Morocco 2018

6-7-Apr-2018

Wake up in Madrid after red eye, 4 hour layover and airport very quiet.  Enjoy a cup of great orange juice and jamon with one sandwich for plane. Also purchase a brick of KitKat, hazelnut flavor.  Land in Casablanca, passport control not too bad on Saturday.

Picked up by our pre-arranged driver, get to Down Town Hotel by Business & Leisure Hotels, a very clean and comfortable suite.  This part of Casablanca has lots of traffic, wonky sidewalks, but there are lots of shops and restaurants.

We visit a local market, selling fish, raw meat, fruit, veggies.  For a hot meal we just go next door to fast food at Quick because we are very tired.  It’s an experience.

8-Apr-2018

Breakfast was very nice, hot choco filled croissant, regular croissant, hot mint tea, oranges and exquisite fresh-squeezed OJ, toast, butter.  Driver picks us up in a van to go to Rabat.  He speaks NO English or French.  He communicates via mobile phone translator and is friendly and accommodating.  His choice of music was fantastic, however.  We were played L’Italiano Vero by Tuto Cutugno, Modern Talking as well as Bananarama.  I don’t know where these drivers get their music, but it’s great.

First stop is Chellah, antique city remnants.  We photograph some cool storks nesting, some pigeons and of course, cats.  There is fresh spring here.  One ancient structure has a pool with arches.  It houses eels and you can pay some lady $1 and she throws in cooked egg whites and feeds the eels.  The yolks go to the cats, as well as cat food.  . This is a fertility ritual for wannabe moms.

A school group is here, they are competing in a chanting contest, it was funny hearing the screaming.

Next stop is the Mausoleum of Mohamed the V and Hassan tower. Mausolem is 2 huge floors, we are on the 2nd, looking down.  Very white and green tile.  Guards.  Lots of kids sitting on these stacked circular stones.

Short drive to the marina,  small place for boat mooring, kayak rental, roller blading and lunch.  We go to the restaurant early, but the wait was terrible.  We were there 5 minutes before 2 buses of Chinese and a group of Israeli tourists that took it upon themselves to rearrange the tables in a rectangle fashion so EVERYONE could see each other.

After 30 minutes waiting for our grilled fish, we were about to leave and the food arrived.  Sliced calamari in tomato sauce with peppers, kind of a calamari shopska,  and a mixed grill of smaller fish, calamari and shrimp with shells.  We saw plates of the fried fish platter leave the kitchen for Chinese and wish we had gotten that.

On to Medina, the dirt alley market with 1000 shops.  We bought some cookies for 1 MAD each from a lady along the side, and saw fried eggplant and fish that smelled delish.  All kinds of leathers, mob around Chinese purses.  Funny, they make leather purses here, but they want the leather ones with Hello kitty and pink and purple color.  I scored 2 cups of double espresso from a cart.  It was very cool, lever pushed the water, like in Napoli.

7 PM, meet Gate one guide and group.  He told us all about tipping and drinks and travel.  A diverse group, including a couple from near us in Sudbury and a bunch of folks from the Bay Area.  Dinner was buffet, salad, roasted eggplant, some kind of beef and tasty chicken. Dessert was very good as well.

One glass of wine with meal, tasted like European.  Desserts were jasmine flavored pudding that tasted like soap, strawberry puree, some chocolate cakes with nut toppings, fruit and quince jelly on a stick.

9-Apr-2018

Wake up, down to breakfast.  Some terrible eggs, or maybe they were cous-cous. Bread, dates, raw almonds and walnuts, boiled eggs, muesli, terrible instant coffee, mold on cheese, rotten and hard fruit, some brown lettuce, etc.  We made some brie and egg sandwiches.  Getting all luggage on the bus is an issue as one of the elevators is out of order.

First stop is Mausoleum, same as yesterday.  Not many people here in the AM.  Then back to Chella.  Then, Ow-Dihah Casbah, a walled  ancient city that has people living in it that are painted white and blue.

One of the clam shells on a door way looks like the Compostello path clam.  Inside garden is also very cool.  Lots of cats.

Next stop is the Palace, we were far away since they were renovating the fountain.  Then we drive through the countryside.  Lots of very green wheat fields, chick pea, wineries and olive groves.  It looks kind of like midwest or Tuscany. Lunch was tourist restaurant called La Grillade, or something.  We got one plate of skewered beef and legumes, fries, coffee and drink.  It was approx $11, so not too bad.  Bread was good.

Visit to Volubilis, an ancient Roman city, large and interesting but like so many we’ve seen.

Very long drive to Fez.  In Fez, half the bus went to Carrefour for wine, we found the hot foods were cleaned out because it was late, so we bought cookies and came back to hotel.  Eat at expensive restaurant around the corner called Maison Blanche.  Appetizer was very good squid ink pasta heavy with grated cheese and bread / butter.  Main meal was braised lamb shoulder with tomato base, walnut and cinnamon filled dates and some type of orange sauce.  Very good but cinnamon did not go.

10 Apr-2018

Good breakfast at the Marriott.

Drive above Fes city, talked about 1st university.  Medina Market is Unesco site.  We go into narrow, covered hallways of the Medina.  Seems like kilometers of alley ways.  Fresh chicken killed, nougat, teapots, etc.  we buy one package of nougat for 1 dollar, it was soft and good.  Then a much-hated factory rug tour, which is mostly a waste of time except the building is beautiful.

Lunch in a riad, very good tagine, not spicy, tagine lamb with prunes.

Tannery visit is stinky but worthwhile. We were given mint leaves to put in front of our noses.  Stuff is overpriced and of course we have to wait around for people to shop.

Drive to Jewish Cemetery, which is unique and interesting.  Dinner is at home of resident.  Huge living room fits 40 people.  All walls have bench seating.  Mother was a matchmaker and so they always hosted a lot of family and friends and wedding-goers.

Very good, cookies were the best.  Start with cous-cous soup, sweet fried dough with nuts and honey.

Pasticcio was ground beef with 33 spices.  Triangle fillo dough around chicken. Next dish was all types of pickled olives and salad.  Beef or lamb was the 3rd and veggie tagine was last.  Bananas and oranges finish the meal, along with mint tea or lemon tea.

11 Apr-2018

Long drive to Marrakech.  First stop at some gas station, got a very cheap espresso.  More food stops along the way.

Finally reach our hotel in Marrakech, the Movenpick, which is huge and gorgeous.

We walk to a local mall, which has a Carrefour and is quite nice.  We walk around looking at shops, looking for food.  Top floor is KidZone with dozens of electronic games and a food court.  I had some of the best skewered meat and hummous and eggplant ever.  We ate on the terrace with a friend from the tour while locals cheered a soccer game on 2 huge TVs.  After dinner, we went to 1st floor to get gelato at franchise called Orient Legend. Gelato I chose was called cheback, which tasted like orange blossom and argon oil, which tasted nutty.

12 Apr-2018

Breakfast is big, but not great.  The grounds are beautiful. A few pools that are being used.

Local tour guide is knowledgeable but boring and irritated that we’re bored by him.  First stop is Saddian Tomb, side of the Kasbah.  Discovered in 1917, apparently covered up with sand because some other king did not like the Saddians and destroyed much of their history, but hide the tombs as a way to say “I am better than you.”  Next was old Palace that was not built as a palace.  We learned that it gets over 100 degrees in summer, so summer rooms are tall and thick walls with windows, winter rooms, small and shorter to heat. Lots of cool mosaics and tiles on the walls and painted ceilings.  Gardens, trees, 24 rooms for a harem.

Next stop is another “factory sale” for oil and potions.  Funny and entertaining TV style infomercial style sales pitch hour by a fast talker and his silent associate, both wearing white coats.  Most expensive item is cactus pear seed oil.  $137 a bottle, apparently (no pun intended) it goes for like $1,000 litre.  Other snake oil we were shown: argan oil, skin cream, spices and “Moroccan Viagra.”

Next stop is day time in Medina.  We walked around , were given a cobra show by tour company where men play those stupid high pitched horns in front of cobras and other long snakes.  People here are loud and aggressive and pushy.  Not happy when someone put a snake on my shoulder and demanded money to remove it, but luckily our guide made him go away with threats of calling the tourist police.  We walked around, got some delicious strawberry and fruit smoothies ate them with some food in a pitiful little park.

For dessert, another round of Oriental Legend gelato, even was worse before, flavor should have been “frozen sawdust.”

I got my watch battery in my Casio changed for little over $3. Real Maxell battery, not imitation china, but who really knows.  The shop keeper was very nice.  One person speaking Italian led us for a few minutes ostensibly to some Bedouin market, but then it got creepy like he was going to beat us up and take our money and wisely we turned around.  Other people shout to us that our president is an a-hole, and while that might be true it’s extremely rude and inappropriate.

A rest and bath stop at a nice and clean hammam called ISIS, not good marketing on the name.

Smelling fresh and new, we walk to main square where all the hot food vendors have started their evening shift.  The place was divided into a hundred or so sections, each section had tables, a display for food and cooking area.  Lots of people yelling that their stall was the best but other people saying they are “all the same.”  We sat down at one stall that was frying fish.  A large disk of fried calamari .  bread and a drink..  It was very good.  Cheap.  When leaving, the cook asked me in English, for a tip, which we totally ignored.  We walk around and stop at stall 5.   This section had meats on skewers.  We were served a disk of olives and hot sauce and bread.  We asked for grilled beef.  The guy said, “I only have swordfish” so the obvious question is, “What about all that meat on that cart? The owner really said, that meat is all bad.  I am only serving swordfish.”  Clearly this is not Burger King, and we are NOT having it our way.  We walked out.  Next stall is #25.  They would not let us share a plate, so we walked out (not one other person was in the place)

Tired of the pushy and terrible service, so we waked around a little more and bought cookies from a street vendor.  Convinced we would get ripped off by a taxi we just started walking the couple of miles home.  Now the rain was full force and windy.  45 minutes later we’re soaked along with our shoes and clothes.  In the room we took a hair dryer to our shoes, and took showers and threw away all of our clothes.  Glad this day was over.

13 Apr-2018

Just when we were leaving, a knock at the hotel room door.  A man in a Movenpick jacket said he was checking mini bar.  He said that a can of Red Bull was missing (which is about 9 Euros).  We argue with him and walk away.  Glad to get the heck out of this city, such a bad experience.

Back to Casablanca.  First stop is the seaside section of the Corniche.  It is raining and windy, the Atlantic Ocean is very rough.  We stop at a tourist restaurant and order the fried fish platter.  Surprisingly, it was very good.

Seaside McDonalds for a KitKat McFlurry.  Even here we seemed to get screwed, because the cups were half full.  Others on the tour went to the Mohamad the V huge mosque.  We saw the outside on the return.

Apparently it is 2 dollars to get in, the tour charges 12.  We’re good with seeing just the exterior.

Stop at only Catholic Church in the city, Our Lady of Lourdes, and we light a candle.

We’re at the Kenzi Towers Hotel, which is nice. Farewell dinner is at La Terazza, up the hill from McDonalds, on the Corniche.

14-Apr

Lazy morning in the hotel pool and then walk across the street back to our Business & Leisure Hotel.

We get totally ripped off again for haircuts and shave.

We stop by Amoud bakery for 2 chocolate and orange mousse cakes, and some cookies.  We stop for lunch at Casa Mia, this hugely popular and cheap place but now there is no line, though the place is still packed.  We get the pasticcio, a skillet of french fries, turkey ham, and creamy cheese.  A student across from us says, “It’s NOT poutine!”

15-Apr-2018

Thrilled to leave for Madrid.  Great thing is that things are open so late so we still have time to do things on a Sunday evening.

Caixa Forum has a terrific design exhibition of Adolf Loos.

Back to the Reina Sofia to see if it’s a little less crowded to see Guernica.

Museo del Jamon for late snack and sangria, all of it delicious.

Westin Palace and we enjoy a final free drinks amenity before Starwood changes over to Marriott.  Drinks great –  negrino and sangria. We have dinner in the hotel because of a TripAdvisor big discount, and we sit at the same table where we had breakfast 6 months before. Dinner was rare steak topped with foie gras, side salad and some pork – all so good.

 

 

16-Apr-2018

At Barajas we get fresh baguettes at Paul, and a hot thick chocolate.  We have all our jamon for the flight home.