Bye bye Morocco

Time to go, time for Ramadan, the clock is moved forward...time to get on that plane.

Back to Marrakesh

We are ready for our last drive back to Marrakesh, the temperature goes from a pleasant 29C to an unbearable 50 C something. The only possible place to be is the swimming pool, even at 8 p.m. is not really cooler, we don't have the strength to go back in town. Tomorrow it is an early start again.

Agadir!

Day at the beach, it is hazy but the kids need a break from the Medina
Afternoon going up the kasbah for the view, in the souk for the video games and down the port for a grilled fish, drive on the new marina in Agadir. We have seen pretty much all aspects of Morocco!

On the road to Agadir

We are saying goodbye to the group and to this very pleasant town and take the road to Agadir. Agadir a little too modern for my taste, the bay has its geographical beauty but the old city was destroyed in an earthquakes in the 1960 and all it left are its new everything and flock of tourists. We shop at a Moroccan supermarket and I feel back in Playa. However after a month we manage to have an half way home made meal. The kids are really craving for pasta.

Shopping and walking around, Hammam

The breakfast on the roof terrace hearing the seagull feasting also on so much fish. We enjoying a stroll on the other side of town and we really like all part of it, the Jewish area, the fruit market, the fish market, the great craft shop.
In the early afternoon Teresa and I manage also a great Hammam experience very fancy but not very authentic, however very elegant. In the afternoon we manage to buy there great bedspreads and made a man happy.
At night we having a fish dinner at the port at Sam's another memorable food experience.

Drive to Essaouria

Essaouria would be our favorite place on the coast. Beautiful wind city, right mix of people, perfect Riad Balladin in the perfect location. Under Nicole advice we also pick a good Moroccan restaurant.

Beach - boat day

Next day we try to sunbath, the lagoon is beautiful but the water too cold. We hire Mohammed 11 for a boat tour on the lagoon bt he is very silent, Mohammed I had left with other tourists.
After another fish feast, we take a walk on the stretch of sand and rocks around the laguna. We would enjoy the place more if there were few thousands people less.

Drive towards Oualidia, stop at Casablanca and El Jadida

It seems after all a good idea to make our first stop in Casablanca, it's Sunday and there is absolutely no traffic. All the Casablanca horror is dissipated. We park in front the Hassan II mosque which is impressive in size, beauty and location. We find a very European snack place before we hijt the road. Next stop the recommended El-jadida, it is a beach town but the Portuguese old cit is magnificent. We shop and sightseeing.




We finally get to Oualidia, invaded by beach goers. It is a bit overwhelming but it is Unday so we hope on less crowd the next day. The hotel is very basic, but it is on the beach and the food is recommended.
So we feast of fish and seafood!

Medina, kasbah, meeting with Hammou

We are ready to explore, we are really impressed by the beauty of the kasbah that it reminds a bit of Chefchaouen. The view of the bay is great, it is really a pleasant walk.
In the afternoon we go to the site of an unfinished mosque, where mostly only columns are on. The space is very pleasant and there we get to meet Hammou, then girls and Atika which seem a bit surreal. We go where people in Rabat go, in the cafe across the parliament. A friend of Hammou join us and we get the local recommendation for a restaurant where locals go.

The Capital!

We are ready for the capital, we have our first shock after Fez, Rabat is quite, liveable and has just inaugurated a super modern tramway. Oh well clearly morocco is investing in its infrastructure. We are having dinner in this restaurant commended by the lonely planet that became a problem because they is an over presence of tourists.
Our hotel is very clean, decent and seem a good place to relax.

The incredible Medina

The Medina in Fez lives up to its reputation, you are in a maze of narrow streets where all kind of commercial activity is going on. We don't trust our sense of direction and we are the classic two brothers with impeccable Italian that take us around. All goes well until we don't stop at the restaurant they want where clearly tey are going they get their percentage. We manage on our own to look at the different mosque and Madrassa along the way. Gigi is able to solve the technical aspect later with the guide who had refused half payment for half day work. We walk all the way to the Sofitel to sip an overpriced mint tea and enjoy the view of this crazy city. We end up having dinner on the terrace of a alternative hip resto/snack/bar.

Driving towards Fez

It was hard to leave this beautiful blue city. A peace a calm part of the world. On our way we stop at Volubilis, roman site with very much intact mosaics even if the site itself is not extremely well kept, you imagine the size and structure of the city. We get to Fez and it looks less chaotic than I imagine. We take the wrong turn and we are driving on the new city in this amazing boulevard lined with miles of palm trees. We find our back back to the Medina and with the "cousins" help we find our Riad. The Riad has great location, great tile and wood work. By some miracle the gang is able to get there too and we arr back in high school !!!! We end up in a very touristic restaurant even if the surrounding is beautiful, it is not what we came for, oh well is late ,we have to eat and sleep.

Oh that blue!

Start with breakfast on the terrace of this riad is definetely a good way to start the day. A little conversation with Begona gave me an understsding of her point of view on Morocco. Finally we manage to put together a picnic with freshly bakes bread (bought at the oven place and not the little store) and local goat cheese, delicious tomato and grapes (original taste). We take a little hike until a Mosque from where we have a beautiful view of the Medina.
After our lunch in the shade of the mosque, we go visit the kasba that is well restored with a lovely garden, tower and prison and a little etnographic museum. Apparrently I learn that Chefchouan has a spiritual importance and its beauty is mainly due to th arrival of the spanish jewish and muslim kick out form Andalusia. The kids are pretty tired so we get a eak on the beautiful riad before dinner at the Magic Lantern. 

To the mountain again

After a rapid stop at the post office, for the second time in this trip we take the hotel's key that we have to send back, then at the bank, we stop for lunch at a gas station. This was a tip given to us...for good food stop at the restaurant of the gas station. The Total outside Larache is a must. Perfect grilled meat...so delicious! We arrive in Chefchouan in the afternoon and the town is a perfect surprise: blue, beautiful, quite and our riad is incredibly cozy. This is definetely my favorite town so far. The second language is definetely Spanish in this part of the country even spoken by the eleders. I guess I get to practice my Spanish here and the most fun is that people look Spanish too!
You feel the waves of conquests in the ethnic, linguistic and racial make up of the people. We tour the main street until the fountains where women hand wash their clothes and kids play in the really fresh water. I tried it and I was having a feet freeze. Dinner at Hisham on the main square delicious couscous and great view.

I might go to hell for this post!

I found Morocco fascinating for more than one reason but this one I found worth mentioning. The first day in Marrakesh I see two couples of men walking hand on hand (seriously interlacing fingers), I am saying to myself "pretty tolerant for a Muslim country to have homesexuals been open" considering they were walking across the street from the mosque. I felt so deeply ignorant of this country when I discovered that it does not mean that these men are gays...really I have lived to long in NY. However, later in mountain path and isolated areas I always spot two equally good looking fit guys taking the hike.
If you also consider that they traditionally wear long dresses and most suspicious of all is that the open dating with the other sex is not really permitted....you like it or not Morocco is a gay country, maybe not by vocation but by necessity.
My Moroccan friend find my analysis hilarious and maybe not totally wrong.
Oh well, it will make some other friends very happy to pretend to be in paradise!

The roosters are noisy!

Waking up with the sound of nature is a treat! Lazy morning at the guest house, finally we decide to explore our surroundings: the Atlantic beach, town and the famous lagoon.  Everything could be so much better with more maintenance and less construction. However it retains a Moroccan flavor, with enormous market and people going in all directions for some kind of celebration.

Tangier

This astonishing town was nothing like I expected, of course we skipped the new city and concentrating on the medina. No pushy vendors, perfect breezy temperature, souk relatively quite...nothing like Marrakesh. It was a real pleasant walk with view on Gibraltar. We are driving down to Moulay Bussalham and it would have been a pleasant drive if we did not take a bumpy road for no particular reason other than the GPS telling us it was a good idea, we find our little guesthouse, an oasis of flowers and green. The restaurant is packed by a group of exapts so we heading to eat fish in town.

Ceuta

We decided to cross the border to get to this Spanish enclave a couple of km from our hotel. It is a real border crossing and and once in Ceuta (or Sebta) you know you are in Spain. The atmosphere, the architecture, the shops, the way people go about their way. The view is incredible all arourd this peninsula, we visit the fortress and its museum, walk around town and drive up to a still very active military area from where we are forbidden to take picture of the bay..I guess for security reasons!

Cabo Negro

We make it to the beach late enough, and hang out with the Elkadiri's. 
We are having dinner overlooking the bay. Can you believe it that in this town at night it gets chilli!

Further north

We are on tne road again to visit Taib and family at Cabo Negro. The drive through the hills around Meknes, the farmland, the Rif moutains is a real pleasure. We finally arrive at destination and  we step into a playa del carmen type pf scenario with lots of new construction mostly vacation apartments for the upper middle class Moroccans. Clearly it is not the Morocco we have seen up to now or the one we came for...but it is clearly part of the landscape of the modern Morocco. We spend the afternoon catching up on old friendship and having a late dinner at an exquisite fish restaurant.

Who needs Switzerland when you have Morocco!

We explore the area, a secluded village surrounded by water falls, pretty idilliac spot, but we were also hungry and all we could find was delicious home made cake and few other emergency food. In the afternoon we drive to Ifrane, unusual to say the least considering that we are in Morocco. The town built by the French in 1930 it is a replica of a very nostalgic alpine born architect and urban planner...everthing looks like in France at the Suisse border! If they would serve alcohol  at the terrace of the bar it would be France.  It might be the only town which is exotic for Moroccans.

From the desert to the mountains

Bright and early we leave camp, it is a great ride back, the dromedaries are such fantastic animals. Our adventure in the sahara is completed, we drive north to Azrou, little mountain village with a totall different flavor. The air is cripy, our accomodation interesting and the arhitecture completed different from what we hve seen up to now. We drive throught cedar forest and we spot two ape's families...that makes two tired kids wake up!
We get dinner in a local place, a classic tajine will conclude this strange day from the desert to the mountains.

The unforgettable desert

With our new guide Ali we went to see the sahara musicians, a little touristee but still interesting, we drive to Rissani and we get lucky because the sunday market is incredible. The more unusual one is the animal market where goats , sheeps and cows are waiting for being sacrified. We eat a Rissani pizza that only in Rissani they kow how to make. Finally around 6 we make it to the edge of the dunes and we start our ride in the desert. The desert is the real postcard desert and we are the poster tourists with turbants on our head and good attitude. The ride is truly amazing, we get to the camp and we are the only tourists. Love it. There are few bedouins tents around, the japanese woman who lives there 3 weeks out the months. We sleep looking at the stars and smelling the desert....The best sleep ever!

Driving South

After a quite morning through at Perle du Dades, we stop at the Todra gorges, the locals were bathing in the fresh water. We proceed to Merzouga, the landscape is getting more and more desert, getting closer to Merzouga the contrast of volcanic sand with amber-yellow huge dunes...you know you are at the hedge of your known world. Abdul, our guide, is at our meeting place which is reassuring when you are in the middle of nowhere. We get few interesting info about this area dominated by arabs allowite where the women wear total veil. The Sahara is waiting for us with all its mystic.

Morocco canyons

We learn a lot about Morocco through the super friendly couple hotel owner. Next day we start our 60km drive through the Moroccan canyons. In some ways it reminds us of the south-west but in another way it has its own identity. We take a little walk through the garden!

Going to the Gorges du Dades

On the way we stop at Ouarzazate at the atlas film studio. It is kind of hot because we get there in the middle of the day however we still enjoy our tour. The kids get also an understanding of movie making. Under Collette advice we stop at Talmut guesthouse for a swim and a delicious lunch. We are overlooking a beautiful oasis. After lunch we take a walk in this luscious vegetation and admire the incredible irrigation system. We almost get lost but an old berber help us find our ways. Before heading to the Gorges we take picture of the beautiful restored kasbah Isminil. Finally at 9 p.m. After traveling 5 km of dirt road we get to our hotel! We are the only guests .... What a treat!

The village

We visit Ait bennadou, we miss the bridge so we cross a river with the help of local kids...we enter the village trough a kasbah. Tourism is down this year and the village is particularly sleepy. Beautifully restored, it is incredible to discover the little alleys where you never know
if you are going to step in a private house. Maybe the concept of private is very fluid in this type of village. We have lunch at a french run restaurant,we wait forever but the food is good. Back to our kasbah, the kids get their pool time. At sun down we go for our dromedary ride, first we stop at a village visit the granary .and then the cave where they use to stock forage. The ride takes us through gardens, rivers and villages. Everything seems have stopped at another time. Some occasional people speaking on cell phone remind you of this era.

On the way to Ait Bennadou

After spending a lazy morning at the pool, we are heading to the new city of Marrakesh, have a quick lunch, buy the key for internet connection. We are heading toward the desert mountains, it is a reminder of the south west with a Moroccan twist of little village with mud houses blending with the landscape. Everything is so peaceful, so deeply rural, flock of women (and also men) dressed colorfully. We get to our guesthouse Kasbah Ellouze 4 km from Ait Bennaddou...what a discovery. Taken back to few century the guesthouse is part of a kasbah of the 15th century partly restored by a lovely french couple. From the terrace of our suite we overlooked part of the ruins,
 Part of the oasis, part the mountains...and incredible scenery!

Pool and Marrakesh

After being such good tourists, we decide to have a take it easy morning between some homework for the kids, some trip planning for us, and some swimming pool. Contrary to expectation it is not that hot and the temperature is really pleasant. Around 4 we decided to finally explore the Souk, eat something. We hook up with Chiara and we walk around to visit the leather artisans and walk through the recommended walking tour. We get to the square dinner time,  we choose one of the terrace overlooking the crowded square, however not as crowded at the night before. I am having our first Moroccan couscous, fluffy and light! This Marrakesh is magical with the medina, the call for prayers to the indifferent passerby that continue chatting. Chatting is a very important activity that does not discriminate among women, men, veil or no veil.

Flying to Marrakesh

We had one sleep cycle, 3 hours...not much but enough to function. We go through the combination Ryanair with Moroccans and that is an experience in itself!
Finally we get on location and it is not even warm...26 C.
We settle in this very comfortable hotel, after having the not so new car but with working AC, and take a first deep in this great pool. Everybody is pretty tired after the early start but we have to visit the Djemaa el Fna. It is as we imagined but you have to be here to feel the pulse. It is Sunday night so extra frantic. We eat at Rachida food stand I think number 43. We buy Moroccan sweets with honey, pistachio and all kinds of goodies. The kids got a kick at seeing the snakes and monkeys.