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1st Tour
Monday Nov. 5, 2007 -
Saturday Nov. 20, 2007
with Anita Mayer and
Meli
2nd Tour
Monday Nov. 21,2007 -
Saturday Dec. 03 , 2007
with Meli
For more information please
read the tour hand book
To Print the
itinerary with out the pictures please click here
ITINERARY
Day 01 Casablanca
Arrive at
Casablanca air port. Transfer to Hotel Kenzi Basma. The tour will
start at 13:00 hours at the lobby of the hotel. After a short
introduction we will go out for lunch and city site seeing.
We will visit the Hassan II Mosque, The Corniche of Ain Diab ,Anfa
District & Habous District where there are hand craft
shops. At the hotel we will have group meeting at 05:00 PM at the lobby of the hotel.
Before dinner, we will walk to the walled part of the city ,the
Medina, where
hundreds of shops lined up to meet the needs of the locals. The
narrow streets, colorful shops and the wonderful display of the produce
will be a great introduction to the daily life of the Moroccans. Tonight after dinner, if you are not too tired
, you can walk to Café Casablanca of the famous movie.
Day 02
Rabat, Meknes
We will leave
Casablanca at 08:00 am. Driving along the Atlantic Ocean , we will
go through the little villages with stunning architecture, and
wonderful vegetation. It seems like the flowers bloom twice as much
and the colors are brighter than similar plants else where.
When we drive through the clean streets of Muhammedia , how
a good mayor can make a difference will be obvious. Rabat is
the Capital of Morocco.
 You will have
free time at the Medina of Rabat. The leather shops, lantern
shops and the food stands surrounded with the locals dressed in their
traditional "cloaks", jillaba, will make you take more pictures than you can
even dream of taking.
We like to finish this visit before the call to prayer at lunch time.
Because once there is the call to prayer, the whole market shuts down
and would not open until 04:00 PM. Before lunch, we will walk through
the narrow , clean, white washed streets of walled neighborhood
Kasbah Oudaya. How can any one be so creative to have so many
different , equally creative and beautiful doors? You wonder if
the inspiration of the colors - blue and white- is coming from
the color of the screaming sea gulls and the clear blue sky or the blue of
the ocean and the white surfs breaking on the rocks at the shore of
this city.
The creativity and the warmth of the colors that surround you are also
woven into carpets that the neighborhood women make while they are singing lullaby to
their children who are either sleeping in a little wooden cradle or
tied on their backs
Lunch at Borj Eddar Restaurant.
The view of the Atlantic ocean and the sounds of the waves
will accompany a marvelous fish lunch. Muhammed the 5ths Mausoleum,
the 12th century unfinished mosque,, Hasan Tower , the palace of the King of Morocco,
the horses guarding the 800 year old walls are few other pleasure to
our eyes before we leave Rabat for Meknes. Rabat's sister city
Sale will be our next stop.The
road to Meknes winds up to the rolling hills where cork tree
orchards are surrounded
 by
olive grooves and vineyards and the Berber's hats flying on the road
side racks . Tonight our dinner will be at a
typical Spanish restaurant Sungria Overnight at Hotel Riff in Meknes.
There is an internet near the hotel.
Day 03 Meknes, Volubilis, Moulay Idris, Fes
It is like a ferry
tale. Once upon a time, there lived a king Moulla Ismail from
16th Century. He needed horses to defend
his kingdom. Therefore, the 12000 horses deserved the best home, best
water and best care. Entering the stable through
arched gates. you wonder if the building was built for the horses or to
prove simplicity can create undisputable grandeur.
The Barber who
greets the visitors at the entrance of Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail with
his traditional costume and every imaginable charm to ward off evil ,
make one feel totally safe for the rest of one's life for just being
around him.
Our next stop will be the Souk
of Meknes. We will go through innumerable gates of the 15 mile long
city walls to get to where we immerse ourselves to the world of
colors. If we ban the use of these words for the day :" Oh my god ! it
is wonderful" we will have a total silence all day long!!
 Our
lunch will be a typical Moroccan food at Restaurant Tarrad .The color of the saffron, the taste of the
olive oil and the steaming pots with pointed tops will not only make
us feel good after the long morning site seeing but will be a great
photo op for those who are interested in taking pictures. I am sure
after this meal most of us will have our choices of cooking enriched.
When we leave Meknes behind, the winding road goes through cactus
forests, olive orchards and wheat fields.
The Roman Bridge by a white
washed small city , Moulla Idris, gives us the news that we are arriving at our next
destination: Volubilis, the most complete Roman city that I
have seen after Ephesus.
Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, In Volubilis , the Romans had
enjoyed the prosperity of the region and built their city to
reflect their wealth.
They have immortalized their sense of humor on mosaics .
A man riding on a
donkey backwards
When the last rays
of the setting sun change colors of the trees and the hill side to
every shade of orange and red, we will arrive in Fez. Much deserved
rest will be at our wonderful hotel in the heart of the city. Dinner
at restaurant Palais de Medina. Overnight at Hotel Wassima
For more information please read the tour hand book
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