Monday, 22 April 2024

Sailing from Gibraltar to Melilla, Spanish North Africa

Today is perfect for a quiet day at sea as we sail from the tip of Gibraltar to one of two Spanish enclaves on the northern Mediterranean coast of Morocco:  Cueta and Melilla. There is a long and controversial history of how these two small pieces of land were carved out of Morocco and ceded to Spain. I will give you more information about that when the blog catches up to next Tuesday.

Thursday, 18 April 2024

Sailing from Lanzarote to Casablanca, Morocco

We spend the first sea day of this cruise as we sail eastward from the Canary Islands to the central coast of Morocco. There are so many activities on board all morning, it is difficult to choose. So after breakfast Will and I decide to settle in for a long nap after all these days of touring and sailing.

After lunch we both attend a lecture by guest speaker, Karen Worrell (from Scotland): "Gibraltar:  a Gateway to History, Culture, and Scenic Splendors." The British occupation/ownership of this strategic  spit of land separating the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea is complicated and still contentious. Although thousands of Spaniards cross the border--in the middle of the airport runway--everyday, relations between Spain and Gibraltar are not comfortable. But more on that when we arrive in Gibraltar next week.

The other major sea day activity is the ship-wide "Block Party." Scheduled on every Seabourn cruise, passengers are invited out of their suites to meet with officers and crew who travel from deck to deck--of course they are accompanied by drinks and snacks. It's a chance for passengers to meet their neighbors and to chat with crew members.

We have dinner tonight in Solis, the one dining venue that requires reservations. I will describe that experience later on when I dedicate a blog to the Quest itself.

Friday, 19 April 2024

Casablanca, Morocco

Ah, the romantic mystery of Casablanca created by Hollywood movies! Too bad there is little of that atmosphere in the actual city. In fact, one of the guide books I consulted says that except for the main mosque and the old city, "the city of Casablanca for the rest is not particularly interesting. But we do have a full day here, from 7am to 9pm.

Will takes a four-hour morning shore excursion, "Casablanca Highlights & Hassan II Mosque," that allows him to visit inside the mammoth mosque, designed by Frenchman Michel Pineau and constructed from 1986 to 1993. It is the second largest mosque in Africa and 14th largest in the world. Its 689-foot minaret is the second tallest in the world. A maximum of 105,000 worshippers can gather together for prayer: 25,000 inside the mosque hall and another 80,000 on the mosque's outside ground.

His tour also visits some older neighborhoods, the Notre Dame de Lourdes Church, the oceanfront corniche, and the United Nations Square in the center of the city.

Notre Dame de Lourdes Church

United Nations Square:  Post-Modern City Government Building

United Nations Square:  French Consulate

United Nations Square:  Court of Justice

My own shore excursion, "Casablanca & Rabat," lasts a little longer at 10 hours and includes tours of both cities. As the bus leaves the port we have a quick view of Rick's Cafe, one of the chief tourist fakes of the city--the original one is on a movie studio in California. 

We have an extended walk around the outside of the Hassan II Mosque, but our visit is too early to get inside.

We drive south along the oceanfront corniche, passing many large murals on the inland side.

The "New Medina," built by the French to resemble a traditional market, is another example of "fake" Casablanca.

The Magic of African Mirrors

And we stop for photos at United Nations Square (see above), before leaving Casablanca for the 90-minute drive north to Rabat, the official capital of Morocco.

Rabat is both smaller and more beautiful than Casablanca. It is the governmental capital, while Casablanca is the financial capital of Morocco. The expressway that takes us to Rabat runs through pleasant and lush countryside. It's too bad that most Moroccans don't understand highway driving and pay no attention to passing lanes and speed limits--they drive much too slowly and the bus driver has to constantly lean on the horn.

The road entry to Rabat and many of its main streets are well-maintained with rows of over-lapping trees lining the sidewalks.

On the way to the primary place of interest, the mausoleum of King Mohammed V, we pass two examples of Rabat's push into 21st-century post-modern architecture: the Grand Theater of Rabat designed by Zaha Hadid, and an actual skyscraper, the Bank of Africa Tower, the tallest building in Morocco.

 

The King's Mausoleum is part of a large walled complex guarded by royal soldiers on beautiful horses.

The complex includes the shell of an unfinished mosque and its minaret.

But of most importance is the burial building itself, in which we are allowed to visit and even take photos.

After the mausaleoms we are taken to an elegant restaurant for a typical and very filling meal of many courses, all served family style:

a variety of cold salads, chicken tagine, beef and vegetable couscous, and warm fruit for dessert (the orange slices with cinnamon are delicious). To end the meal is the ubiquitous mint tea. I am not generally a tea drinker, but I find this local concoction of tea, mint leaves and sugar highly addictive.

After lunch we visit the Kasbah, the fort and former residence of the local Pasha. The highlight of the visit is the Andalusian garden, modeled on the gardens of the Alhambra in Granada.

Andalusian Garden

Entrance to the Kasbah

On the way out of Rabat we stop for a brief glimpse of the front of the royal palace (no visitors allowed), before the ninety-minute drive back to Casablanca and the Quest (and dinner).