Shukran Morocco

In an unprecedented occurrence, I'm actually writing this entry in the present - well, not back-dated by a month anyway.

As the previous entries mentioned, we've stayed for the last 5 days at Riad Kalaa in Rabat. We had all the best intentions of going on little medina trips and getting to know the city more but the Riad had a vortex-like quality that sucked you into the courtyard for extended mint tea sessions or into its rooftop pool. With very little effort, an entire day would disappear in a wonderfully sloth-like haze.

We cannot speak highly enough of Riad Kalaa and, if you're ever going to Rabat, book yourself in for a wonderfully restful and luxurious time: http://www.riadkalaa.com/riad.php?lan=en&

Usually, we would have dinner in the riad - an interesting affair where no menu exists. At breakfast, you tell the staff whether you'll be there for dinner and then turn up. They serve you nice food and then you go away again. Sometimes, we'd grab a petit taxi or walk down to Le Grand Comptoir on Mohamed V and have lunch in their art deco salon. One of the waiters began to recognise us and, speaking about 4 different languages, would teach us a few more Arabic words at each meal.

Yesterday it was with some reluctance that we left the riad and boarded a train for Casablanca. Back in Casablanca's Hotel Barcelo, we've slept in, it's just about 9am now and time for a leisurely breakfast soon I think.

At 3pm today we fly from Morocco back to Madrid for a few days before our trans-Atlantic trip. Morocco has treated us well and I feel (as I usually feel when saying goodbye to a country) a little sad that I cannot stay longer.

A visual summary of our trip: