Casablanca. I know, it wasn’t actually a musical, but apparently, in the 1960’s, it almost was. I had a day in the city, and glad that I visited. Here we are, again, with fascism on the rise, but without Bogie and Bergman to help. I’d take Claude Raines or Peter Lorre at this point.
Much nicer day in Tangier today. Took a walking tour of the Kasbah and the Medina. Casablanca has newer buildings, and you see areas that are being cleared for new construction. After all, Rick’s Cafe Americain opened in 2004. The mosque was beautiful, and the architecture of some government buildings was distinctive. Otherwise, it’s a big, noisy and dirty city. My throat is still a bit sore from the pollution. Tangier has more of a sense of history and life (and less traffic).
In both Casablanca and Tangier, we were given time to shop. Haggling was expected and on the streets, men selling leather, silver and other wares, could be quite aggressive. I found it funny that whenever I was near a woman about my age, the hawkers would ask if they were my wife. They would leave me in peace when I would answer no. They figured if I wasn’t buying something for a woman, I wasn’t going to buy anything. It made resisting temptation to spend easier.
We ended our visit with tea at a lovely hotel in the middle of the Medina. Palais Zahia was lovely, and looks like a nice place to stay in Tangier with a great location. I have been so lucky with the weather – not too hot or cool, and no rain. Apparently, according to Mohamed, our guide, it’s a problem. They need rain.
Thank you Scott, I “travel” through your descriptions…I hear Marrocco is not just beautiful but quite a complex, multilayered place. And yes, I wish rain to Tangier: when looking at satellite photos of the surrounding plains, they are not simply in a sad state, but in a desperate one. Nature surely needs rain…May Allah, God, Jehovah, the gods, or even just the fair winds bring it amply, steadily, gentle, and all in good measure.
Didn’t make it to Casablanca, but my sense of Tangier was the same. I really enjoyed the architecture but would have liked it more without a host of vendors trying to sell me magnets, scarves, and teapots. Mark finally told the magnet guy he couldn’t buy any because they won’t stick on our stainless steel fridge. The guy was momentarily speechless … and we walked away. I enjoyed the tea (at that same hotel), at least in part, because the vendors were kept at bay!