Morocco, 2014, Part Three, Tetouan to Casablanca

After a final breakfast at the small hotel at which we stayed in Fez, our driver and "bodyguard" from last year's visit to Tetouan, Hashim, picked us up in Fez and drove us to Tetouan.  There we stayed in a condo in Kabila that our friend Redouan arranged for us.


Because the supermarkets where one can purchase beer and wine had closed, in fact, wonderful Hashim called a friend in Tetouan, who picked up a couple bottles of Moroccan Rose for us to enjoy that night.  

And Morocco produces an excellent variety of wines, especially the rose.

We ended up relaxing for a few days along the beautiful Mediterranean Sea, a five-minute walk from our delightful condo. 

Linda and I took several long walks along this shell-filled beach, the same one on which the king of Morocco has a summer retreat; his summer palace is located in Tetouan  not far from Kabila.   

One does not take pictures, however, of the king's summer retreat!

We also visited with Redouan and his wonderful family.  In addition to dining with them, Linda and I played whiffle ball with the younger son, a natural athlete.  

In fact, our first morning there after a long night, Fares, the younger of Redouan's two sons appeared at the end of my bed, looking for the sporting equipment we brought for him and his brother.

We returned to Mdiq, the small costal town near Tetouan where last year we ate grilled sardines and will do so again, perhaps as soon as the the summer of 2015.


  
This time, we ate at the Royal Yacht Club, housed along the Mdiq harbor, which was under construction last year. Linda and I loved the garlic-butter covered tiny clams.

After the final fish feast in Kabila on the final night of our stay, Hashim drove us at five in the morning to the bus station in Tetouan, where be bought tickets to our final stop on this year's trip, Casablanca.

Photographs from Morocco Trip, 2014, Part 3.2, Tetouan, Kabila, Mdiq, and Casablanca

Linda and I found the bus and the train rides excellent though we cannot say the same for the taxi drivers.  For the latter, we did not take not one taxi ride without an argument at the end of the ride about the agreed-upon price before entering the bab.  Always something new, so we just had to stay firm, which is not a comfortable way to travel.

We arrived in Casablanca early in the afternoon and stayed at a nice hotel that Redouan suggested, expensive and elegant--and most comfortable.  

After lunch at the hotel, we walked, getting lost more than a few times, to the coast.  Before leaving Morocco, we wanted to see Casablanca's stunning mosque on the sea, the second largest masque in the world.

The mosque certainly dominates the shoreline, and its massive size and beauty impressed both of us.  Unfortunately, we did not have time to take a tour.  

Early the next morning, we took our last taxi of the trip to the airport in Casablanca, flying from there to Madrid, to New York, and then on to Chicago, arriving at the house around five in the morning.  

A wonderful way to begin the summer vacation.