Rabat

Rabat is the capital of Morocco where the Parliament sits and the King's Palace is. After a bit of a disappointing breakfast here at The Farah Hotel we set forth at 10 am for an interesting tour of the places of interest. Firstly, was the unfinished tower and mausoleum of Hassan II and Mohammed V who died in the 90s and 60s respectively. We took pictures of the guards, some on horseback and those who guard the tomb. Following this was a walk in the Medina to the Casbah down the picturesque, if fraught with dangerous potholes,
cobbled alleyways. There are numerous cats, looking thin and scraggy, whom the locals feed. Cats are preferred to dogs as pets as they are thought to be much cleaner creatures. We had a view of the beach and river estuary with Rabat on one side and Sale on the other. The temperature was steadily climbing and there was a welcome breeze here overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Now it was time to call in at a local cafe and partake of mint tea and locally made almond biscuits which were delicious although the guy collecting the money didn't necessarily have change and didn't really feel he should give you any anyway! After this we walked past where scenes of Mission Impossible 6 and Black Hawk down were filmed and then onto the grounds of the Royal Palace. Lunch was at a local restaurant and Ted partook of the meatballs (recommended dish) and I had the less appetising chicken tagine. Return to the hotel now and free time allotted to us for good behaviour so Ted and I sat by the rooftop pool. We were soon joined by several agreeable members of the group and spent a pleasant afternoon in the sun with a swim. Dinner at the hotel's Italian restaurant tonight.Read more