To Rabat
13/09/07 11:21 Filed in: Morocco
Up early (06:30) as we have a train to catch to Rabat. Security is pretty tight here. Even the showers are locked overnight. This is probably the most secure marina I have ever stayed in.
We caught a Petit Taxi just outside the dock gates. There are two types of taxi here. Petit Taxis, usually aging Fiat Unos or similar painted turquoise, and Grand Taxis always aging Mercedes painted cream. Petit Taxis whiz you around town and Grand Taxis take you to another town.
It only took a few minutes to the station and cost Drm 10. We were well early for our train and caught an earlier one (The Marrakech Express) to Rabat. Cost Drm 23 each. The trip took about 45 minutes.
Trying to make our way to the tourist office we took a Petit Taxi. The driver misunderstood and delivered us to the Ministere du Tourisme. Never mind. They gave us some maps and brochures and sent us on our way.
This is how to do a Palm lined avenue.
Tiling in a dry fountain.
I'm getting to quite like palm trees.
We looked at a couple of hotels before selecting the Hotel Splendide. A little less splendid than it once might have been but very central and cheap.
Then we set off on a circular walk, first to the Medina. A huge grid of narrow alleys where it was possible to buy pretty much anything.
After coming out of the Medina we walked along the waterfront to the Kasbah des Oudayas, the oldest part of Rabat and mainly residential.
A surf club on route.
Approaching the Kasbah.
Artefacts from an archeological dig near the Kasbah.
Southern wall of the Kasbah.
Pictures from the Kasbah. Note the colours.
An old house in the Kasbah....
....dating from 1378?
Doorway to an expensive house overlooking the river.
A river view.
The blue theme is repeated throughout the Kasbah.
The kasbah included the Jardin Andaluces.
Entrance to Jardin Andaluces.
Inside the garden.
More Garden.
Exiting the Kasbah went back into a different section of the Medina. I couldn't resist a colourful mat for the boat to cover our B&Q floormats. Nothing is priced. You ask and are given a price which you refuse.Then a long conversation starts at the end of which you may or may not have purchased something. This does not make for rapid shopping.
Medina street.
Rugs and Mirrors
A courtyard in the Medina fabric section.
A bit further along I found a little rucksack I liked. After a long conversation I did not buy it. A bit further along I found another. This time, after an hour, I became the proud owner of a new leather rucksack.
A shoemaker at work near where I bought the rucksack.
Most of the medina is sheltered from the sun. Often using woven branches as here.
Then we exited the Medina and took a Petit Taxi to Tour Hassan. Some 44 metres high it was intended, when built in the 12th century, to reach 88 metres. Its originator Sultan Yacoub el Mansour wanted to build the biggest mosque in the world. He failed but 200 columns on which the mosques was to stand fill the esplanade adjacent to Tour Hassan.
Tour Hassan and the columns.
Sunset over the columns.
At the other end of the esplanade is the Mohammed V Mausoleum. A sumptuous monument to the Sultan who led Morocco to independance. It was closed and we were only able to see the exterior.
Mohammed V Mausoleum...
....and the Imperial guards?
A longer view including the columns.
Extensive redevelopment at the river mouth in Rabat.
A new marina looks pretty well finished. Once the river is dredged and the redevelopment completed it shoud be possible to visit Rabat by yacht.
I've no idea what this flower is but they look lovely and we saw a lot in Rabat.
We caught a Petit Taxi just outside the dock gates. There are two types of taxi here. Petit Taxis, usually aging Fiat Unos or similar painted turquoise, and Grand Taxis always aging Mercedes painted cream. Petit Taxis whiz you around town and Grand Taxis take you to another town.
It only took a few minutes to the station and cost Drm 10. We were well early for our train and caught an earlier one (The Marrakech Express) to Rabat. Cost Drm 23 each. The trip took about 45 minutes.
Trying to make our way to the tourist office we took a Petit Taxi. The driver misunderstood and delivered us to the Ministere du Tourisme. Never mind. They gave us some maps and brochures and sent us on our way.
This is how to do a Palm lined avenue.
Tiling in a dry fountain.
I'm getting to quite like palm trees.
We looked at a couple of hotels before selecting the Hotel Splendide. A little less splendid than it once might have been but very central and cheap.
Then we set off on a circular walk, first to the Medina. A huge grid of narrow alleys where it was possible to buy pretty much anything.
After coming out of the Medina we walked along the waterfront to the Kasbah des Oudayas, the oldest part of Rabat and mainly residential.
A surf club on route.
Approaching the Kasbah.
Artefacts from an archeological dig near the Kasbah.
Southern wall of the Kasbah.
Pictures from the Kasbah. Note the colours.
An old house in the Kasbah....
....dating from 1378?
Doorway to an expensive house overlooking the river.
A river view.
The blue theme is repeated throughout the Kasbah.
The kasbah included the Jardin Andaluces.
Entrance to Jardin Andaluces.
Inside the garden.
More Garden.
Exiting the Kasbah went back into a different section of the Medina. I couldn't resist a colourful mat for the boat to cover our B&Q floormats. Nothing is priced. You ask and are given a price which you refuse.Then a long conversation starts at the end of which you may or may not have purchased something. This does not make for rapid shopping.
Medina street.
Rugs and Mirrors
A courtyard in the Medina fabric section.
A bit further along I found a little rucksack I liked. After a long conversation I did not buy it. A bit further along I found another. This time, after an hour, I became the proud owner of a new leather rucksack.
A shoemaker at work near where I bought the rucksack.
Most of the medina is sheltered from the sun. Often using woven branches as here.
Then we exited the Medina and took a Petit Taxi to Tour Hassan. Some 44 metres high it was intended, when built in the 12th century, to reach 88 metres. Its originator Sultan Yacoub el Mansour wanted to build the biggest mosque in the world. He failed but 200 columns on which the mosques was to stand fill the esplanade adjacent to Tour Hassan.
Tour Hassan and the columns.
Sunset over the columns.
At the other end of the esplanade is the Mohammed V Mausoleum. A sumptuous monument to the Sultan who led Morocco to independance. It was closed and we were only able to see the exterior.
Mohammed V Mausoleum...
....and the Imperial guards?
A longer view including the columns.
Extensive redevelopment at the river mouth in Rabat.
A new marina looks pretty well finished. Once the river is dredged and the redevelopment completed it shoud be possible to visit Rabat by yacht.
I've no idea what this flower is but they look lovely and we saw a lot in Rabat.