Excursions to Fez, Ifrane, and Casablanca

During the last two weekends we travelled to Fez and Casablanca.

Fez was fascinating, walking through it you got the sense that millions of inhabitants had walked where you were, and that millions would follow you. Seeing historical sights like the tannery and Al-Quaraouiyine University gave a tangible feeling for the history that we had been reviewing in our classes. The old medina accessed all of our senses as we explored its hundreds of winding alleys. The royal palace was as beautiful as it was unique. Our tour guide, Driss, was incredibly knowledgable and attentive to our interests, his local background gave us context with our breathtaking surroundings. Irfane, ‘Switzerland of Morocco’, was reminiscent of a small and quiet French city with enormous character. While the meshing of cultures and languages was not unique within Morocco, the setting (and temperature) definitely was. 

The following weekend, we went to Casablanca. First we travelled to the Mosque of Hassan II, which was breathtaking in its beauty as well as its size. Located right on the coast, we were stunned in the level of detail displayed as we saw the main prayer room as well as the room of abolution. Seeing the 3rd largest mosque in the world is something that I believe each of us will never forget. During this trip, we also worked up an appetite. Heading over to the mall in Casablanca, we had access to the widest variety of food that we had encountered thus far, and we took advantage of it. Casablanca shared many characteristics with Rabat, and offered a new experience but with a level of comfortability that allowed us to explore more, linguistically and culturally.