Wednesday, March 08, 2017

Tranquil Rabat

Rabat is the capital of Morocco and usually described kindly in the guide books who prefer it to Casablanca, its larger neighbor just one hour to the south, yet Rabat remains much less visited, which also means fewer touts and more local color.

We find ourselves comparing Morocco to China, maybe because of the large number of construction and restoration projects we come across -- unlike a lot of developing countries we visit, but like China, Morocco is actually developing. Being used to China, Rabat seems quite spacious and orderly, so we really feel the exoticism of Morocco, which I thought was only for the uninitiated.

My long time cop-out for not being able to make better bread is my lack of access to a high temperature oven. I have fantasized and deduced the existence of a neighborhood oven. We were very excited to actually spotting them in Morocco!

On the train from Tangier to Rabat.
On the train from Tangier to Rabat, Morroco

Dinner.
Rabat, Morocco

Our hotel was off one of the shopping streets in the medina; thus we were always walking by street vendors...Strawberries are in season.
Rabat, Morocco

Rabat, Morocco

Rabat, Morocco

Rabat, Morocco

Pickled fava beans.
Eating Pickled Fava Beans in the Medina - Rabat, Morroco

Rabat like Tangier is on the Atlantic Coast. Can you spot the surfers?
Rabat, Morocco

Just across the Bou Regreg river, the city of Sale is a 10 minute tram ride from our hotel. We explored its walled medina on a cool cloudy morning.
Rabat, Morroco

Rabat, Morroco

The old Medresa (school).
Rabat, Morroco

The the students lived in these "cells".
Rabat, Morroco

The rooftops of Sale.
Rabat, Morroco

And while in Sale we spot a neighborhood baker and his oven, and this time I ask permission to take a photo. Check out his TV. He's there all day baking, no wonder.
Rabat, Morroco

Sale Medina Gate.
Rabat, Morroco

And the weather gets more windy, more wet, and more cold, so we take the tram home.
Rabat, Morroco

The view from our hotel room window as we wait for the rain to lessen.
Rabat, Morroco

The rain lessens a bit and we set out in search of dinner.
Banana Cart - Rabat, Morroco

And we buy more than three sandwiches from this vendor: deep fried potatoes, deep fried eggplant, and roasted green peppers, topped with tomato salsa.
Sandwich Shop - Rabat, Morroco

Fried Potato, Roasted Green Pepper, Eggplant, Tomato Sandwich - Rabat, Morocco

Rabat is the capital, and thus has magnificent national buildings, not to mention the King's Palace with cannot be photographed.
Rabat, Morroco

Rabat, Morroco

Rabat, Morroco

Plus the Church of the Sacred Heart.
Rabat, Morroco

Rabat, Morroco

Rabat, Morroco

The ruins of the Hassan Tower.
Rabat, Morroco

King's Tomb.
Rabat, Morroco

Not to mention the Roman Ruins that lie just south of the city inside the old Arab Necropolis.
Rabat, Morroco

Temple of Jupiter.
Rabat, Morroco

And white storks nest on the Arab Necropolis.
Rabat, Morroco

Rabat, Morroco

One last plunge into the Medina and Kasbah.
Rabat, Morroco

Rabat, Morroco

Rabat, Morroco

Rabat, Morroco

View from Rabat to Sale.
Rabat, Morroco

Rabat, Morroco

Even more surfers today.
Rabat, Morroco

Rabat, Morroco

Our hotel room has that Ottoman overhang. Cool.
Rabat, Morroco







2 comments:

Liz said...

A collegue is headed to Rabat this week for an audit. Sent them a link to your blog. Great pics as always.

Sun-Ling said...

@Liz, did they take you to Habous (new medina) when you were in Casablanca? I was thinking of you when we walked around there -- Liz would have loved this too.

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