We really thought they’d be playing it! I was greeted as Monsieur David by the man in a shawl collared white tux and we proceeded to our table through arched doorways of white wash plaster. It seemed authentic, especially when I spotted the piano next to the bar, but alas, no Sam. Rick’s Café is pretty much the only thing American kitschy playing off the famous film (the food was pretty good).
Casablanca is the economic capital of Morocco, but commercial, industrial does not make for great tourism, save for the Hassam II Mosque, built on reclaimed land jutting out of the City’s seaside. It was built from 1987 – 1993 and the tour info proudly boasts that it is the world’s third largest Mosque (the other two are in Saudi Arabia). It holds 25,000 worshippers in ultra modern marble, wood and glass splendor, with space for another 80K in the environs. It even has a retractable roof and at night and a green laser shines from the top of the 200M high minaret towards Mecca – pretty much a “stadium” of worship (no religious slight or blasphemy intended). It is also the only mosque that can be visited on the inside (by non-Muslims).
Cities and towns in Morocco most often contain a Medina – a walled-in “old city” with a maze of lanes and alleys, filled with shops, stalls, and markets. Our next stop was the seaside village of Essaouira and its tranquil “Medina” (no vehicles allowed). It was here that we stayed at our first “Riad” – a converted old style multi-level home built around a central courtyard. Fishing is where all the action is here – although the end of the beach sports several kite surfing and sailing shacks and you can ride a horse or camel on the beach (if you are careful not to stumble through an impromptu local soccer match). Near the pier are numbered stalls with platters of the daily catch. Simply point to what you want and they’ll serve it up right there.
The comparison is quite dramatic when arriving in Marrakech where a carnival atmosphere pervades the main square (Jemaa-el-Fna or”Place of the dead”). In stark contrast to the name, the square is full of life, with snake charmers, jugglers, monkey tamers, acrobats, fortune tellers, and more. The Medina here is full-force, in your face – all the time! People, bicycles, mule-drawn-carts and motorcycles continually dodge each other within 6 foot (2 metre) wide passageways. The food stalls are an extravaganza of display, with piles of olives and fruit, pyramids of spices and powders and bowls of snails, fish, and other cookable animal life. This is also where we saw the most tourists and as a result, the sleazier hard-sell tactics flow from the myriad shops. There are many other sights (palaces, gardens, ruins) within walking distance, but all roads return to where the action is – the Fracas of the Fna.P.S. a quick note to those who suggested that Alitalia flights are chock full of Italian models – well, you’ll have to ask Les – as they were all men.
