1/6/2014 - Mint Tea & Mosques - Casablanca Condensed

We were finally on our way almost 2 hours after landing at Casablanca's Airport, spending over one of those hours trying to locate a missing couple who somehow found a different exit from the baggage area than the rest of us.  Kudos to Aziz, our guide, for not giving up his search - although I'm pretty positive the rest of us were prepared to (ha ha).

We drove a short distance through the downtown area, deboarding our bus along the Boulevard de la Corniche - a seaside avenue. This was a much needed opportunity to stretch out our legs with a short walk after all that time sitting in various airports and on planes. 

It was an absolutely beautiful day made even better by our first taste of wonderful mint tea and fried flat bread flavored with olive oil, locally made soft cheese & thyme, which we enjoyed at a local restaurant facing the roiling waves of the Atlantic Ocean. 

Our next stop was the incredibly breathtaking Hassan II Mosque built along a rocky outcrop of reclaimed land bordering the Atlantic. Designed by French architect Michael Pinseau, it can accommodate 25,000 worshippers inside and 80,000 outside. 

Its construction concluded in 1993, costing $750 million and involving 6000 craftsmen over a period of 6 years. Materials include marble from Agadir, cedar wood from the Middle Atlas and granite from Tafraoute. Venetian glass was the only imported material. 

Even with a wide-angle lens, my photos just don't do this magnificent building justice.

The Hassan II Mosque

Lastly, before entering the last stretch of highway toward Rabat, Aziz so very kindly made time for a quick photo op just for my sister, Carolyn. So, Carolyn, just for you and Joel, here's looking at you kid - Rick's Cafe (ha ha)...

...the fruition of a 2-year tourism project by Kathy Kriger (AKA Madam Rick), an American woman who has lived in Morocco since 1998. 

The 1930s Pleyel piano still dominates the central courtyard and the movie, Casablanca, is screened upstairs nightly.