Ricks cafe Casablanca - Tipsy Greenock woman refused service.

We had decided that Monday was Casablanca day. A 1 hour trip on a train and goodness only knows what at the end of it.

The day started with a chorus of alarms in the dark as we wanted to be up and on the 8:30 train. Breakfast at 7am sadly did not follow as there were no Riad staff around so we went back to the nice cafe where we had an omelette yesterday...and repeated our order.

 

The nice man who Sheena had spoken to in the train station phone stall yesterday who had vowed that his store was open at 7:30 had been sadly mistaken in his attempt at telling the time and selling a SIM card to my one and only, now that she had her passport with her. ( don't know how spies get away with it in movies....sorry Mr Bourne but we need to see your passport before we issue you a Burner phone)

Upstairs on the train with a bit of shared Harlan Cobens newest novel to listen to was nice.

Casablanca station is nice and modern as the city is the business capital of Morocco and its affluence shows.

Sun was hot but not too hot with a few clouds in the sky

A nice taxi driver offered to show us everything that Casablanca had to offer but we declined and instead got a ride up to the Hassan 2 Mosque, the only Mosque in the world to let in non Muslims. I do love the concept of Mohammed 5 and Hassan 2. I can almost hear the voice of the late James Alexander Gordon reading the footy results.

It was quite intimidating to look at as we approached.

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Pictures do not do the place justice.

Although the beauty of my wife neatly matches it.

Morrocan marble and granite, with a hit of Murano glass in the chandeliers, the building was a masterpiece of arches, dark and light.

Then we went downstairs.

A pool that has alledgedly never been used.

We sat and had a coffee outside waiting to gather our thoughts as to how to walk to the medina as I observed the danger of Moroccos roads as an old bloke was knocked off his motorbike in front of the cafe

But we walked on as Sheena bought loads of fine threads from a shop in the medina as we trudged through the scales and fish heads in the road as we traveled in land.

Then we found Ricks Cafe. Yes, I know, Hollywood fiction becomes Casablanca reality.

We weren't actually hungry at this point so we found a couple of stools at the bar and ordered a vodka martini and a mohito for the lady.

No music on a Monday...apparently it was Sam's day off.

So we slipped quite gently into another, very nice round of cocktails.

Sheena asked for a third round but had to have it pointed out that All the other patrons had left as the staff geared up for dinner .

We decided to head back to Rabat and so returned to the train station.

Another hour in the company of Harlan Coben passed happily.

We walked back up Mo.V. To see if we could find something in a zebra print for a present.

We went out to the Riad Kalaa, our hotels sister hotel for dinner. Luckily tonight's salad did not have the surprise "I'm a celebrity " chicken factor. Last nights had a texture that I feel uncomfortable repeating and thinking about still give me a cold sweats.

Worse still was the fact that Sheena tried it, thought it tasted weird....yet still put the plate next to mine and said nothing.

I will get her back for this, oh yes, will get her back.

We went with the safety of a fine skewered kebab and a bottle of Casablanca beer.

Ah well, you must remember this, a kiss is just a kiss and a day trip to Casablanca was a very nice experience.

 

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