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.

When I think of Casablanca, I think  of Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and the 1942 movie that  still captivates me and so many others.  It’s disappointing to find out that the movie was filmed entirely in California rather than in Morocco.  We learned that today’s Casablanca is the largest city  in Morocco, and is the country’s economic and business center.

We were amazed when we reached the Hassan II Mosque. It is absolutely monumental, covering twenty-two acres. It can accommodate 100,000 worshipers inside it and 80,000 in the outside area. It has  many  unique features, including that part of it was built over the Atlantic Ocean. Its minaret is nearly 700 feet high, its walls are made of marble, and the roof is retractible. The Hassan II Mosque is a monumental tribute to Moroccan culture, art, and faith. Unlike most Moroccan mosques, this one  allows non-Muslims to enter  if they  have a guide. Ours was excellent.

I was born in New York, so I was familiar with the west coast of the Atlantic Ocean. After our tour, our  new bus  driver drove along the Atlantic’s  east coast.

We  passed  Rick’s  Café,  a  tribute  to  the   movie.  It  was  too  late  to  get  dinner  reservations  there.

Back in  our hotel room, we marveled at all that we had seen and done in Morocco. We would be leaving the following day.

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