Sunday 11 May - Meknes & Volubilis Morocco

For me, the historic city of Meknes is the first Moroccan city that I visited yesterday which lived up to my expectations of it's ancient past.  The imposing ramparts & the ancient stables that housed up to 12,000 horses in the 11th century was extraordinary not only for it's size but also as to how it was built all those years ago.  It's an amazing architectural feat & as such, has become a UNESCO World Heritage site.  After walking the length of the ramparts, visiting the stables & the ancient mosque, we then went to the medina where we ate camel burgers!!!
After lunch we set off for Volubilis

, a two hour drive from Meknes.  Volubilis is an ancient Roman archaeological site that is also classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site.  It was developed from the 3rd century BC & it's location is breathtaking overlooking fertile agricultural fields framed by mountains.  Best of all, it is not crowded & makes wandering around this site a pleasure.  It seems that my opinion of Morocco is changing the further we get away from the larger cities like Casablanca!

Friday 9th May in Casablanca Morocco

Casablanca

is the largest of all the cities in Morocco.  Any romantic connotations of it's name created by the iconic movie starring Ingrid Bergmann & Humphrey Bogart some 60 odd years ago, has been dispelled by the rampant explosion of buildings & their decaying facades.  A large new area by the sea called "The Corniche" has a very Western European feel to it, with large mansions, heaps of outdoor cafes & restaurants by the sea & various beach clubs lining the coast.  I ate the most delicious ice-cream at one of these outdoor cafes.  Casablanca has an old & new Medina & the largest mosque in Morocco called the Hassan II Mosque.  There is even an efficient tram that makes it's way through the centre of town.  That night we had dinner at a wonderful Moroccan restaurant whose decor & food was fantastic.  However, without being guided there, it would have been impossible to find as most of the smaller streets are unnamed.  Casablanca is a good starting point for our "Best of Morocco" tour.

Wed 7th & Thu 8th May in Tangier Morocco

After leaving my beloved Andulucia in Spain, I knew my trip to Morocco would be very different & confronting as a female solo traveller to this region.  From Ronda I took the train on the iconic route to Algeciras, on the south coast of Spain, the gateway by sea, to North Africa.  I then caught the bus to Tarifa, (also on the south coast & the windsurfing capital of Spain) in order to catch the ferry to Tangier in Morocco.  What awaited me was a bleak scene of massive wide open areas, windswept & not inviting in any way.  Even the entry into was confronting.  At least 50 steps on almost a ninety degree angle which for someone like me, lugging my "yellow peril" suitcase. seemed like an almost impossible task of leaving the pier.  Fortunately a young man suddenly appeared out of nowhere & ran up the middle of the stairs with my suitcase.  Then the "fun" really began with being approached by at least ten taxi drivers.  After managing to find a money exchange place, I gratefully fell into a taxi which took me to my hotel.  I knew pretty quickly that the freedom I had experienced walking through Spain as a single female was going to be a very different affair in Morocco. so I made the decision to be accompanied by a male guide on a walking tour through the Tangier Medina

.  Suddenly all my concerns vanished in an instant & I was able to wander through the market without feeling threatened in any way.  I was able to see & appreciate the faded beauty of the facades of the old buildings, including old doors with mosaic tile surrounds & even smile & joke with the sellers of fish, fruit & veg etc.  A lesson learnt in Morocco!

Monday & Tuesday 5th & 6th May in Ronda Spain

I had read somewhere that Ronda

was not to be missed & how right that was.  For a smallish town it is impossible to describe how much is packed into it.  Everywhere one goes, there is the most amazing dramatic scenery whilst the town itself has lost nothing of its' Moorish & Andalucian architecture. Just when you think you have seen it all & you go down a side street & another dramatic scene awaits you!  I took 300 photos in two days - a record!  During the day there are a lot of groups but if you start early or wait until later in the day, Ronda reverts to it's quiet self.  The other lovely thing about visiting some of the dramatic landmarks is that fine musicians, mainly guitarists, play the most beautiful music where you feel that you could float away.  Today there was even a harpist accompanying a guitarist at the rotunda which has amazing views of the nearby mountains.  As a farewell to Ronda I made sure that I was sitting in a bar with direct views of the sunset.