Morocco

Jan 9-12, 2020
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We had enjoyed our previous visit to Morocco, but unfortunately didn’t get outside of Casablanca on our first trip. This time, we took advantage of some reasonably priced business-class airfares and put together a small getaway with an opportunity to get further afield.

January 10

After arriving on our overnight flight from Casablanca, we picked up a rental car and Tom successfully navigated his way to Marrakech. Thankfully our hotel was just outside of the congested city centre, so we were able to check in to our hotel and head out to explore the city.

Park Lalla Hasna

12th century Koutoubia Mosque minaret

Djemaa El-Fna Square, the centre of the old city

One of a number of snake charmers that we tried to stay clear of

One of many colourful vendors in the maze of the Marrakech Médina

Deeper into Marrakech Médina

Some of the many colourful spices on display

Tom found a friend

Continuing to explore the labyrinth

Ali Ben Youssef Medersa once held 900 students but is currently under renovation

A construction site in the Médina revealed the many layers of historical buildings

Artful display of hats for sale

Distant mountains seen from the city centre

Safety may not be their strongest suit

Fountain Du Harti

Modern upscale shopping

Place du 16 Novembre in the new part of the city (Ville Nouvelle)

Place de la Liberte Fountain

Man in a wire holding hugging a globe statue

Cyberpark is a modern oasis of calm

More of the sculptured Cyberpark

An early dinner overlooking the craziness of Djemaa El-Fna Square

Koutoubia Mosque as sunset approaches

Marrakech City Hall

Tom found another friend amongst the crowd

Having had our fill of food and the crowds, we headed back to the hotel before sunset and crashed for the evening

January 11

After breakfast, we had the morning to explore more of old Marrakech. Covering some new areas before getting lost again in the old city.

12 century Ban Agnaou gate is one of 19 gates entering the old town

Horse and carriage outside the Moulay El Yazid Mosque

Bird guarding the El Badi Palace

Interior of the Saadian Tombs

More ornate Saadian Tombs

Impressive mosaics of the grounds

More of the tombs

Grounds outside the tombs

Navigating the remains of the Badi Palace

Pigeons finding a home in the old walls

Another friendly cat wandering the ruins

Early morning the market looks a lot different

The interior of Bahia Palace

Impressive interior of the Bahia Palace

Palace arches and one of many courtyards

Very detailed mosaic palace ceiling

Incredible scale of the palace courtyard

Amazing wood ceiling

One last cat photo

A number of Bahia’s champers have stains glass to complement the marble and wood carvings

The Kutubiyya Mosque

The Kutubiyya Mosque grounds

After our exploration of the city, we headed back to the hotel, checked out, and drove to Casablanca. As we arrived late in the day, we didn’t have much energy to explore so grabbed some food and crashed for the night.

January 12

After breakfast, we made our way to the airport and back to Toronto through Montreal, ready to get back to work and kick off 2020.