulence. It, like many other riads, has been turned into a hotel. After a traditional Moroccan meal consisting of  tagine kafka, rice, three (cheese, sweet rice, veggies) pastries wrapped in pastille, olives, dates, bread and a dessert consisting of orange slices, bananas slices, and finely diced lettuce drizzled with  orange juice.

We headed to bed early in preparation for a long day tomorrow.  Continue reading →

No lazing around this morning! We had to be up, fed, and on the bus by 9:30. A stretch for us after our few slow mornings in Casablanca. We rose to the occasion, however, and had an enjoyable day in Rabat, the capital of Morocco.

The standout stop for me was at the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, father of Moroccan independence. Everything about the mausoleum was magnificent from the twelve-sided, painted mahogany dome to the marble sarcophagus to the beautifully tiled walls and floor. We arrived just as the changing of the guard was about to take place. With no preamble of any kind two royal guards on horseback arrived to replace the two horses with riders who had been standing in a small sandy box for the previous hour and a half. The guards were decked out in red uniforms with white capes, white gloves, and red, white, and green hats. The horses were matched pairs and beautiful.

We also explored Chellah, the ruins of an ancient Roman outpost. It is home to beautiful gardens, tombs, ruins, 45 cats, and 75 stork nests. The storks winter here and were very visible and boisterous. It was explained to us that Moroccans by far prefer cats to dogs because they are quiet unlike dogs whose barking disturbs the angels.

We had a brief stop at one of at least a dozen Royal Palaces in various cities in Morocco. The beautiful one here is situated on many well manicured acres. On the compound was a residential area for the 500 ‘servants’ needed to keep things running smoothly. A surprise to us was learning that affairs of government are handled at palaces; the king does not live in them.

A stop we would have liked to extend a bit was one in the old kasbah (walled town/city) which has the Atlantic on the west and the Bou Regreg River on the north. There were loads of colorful small boats, some painted with stripes, minding their own business. The walls date back to the 12th century.

Our last stop, which was optional, was to meander around the Medina for a couple of hours. We chose to do that expecting the colorful, clean, busy Medina like the one we had explored in Casablanca. This one was worth a stroll but quite a contrast in that it definitely caters to a poorer clientele. The wares were simpler and the walkways, which were being repaired in places, were pretty much broken concrete or just rutted dirt. We stopped to watch a young man cook, one after another, what we took to be sheets of a phyllo-type pastry. It looked like tedious, hot job.

As we were heading back to the hotel, Barb jokingly asked two young Moroccan gals if they wanted to take our picture. Get it? Since we had taken so many pictures of Moroccans. We laughed and they did too. Long story short, they chatted us up, with me as translator, and it was one laugh after another. We mentioned we were old and they said no, no, no, we are fun and happy, not old. We said we were happy because we are old in contrast to being dead. More laughs. It ended with them telling us we would always be welcome in their town and they would make a party for us. Barb exchanged phone numbers with them, we kissed! good by, and posed for pictures which Barb has already shared with them.

Barb, Cleone, Sandy, and I decided to take advantage of the spa’s special price (300 dirhams) on the ‘full ritual, including hammam scrubbing and rassul’ even though we had no idea what we were buying. Translation: we got naked and were bathed, shampooed, and exfoliated. Mud was involved as well as a bag of bubbles. All in a steamy hot room. The challenge: not to slide right off the wet marble table onto the wet marble floor when it was time to roll over or move to the bench while your partner in crime (in my case Sandy) took her turn on the table.

FUN FACTS
The French decided to make Rabat the capital of Morocco in 1912.

Rabat was granted World Heritage status by UNESCO in 2012.

Much of ‘Black Hawk Down’ (2001) was filmed in Rabat.

 

 

The problem with buying rugs is getting them home. Since our tour ends at this hotel in two weeks we decided to leave them here and pick them up on our way home. Dan and Barb took care of that while Cyd and I enjoyed breakfast.

Speaking of breakfast: it’s set up as a buffet with multiple station. The unanticipated station is the one with tossed salad fixings. The cabbage is diced so small it looks like shredded coconut. Each day I’ve brought a plate of pastries to our table so we could sample them all; today was no exception. Pistachio has been a common ingredient.

Our only goal today was meeting the remaining members of the tour group upon their arrival at the airport. We checked out of the hotel and took a hotel shuttle to the airport, a 40-minute ride for 600 dirhams (9.2 dirhams = $1). A Gate 1 Discovery representative and Jim and Nancy, a fun couple from Houston who had just arrived, were at the curb to meet us. The Gate 1 rep asked if we would just as soon go ahead to Rabat as a group of six and settle in at the hotel rather than wait for the rest of the group. Hell yeah!

The hour and a half drive passed quickly. We enjoyed seeing the countryside and before we knew it we were pulling into La Villa Mandarine, our hotel for the next two nights. It oozes charm is the best way to describe it! Pool, spa, hot tub, beautiful courtyard and grounds, orange and grapefruit trees brimming with fruit … wow! We have a charming room with a small private balcony. All the floors are colorful tile much of which is covered with Moroccan rugs of various sizes, colors, and styles.

Barb, Dan, and I enjoyed a quick swim and Cyd enjoyed the sun (hats provided) in our free time. Once everyone in the tour had arrived, we gathered for a briefing and then headed to the dining room for a fabulous three course meal, the highlight of which was a Niçoise salad served in a lacy, thin pastry bowl.

FUN FACTS
We have found the Moroccans to be very friendly, funny, and helpful. We anticipated being besieged by folks on the streets and in the markets trying to hock their wares or sell their service, but we have not been hassled at all  (so far anyway) to shop, buy, or eat.

Beautiful sunny day! High of 67 / low 52.

During the 1950s and ‘60s, Morocco served as a literary sanctuary for many foreign writers including Americans William S. Burroughs, Paul Bowles, Brion Gysin, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsburg, and Tennessee Williams. Perhaps the most famous of them, Paul Bowles, made his home in Morocco for more than 50 years.

No surprise after passing so many sheep today, lamb is the cornerstone
of Moroccan cooking. I chose it for my entree tonight.

ANOTHER great day! We woke to electrify and hot water, so nothing slowed us down this morning. We met for breakfast and then headed toward the front door. As Barb was asking directions at the main desk an expat and his wife overheard her mention she is from Florida and approached to ask where in Florida. Before we knew it we were exchanging pleasantries and they were giving us the names of their favorite bakery and rug shop. In a twinkle we were in a cab headed for the Quartier des Habous, the neighborhood where the recommended shops as well as the royal palace are located. We met Mohammad, son of the rug shop owner, right off the bat. Dan and I were not interested in anything in particular but asked to see what they had in the range of three meters by two meters thinking we could, if tempted by something unique, use it on our stone porch. You guessed it: before long we had Mohammad rolling out carpets in the alley so we could see them in natural light. Then the haggling began. We mentioned we wanted the Curtis Mathis price, meaning the price he would offer the expat who recommended his shop. Barb had read about price ranges for rugs and quickly calculated what would be fair. He said no; we went blindly along with Barb’s recommendation and held firm; he said no again. We took a short walk, discussed it, went back, and met in the middle. Dan paid $120 in U.S. and charged the rest. Two rugs in two days! We’ve Got to cut this nonsense out!

Barb casually mentioned pillows at this point. Did he sell them for a good price? Of course! One pillow at a good price later and Barb was kissing Mohammad and he was inviting us all to dinner…his treat.

From there we roamed the busy shopping streets taking pictures and enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of this very busy shopping district. It was fabulous! There were stores, stalls, horse-drawn carts, pushcarts, and makeshift stalls. It seemed to be a place for local shoppers who were out en mass doing their thing. Many were dressed in djellabas, the long one piece hooded garment considered the national dress. We did not see other tourists but they could have been there dressed a little more incognito than we were. The beautiful mounds of colorful spices caught our eye in particular as well as all sorts of items made of shinny metal we would never get around to polishing. The meat area of the market boasted goat and camel as well as the usual suspects. To draw attention to one stall the proprietor prominently displayed camel hoofs as well as the neck and head of the beast. Besides our Berber carpet and Barb’s pillow we bought and shared a few delicious pastries. We were tempted to try a drink of squeezed lemons and pressed sugar cane but were nervous our stomachs would rebel.

After a great day in Habous we took a taxi back to the hotel and freshened up before enjoying a fabulous fish dinner at Cafe Jose, a restaurant within walking distance that was recommended by the concierge. (We obviously didn’t take Mohammad up on his sweet offer of an evening out.) The menus were in French and Spanish. When my feeble attempts to translate seemed to be getting us nowhere, we all logged onto WiFi so we could use a translation app. As soon as we were ready to work our respective apps, an English speaking waiter came to our rescue.

Before calling it a day, Cyd offered to treat everyone to ice cream, so we stopped at Venezia Ice before going to the hotel and heading to bed. We all agreed it had been a fabulous day.

FUN FACTS
High of 66 / low of 55 / sunny with a soft breeze.

The elevators in our hotel are unique in that we have to press the desired floor
when we request a lift up or down. There is a bank of four elevators
labeled A, B, C, and D. Once we request a lift, a panel tells us which elevator is coming for us. We then position ourselves in front of the appropriate one and wait. When it arrives, we get on and are then committed because there are no buttons inside.

Day four for the jeans / day two for the top.

We have been warned of pickpockets so have been extra careful.

We saw lots of street cats today and two dogs.

After a hot bath last night in a sexy looking tub that was a devil to get in and out of, I slunk into bed and slept like a dead man. Wake up call: 8:30. Boy was I glad I had bathed the night before because I woke up to no electricity, no hot water, and a husband itching for a shower. Long story short, I met Cyd and Barb for breakfast at 9:30, as planned, and Dan spent the morning in a hotel robe supervising an electrician who had to remove a panel from the ceiling in order to restore the electricity. The room was in working order; Dan was showered and dressed, but hungry; and we were on the street ready to take on Casablanca by noon.

We were strolling toward our first stop of the day when it started to rain. Although we couldn’t have been gone a half hour, we stopped for a drink to wait out the downpour. What a hoot of a stop it turned out to be. Ali approached us to take our order: one water, one cappuccino, and two Moroccan teas. When our drinks were served (with delicious biscotti) Ali asked where we were from and shared that he had studied English as a second language in Boston in a program for international business people. He was fun, funny, and engaging and the tea was delicious. When we commented on the tea he explained the secret procedure. First hot water is poured over tea leaves. They rest for perhaps 30 seconds to leach the bitterness out of the tea. Then the water is poured off, the pot is stuffed with fresh mint leaves, a sugar cube is put on top, and then more hot water is added. Once strong enough, the tea is served in tiny, four ounce glasses. We relaxed and chatted until the rain quit, settled the tab with a $5 bill, bid farewell to Ali, and continued our stroll toward the Atlantic coast. Destination: Mosque Hassan II, third largest mosque in the world.

Mosque Hassan II was completed in 1993 and has a capacity of 25,000 inside and 80,000 outside! It boasts the tallest minaret in the world, a magnificent partially retractable roof, and…if you can imagine…is, in part, built over the ocean! It is spectacular in every way! We lucked into an English language tour which included the magnificent prayer hall as well as the area where the men wash before prayers (ablution room). We were each given a small bag to carry our shoes since they are never worn in the prayer hall. The mosque and grounds were impeccably clean and very impressive. There was a call to prayer over the loud speaker and devout Muslims arriving to participate as we were leaving the beautiful courtyard in front of the mosque.

We decided to check out a small, old market area next, but when we asked for directions we were advised to take a cab rather than to walk. As if by magic a cabbie found us. Was it the map and confused looks on our faces that gave us away? We settled on 100 dirhams ($10), which I am sure was way too much, but in the end we got our money’s worth in spades! On the way to our destination, the very friendly, fun (must be in Moroccan DNA) cabbie pulled over and said he would be glad to wait if we wanted to browse in a fun shop. We jumped out, ran in, and were overrun by friendly, English speaking rug salesmen. We got a quick tutorial on Berber orphan girls being taught the art of rug making. They grow up and teach others, humma, humma and by then we had lost the story line completely and were  staring at piles of beautiful rugs. Barb made the mistake of saying a runner might be fun in her house and we were off and running, if you know what I mean. Long story short: we had a blast (and tea) and left on a first name basis lugging 3’ x 9’ agave silk runners ‘of the highest quality.’ Once Barb settled on hers at one third the asking price, I jumped in and asked if it would be a better price if Dan and I bought one also. No, no, no, that would be asking too much of them. In time the price went down $75 more for each rug and they were telling us they barely had enough to buy themselves a coffee. Our salesman asked if I, by chance, had a tip for him since he had given me such a good price. I said yes: “For all things be grateful.” He burst out laughing and gave me a big, affectionate shoulder squinch.

Guess who was waiting for us when we came out? Our cabbie. We assumed the rug guys had paid him, but no. It was 6:00 p.m. by this time so we asked where we could get good food. Off we went in the direction of authentic, reasonably priced food. We paid him the agreed upon price; he indicated we might consider sweetening the pot since he had done so well for us; Dan said no; I said the rug people owed him big time …and…wait for it… Barb gave him $3. Dinner was delicious so maybe he deserved the extra. Barb and I had delicious chicken tagine; Cyd had couscous and chicken; and Dan had grilled chicken and rice. Chicken ruled in other words.

We decided to walk back to the hotel in spite of the fact that it was dark and we were fuzzy on how to do that in spite of the fact that we had a map. We asked for course corrections three times (no street signs) and made it just fine. It was fun to see all the street vendors out with everything from soup to eggs to fruit; a singer and guitar player entertaining a crowd; and best of all a relatively large cement area where little children drove electric cars and three wheeled bikes their parents had rented. They were so cute! We spotted one dog and quite a few cats. We got back to the hotel at 9:00.

Our slow, bumpy start of a day was so much fun! Barb went to bed with two guide books to decide on tomorrow’s objectives, so I am excited to see what she suggests at breakfast tomorrow.

FUN FACTS
Morocco is the largest processor and exporter of sardines in the world.

This is day three for my jeans. Three days down with three to go.
Day one for my top. One down, two to go.

Morocco is slightly larger than California.

Morocco’s highest point is 13,665 feet; its lowest point is -180 feet below sea level.

Today was in the mid-60s with winds strong enough to blow off Cyd’s ball cap
a couple of times. We were all happy to have brought along a jacket.

 

I’m really excited to go to Africa for the very first time! We are meeting friends from Maryland, Virginia, Arkansas, and Oklahoma for a Gate 1 Discovery tour that our friends Sandy and Alan (Virginia) vetted for all of us. Destination: Morocco, westernmost country in the Arab world.

Cyd (Arkansas) and Barb (Maryland) are going three days early like we are to get a little ahead of the jet lag and to be able to see a bit more of Casablanca, the largest city in Morocco and backdrop for the classic WWII movie of the same name.

Cyd and Barb had a seamless flight from Virginia to Paris. We, on the other hand, had a little excitement. We got a call at home saying there was a chance we could miss our connecting flight out of Newark (snow issues) if we didn’t take an earlier flight out of Virginia. “When is this earlier flight?” we asked. “In ONE hour,” was the response. And, oh by the way, if it took off on time we could not get to the airport and have our bags checked in on time. Bottom line: we were advised to rush to the airport In Case and Hopeful that the earlier flight was delayed. We grabbed our bags, ran out the door, got to the airport in record time thanks to Barb’s chauffeur service, and learned that the earlier flight was in fact Not Delayed and, therefore, we could Not get on. So we checked our bags for our original flight and began our three hour wait. Sure enough it was delayed a half hour, as anticipated. Once boarded and on the flight line, we were told we would have to sit for close to an hour more due to issues in Newark. Thankfully we had seats close to the front of the plane because we ran off as soon as the doors opened in Newark and quickly found the bus that delivers passengers to other terminals. It left as soon as we got on, skipped the stop at Terminal B and got us to Terminal C with just enough time for us to run through the crowd to our gate! Talk about luck, we boarded with the last of the passengers about 15 minutes before the doors were shut.

Besides being grateful we were not spending the night in Newark, we were excited to have seats in business class. The service, lie-flat seats, and multi-course meal were wonderful!

We landed in Lisbon ahead of schedule on a rainy, foggy morning at 7:30 a.m. local time … 2:30 a.m. Virginia time. We found the lounge and settled in for our five hour layover. The highlight of the wait was having a Portuguese pastry called pastel de nata. Promise me you will NEVER miss a chance to dive into one of these little delights. Divine. We discovered/fell in love with them when we stopped in Lisbon on a cruise a few years ago, so the first thing I looked for was this little mini-pie/tart shaped treat.

 I got a first class seat for the hour and a  half flight from Lisbon to Casablanca. We have no idea why. It came with a delicious eat-as-fast-as-you-can hot meal and a beverage of my choice. I decided to do a little day drinking and had wine with my mushroom ravioli. Dan was back with the riffraff making do with a cold sandwich and a Diet Coke.

Like we hadn’t already had loads of good luck, our flight out of Lisbon as well as Cyd and Barb’s flight out of Paris had on-time arrivals in Casablanca a half hour apart. We found each other at baggage claim and headed to the hotel via a hotel shuttle. Our ride from the airport into town was at the end of the workday and therefore in the height of traffic. Once we got into town we were amazed by what looked like single lane one-way roads that actually accommodated traffic going both ways. The clearance between cars could be measured in inches sometimes with mirrors folded in and drivers paying very close attention. We arrived at our center-city hotel after 45 minutes in a sometimes chaotic maze of determined drivers.

Our rooms at the Kenzi Tower Hotel are fabulous. Dan’s and mine is a two-room, bath and a half king suite, so we have no complaints. The lady checking us in said she decided to upgrade us all and she seems to have been true to her word. Our very satisfying day ended with a very casual meal of salads and sandwiches at the bar in the lobby.

FUN FACTS
Morocco is one of three (do you know the other two?) nations to have both
Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines.

To the north, Morocco is bordered by the eight-mile wide Straits of Gibraltar
where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean.

Morocco boasts the fifth largest economy in Africa.

The cruise was perfect from Dan’s and my perspective. Our route had taken us in a 2,938 nautical mile (1 nautical mile = 1.15 land miles) circle in an area we knew very little about. We loved the ship, our cabin, the itinerary, and our cruising pals. OK, the weather could have been a bit warmer and less windy but it beat the alternative of a late snow or pouring rain, so again, no complaints. Plus an early-in-the-season cruise meant way less tourists in all the ports of call.

It seemed impossible the trip was coming to an end. We spent our last lazy day at sea relaxing, packing, and getting organized to go home. We had a fun farewell dinner and talked about the things we enjoyed most about the trip.

Hettie: Moscow followed by Copenhagen
Ronnie: The sweet anniversary poem Hettie wrote (and shared at dinner) followed by our lovely staterooms with all the perks that came along with them
Cleone: Pre-cruise Amsterdam tour followed by the farm near Helsinki and the Hermitage
Walter: Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam followed by Estonia
Dan: Stockholm and St. Petersburg
Schele: St. Petersburg followed by Berlin

Sadly there was one main downside: Between bugs they came on board with and stuff they picked up, our pals did not feel totally well the whole time, so I’d venture to say they had a good time but in spite of our great company, not a great one. This trip was part of H&R’s 50th anniversary celebration, so we all felt particularly bad that they were not 100%. In fact we even decided to cancel the special Mothers Day dinner the guys had arranged for us moms at a specialty restaurant, since two thirds of us did not feel too celebratory.

On Friday we were up with the sun and enjoyed our hazy, cool approach into Amsterdam harbor. We had a noon flight so we went directly to the airport from the pier. The airport was as mobbed as I have probably ever seen. We were glad to have ample time to navigate check-in, security, immigration, and so forth. Our nonstop flight took off on time and the eight air hours passed quickly with me watching one movie after the next and eating all that was offered and Dan reading and dozing.

Fourteen hours after waking up, we approached Dulles airport which we noticed was actually just as picturesque from the air, with its green fields, forests, lakes, and monuments, as the approaches to the beautiful cities we had flown in and out of in Europe. Were we supposed to find some meaning in that?

An hour and a half after landing we walked in our front door ready to pick up our lives where we left off.