The Medina and Beyond tour

Today was supposed to be a 4 hour walking/ bit of car tour of part of the city where I am - the Old Medina and mosques, etc. Turned out we just kept on going further and ended up with a 7 hour tour instead!! No extra charge!

We met at Rick's Cafe of the movie Casablanca fame.
There were 5 of us on tour, - a couple from Italy and a couple from San Antonio, Texas. We all got on really well and was sad to leave them really.
Our guide was called Mohammed.

So we walked some and a taxi drove us lots as well.
Our guide gave us an added extra of a tour inside the Hassan II Mosque. An inside tour wasn't the deal but he took us on a private tour with himself. The other couples had to pay, I didn't because I was on an Intrepid tour or something, still don't quite get it but ok thanks 😊. It was a bit special today also because the inside was all lit up because some dignitaries had just been in. There'll be 2 pages of just photos of this Mosque, it is very beautiful. The Casablancans are very proud of it because "it is built on the water" (reclaimed land) and it has the highest minuret in Africa.

We visited other mosques and churches. A museum or 2. Saw the slums and the rich area plus the King's home when he's in Casablanca. Apparently he lives mostly in Rabat.

We visited the old Medina near me plus the new Medina, including an olive tasting, mint tea, pastries. There was a local rug auction in the street.
Medina means the old walled part of a North African town

We didn't get lunch until 3.30! Imagine how hangry I was feeling, but so was my Texan friend 😂. So eventually we had a targine of choice. Mine was chicken with lemon and olives, very nice.

Then hometime so had another wander in the Medina markets here. Bought a couple of pottery things. I also went to the train station to buy a Telecom Maroc sim card. The bloke at the shop activated it all for me. Google maps won't work without data

Then a light tea of a lovely Moroccan soup with bread and olives with their Moroccan mint tea.

Turned out to be a big day.Read more