Impressions of Casablanca and goodbye....

Colours – whereas Marrakech is known as the Pink City – Casablanca is more like the White and Beige City, to my mind. More coastal, the vegetation is reflected as such and when we arrived, a slight cool sea breeze helped cool down the humid temperatures. Nevertheless, our long trek, from our hotel to the mosque, around the coast to Rick’s Café, a total of over 11 k’s was taken very slowly. The neighborhood in which our Hotel was situated, was residential, with some of the world’s most expensive brands, but was grubby.  On the main street to the coast the footpaths were not maintained and bins of overflowing rubbish were dotted around. Apparently the ‘commissions’ taken between the taxpayers and workers were extremely high, leaving very little for street and rubbish maintenance. However nothing is being spared for the promenades’ refurbishments along the coast on either side of the mosque. Marble pavings and simple, elegant plantings abound making this a most ambient place to meet, as many locals were doing, especially in the cool evening.  Some uncompleted gardens had their own guards with dogs – Alsatians and Dobermans, and at night accompanied by friendly rats and the odd large cockroach.

Casablanca is a growing city – new buildings with all the big worldwide brands, with new tall apartment blocks, and new white and beige residences in the outskirts of the city.  After a wonderful sleep in the “Gray Hotel” – where everything is grey – grey curtained wall coverings everywhere, through to the grey concrete bathrooms - it is goodbye to Morocco, thank you for the glimpse!