Just as O.A.T. had provided a van to take us from Mohammed V International Airport   in Casablanca with Jennifer and Andy 15 days ago, a van brought  the four of us back to the airport for our return flight to JFK. The Uber driver who took us home to Connecticut was from the country of Georgia. Like several of the drivers we have had, he was an immigrant who came to America seeking a better life for his family. Continue reading Morocco Tour, Day 16 — April 29, 2025 →

We awoke at 5 AM and began packing for our ride to Casablanca, the final stop of our trip. As we  looked back at Marrakech’s medina for the last time, we remarked at how different it  was in the quiet morning from the crowded, bustling gathering place that is was last night. Then  we settled in on the bus for the four hour ride, with a rest stop, of course. Continue reading Morocco Tour, Day 15 — April 28, 2025 →

This was the day of the Hot-Air Balloon Ride. Those who wished to participate had to leave our riad at 5 AM, because the balloon site was forty-five minutes away. We opted not to go, because Nick was still coping with a cold, and I was concerned about  my motion sickness. Continue reading Morocco Tour, Day 14 — April 27, 2025 →

After eight refreshing hours of sleep, I awoke to find myself  in a very comfortable bed in a beautifully decorated room. Our group’s  rooms and the indoor courtyard through which we entered them were decorated in a way that enabled us to feel very comfortable. Continue reading Morocco Tour, Day 13 — April 26, 2025 →

At our riad’s rooftop breakfast area, a member of the staff prepared  individual crepes stuffed with cheese and honey for us, grilling them until the cheese melted a bit. I’ve got to try doing that at home! That same staff member loved to tell funny stories. One of his stories will be told at the end of the final episode of this blog. Continue reading Morocco Tour, Day 12 — April 25, 2025 →

After delightful hot showers, we headed to the breakfast room. When we got there, Hassan told us that Kathy had Covid and was self-quarantining. This was disturbing news! I felt so sorry for Kathy, but I was concerned for us, too, because I had sat next to Kathy in the 4 x 4 for hours. And while he was still taking Mucinex and Claritin, Nick was coughing and sneezing. We had brought Covid tests with us, and we were quite relieved that he tested negative.

Back on the bus, we picked up our local guide, named Mohammed. Our first stop of the day was at Atlas Studios, where many films  such as Gladiator and Game of Thrones had been made. In fact, Mohammed said he had been cast as an extra in some productions. The guards allowed us to enter and take photos. Continue reading Morocco Tour, Day 11 — April 24, 2025 →

On Day 10, we would leave the desert, our farthest point from  where our adventure started,  and head west to the oasis town of Ouarzazate [pronounced where’s Zazate]. When we awoke, Nick said he was coming down with a cold. I had  the meds he needed  with us, so he  started taking  Mucinex immediately. Continue reading Morocco Tour, Day 10 — April 23, 2025 →

I awoke at midnight with severe gastrointestinal distress that afflicts many travelers. I wasn’t upset, though, because I had brought Imodium from home. I searched through all the meds that I had in the tent, and I discovered that the Imodium had been left on the bus. Then I was upset! Continue reading Morocco Tour, Day 9 — April 22, 2025 →

Although I  have described  in detail the food we ate in Morocco, I have said very little about what we  drank. Hassan arranged for coffee to be ready half an hour before breakfast each day. As for tea, Moroccan mint tea  is part of a ceremony. The server pours the tea into a small glass from a level of about two feet above it, and sugar can be added. I’m sure the servers  have done  lots of rehearsing  to become safe at pouring tea, and I hope they practiced using cold water. Continue reading Morocco Tour, Day 8 — April 21, 2025 →

Continue reading Morocco Tour, Day 7 — April 20, 2025 →

After breakfast (yogurt, crepes with jam, olives, orange juice, and orange and banana slices), we  were joined by Fatima, the student we had met a few days before. She had asked Hassan if she could spend a day with us to increase her use of English, and our group was happy to comply. Continue reading Morocco Tour, Day 6 — April 19, 2025 →

We were offered the opportunity to visit the sites of two ancient cities, Volubilis and Meknes, and our entire group opted to participate. We needed to get an early start, so breakfast was at 7 AM. Mine consisted of yogurt, crepes with honey, a fried egg, and concentric slices of oranges and bananas. Continue reading Morocco Tour, Day 5 — April 18, 2025 →

Before we left home, Nick told me that his friend Dave,  from Westport’s  Y’s Men, was going to Morocco on an O.A.T. trip,  just as we were. The difference was that Dave’s trip began one day after ours. There we were on April 17 having breakfast together, Dave and his wife Judy on the their first morning in Rabat, and Nick and I on our last. How incredible was that!

Today we would be going to Fez, called Fes in Morocco. This would be our first long bus trip; it would take about five hours. I was concerned with that amount of time, because I have bladder issues. However, Hassan was careful to make sure that we would make rest stops every two hours. At our first rest stop, Nick and I shared a vanilla pastry, the base of which was made of phyllo. Back on the bus, we drove past many sheep grazing and many crops such as barley and alfalfa growing. We also passed  olive trees and trees that produce cork. We had learned all about cork production when we were in Portugal. Continue reading Morocco Tour, Day 4 — April 17, 2025 →

We recalled  our previous experiences with Moroccan food when we awoke at 4 AM. Decades ago, we ate at a Moroccan restaurant in Newark, Delaware, where Nicholas went to college, and were captivated by the food and the decor. Many years later, Nick’s cousin Sarasvati and her husband Paul prepared a tagine for dinner that we enjoyed very much. Now we were eating Moroccan food in Morocco! Moroccan cuisine includes many spices  and seasonings such as cinnamon, paprika, cumin, coriander, honey and turmeric, but rather than adding heat, they add depth of flavor. Continue reading Morocco Tour, Day 3 — April 16, 2025 →

It took us about five minutes to get through  Customs in Casablanca, which is very different from our  experiences with getting though Customs in New York. Nick and I, and Jennifer and Andy, were picked up by an O.A.T. representative, Samir, who told us that the drive would take about an hour to reach our hotel in Rabat, one of Morocco’s ancient imperial cities  and its capital since 1913. Continue reading Morocco Tour, Day 2 — April 15, 2025 →

Travel companies consider that the first day of a trip is the day you leave your home. Our flight was not until 8:45 PM, so we had plenty of time  before leaving home for JFK Airport. We were both excited, thanks to our friend John’s brother David and sister-in-law Eileen, who had done the O.A.T. trip to Morocco a few months earlier and  had found it to be their favorite trip ever. Continue reading Morocco Tour, Day 1 — April 14, 2025 →