CASABLANCA, MOROCCO
We arrived at Casablanca Airport and it was the first time that the deplaning and processing through customs was long and and exhausting. We finally exited the terminal 2 hours after our flight had landed. We were smart to have booked a transfer to our our apartment in advance, because the airport is located pretty far from the city center.
The taxi ride was definitely an adventure, several times we could see our lives flash in front of our eyes as our driver sped, weaved and dodged his way through the traffic. After traversing into the city for five minutes, all of a sudden our driver pulled over and started moving our luggage into another Taxi. Our driver did not speak English or French so he gestured that we were to go with the new taxi which was a beat up old taxi. Lucky for us 10 minutes later the new driver pulled up to our Apartment building and we were greeted by a representative from the Apartment company.
Our apartment is in Villa Des Arts, built in 1934. The historic building is one of Casablanca's leading works of Art Deco Architecture.
Sacred Heart Cathedral
Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda is the largest city in Morocco. Casablanca, known as the white city is the largest city in North Africa and is the economic and financial capital of Morocco. It is called a white city becasue the majority of the buildings in the city are white.
The Sacred Heart Cathedral is a former Catholic sanctuary of the city of Casablanca. It was built in the early 1930s by architect Paul Tournon. The style of the cathedral is a blend of Art Deco with neo-gothic and Moorish touches especially in the two towers flanking the entrance. The cathedral ceased its religious function in 1956, after the independence of Morocco. It subsequently became a cultural center which is usually open to visitors but was closed when we were there.
Parc de la Ligue Arabe
Park is absolutely stunning! Perfect for relaxing, playing, working out. In the center of Casablanca & very easy to get to by foot. The landscaping is breathtaking we could stay all day. So many picturesque spots located throughout the large park. Extends across the busy roadway for even more beautiful tuck-a-ways & photo ops. The fountains weren’t on but I can only imagine the tranquility they bring.
Place Mohammed V
Mohammed V Square is popularly referred to as "Pigeons' Square". It seems literally carpeted with pigeons. They never go away, and it reminds me of Hitchcock's movie "The Birds"... Are they waiting for something?
The Square is surrounded by government buildings with some newer buildings in the style of Moorish Revival. It is a large plaza gathering place with locals, sightseers and musicians in the center of the city which is just a short walk from our apartment.
At night the street around our apartment come alive and is a bustle of activity with locals walking on the street eating and socializing. The video below is taken at 9:00 pm from one of our balconies.
Klelia
Hanane
The daughter Hanane speaks Arabic and French but no English but her mother Klelia speaks some English and is significantly better with her English than my French. She learned english as an aupare in London as a young woman. The family speak French in the household. So between her English and my French we were able to communicate very effectively. They showed us their apartment and invited us to join them and two of their family members for a special Moroccan dinner, that they were having because their niece was leaving for Paris to continue her studies. We got to know each other and had coffee for a while before Klelia's sister-in-law arrived. They were interested in how the booking and management of our Apartment was handled and advertised. Hanana is a Property Manager for their building and possibly other properties, but I am not sure.
The sister-in-law, Nagat arrived. She spoke a little English but not as well as Klelia. She is a holistic healing and meditative professional therapist. While we were there she played a crystal "singing bowl" for us. Singing bowls, are ancient bowls that produce sound and vibration when played with a mallet or striker. We discussed holistic meditation and healing with her and she was pleased that we understood and were receptive to holistic and meditative practices.
Nagat
Her daughter, Abala, showed up and she spoke very good English and asked more specific questions about the marketing and coordination of our travel living arrangements to explain to Klelia. She was facinated in how we travel and live around the world. Abala is studying Marketing at the University in Paris, her earlier studies were in Bordeaux and the dinner was in her honor.
Abala
Hanane prepared the traditional Moroccan dish of rfissa, which is served on special occasions and is also the dish that is traditionally served to new mothers. So we were honored with that very special treat. The rfissa was a spectacular presentation of stewed turkey and lentils fragrantly seasoned with fenugreek, saffron, and the base is a bread noodle that Hanane prepared from scratch made much like the Italians make pasta. They served it with a gravy and we drank hot mint tea. The rfissa was so flavorful and delicious and the amazing blend of spices and flavor was a wonderful gift to our tastebuds.
It is one of the more special events we have had since we started traveling, we feel very fortunate to have met this family and were honored by being invited to break bread with them on their family occasion. Nagat is having a retreat in September which we have been invited to join and we plan to get in contact with Abala when we are in Paris to possibly meet up. I am sure we will spend some more time with Klelia and Hanane while we are here in Casablanca.
We met some of our neighbors who live across the street last night. We were out on our balcony watching the activity and looked across and saw two women on here balcony looking out. We waved to each other and then one motioned for us to come over and gestured for eating. We went across the street to their building and they took us up to their penthouse apartment. They were mother and daughter and are natives to Casablanca. In fact the building they live in was built by their grandfather and the family has lived there for generations.
Ancienne Medina
The Ancienne Medina or Old Medina is the oldest part of the city of Casablanca. We were greeted by a clock tower and a gateway to the Medina.
The tower caught our eye as we walked from the central part of the city where we live to the medina. The tower looks very much like a minaret. It has four round clock faces with roman numerals, it looked like it was very influenced by French architecture. Next to the tower is a main gate to the Medina.
The narrow lanes near these gates are where most shops are found; the rest of the medina remains largely residential. In its everyday shops (hardware stores, pharmacies and shops selling cheap clothing and shoes predominate), but its whitewashed crooked lanes, occasional tree-shaded square and buzzy local cafes make it a colorful and interesting walk.
One of the most interesting things that i noticed that differentiated the Medina area from the rest of Casablanca besides the narrow winding labyrinth of streets was the beautiful wooden doors and shutters. They are crafted from a rich reddish tinted wood and set off the white buildings with an innate rich beauty.
Notre Dame de Lourdes Cathedral
Modernist, near brutal slabs of souring concrete surmounted by a tiny crucifix is unlike any cathedral we have seen so far. Certainly, no other church looks like it, a foreboding massive household refrigerator.
In contrast, the inside is dazzling with towering stained glass windows. The interior space is vast, open and airy. Beams of dazzling colored light splash against the opposite walls from the mosaic of glass that stretches the length of the cathedral on both sides.
In the courtyard of the church is a replica of the Grotto of Lourdes where the schoolgirl Bernadette had her visions and revelations of the Virgin Mary.
