First time in Casablanca

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The port in Casablanca is huge so first sightings of the city are not good, but once past the huge containers and into the city itself the sights improve. It is a huge place with lots of white buildings in need of a coat of paint. Like all cities, it's wealthy area with tree lined streets and large white houses is fine but there are plenty of poorer areas. It has a very long frontage by the sea called the Corniche with lots of hotels and cafes and restaurants. The choppy sea makes it a magnet for surfers. Our first stop was at the huge Hassan11 Mosque which took 7 years to build by 10000 workers and is very beautiful. It has the highest Minaret and a beautiful roof which can open to let in the light, but I suspect this is rarely done. The huge chandeliers were crafted in Murano in Italy. The marble carving is beautifully done with typically Islamic ornate tile decorations on the walls. It dominates the city so is a must to visit. After driving along the Corniche we had a brief stop for some refreshment and then went for a walk through the medina where we saw the most amazing collection of every type of olive for sale you could imagine as well as the usual clothes and coffee jugs and glasses etc. In deference to the film, they also have Rick's Bar but how authentic this is, is open to question!

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