Season's Greetings from Morocco

It's been over a week since I arrived in Morocco.  Between French classes, visits to the dentist and catching up with grandkids and friends, I'm just now finding time to write an update.

The day after I arrived we celebrated Leila's birthday with chocolate cake and a to-die-for chocolate cake.

There's been lots of rain here this month so everything is green and lush.  When I walk home from French class, I go through the botanical garden.  Very quiet and peaceful.  Rests my tired brain from trying to remember French words and syntax.

There are also fig trees, 

and date palms.

Wish they grew in my garden.

Joe has an orange tree in his back yard and 'tis the season.  For juice 

and Christmas secrets and cookie baking!

I hope you are enjoying your Christmas preparations.

Out and About in Rabat

Today is my last day here.  "Leavin' on a jet plane" early tomorrow morning, so I thought I'd post some pictures from my doings her in Rabat.

Early on in my visit, I went to a horseback riding class.  Not to ride, but to watch Kensa.  She's quite the accomplished rider.

Riding Conteisse, her horse for the class

Walking back and forth to the dentist's office for several appointments (I now have a gorgeous new smile)

Gotta love the cars parking on the sidewalk

I discovered that the gate to the Jardin Botanique d'Essais was open, so I walked in.  Now, this garden has been closed at least three years to my knowledge, maybe longer, while they restored it.  In other years, when I took French classes at Amideast, I walked by it every day and wished I could go in.  Voilà.  This year I could explore it.

View from the gate looking the length of the garden

I mostly don't take artsey photos (usually don't have the eye for them) but I really like this one of an arbor.

Here's a bougainvilla hedge still in bloom

And, of course, no visit to Rabat is complete without visiting Chellah.  Off in the distance.

Taken from just across the road from the palace

It was first settled by the Phoenicians

Probable Phoenician site

and then build over by the Romans.

Broken columns and big rocks

Looking down from the Roman remains with mosque in background

In the 14th century, the Morenid sultan built a necropolis and other structures including a mosque.

Looking into the courtyard

Standing wall of the mosque

And here's some of a wall with mosaics still on it.

At the house, I've gone on a daily hunt for one or both of the tortoises living in the garden.  Found this dude today.

I've had a wonderful time here.  Enough time so that, although I'll be sad to leave, I'm looking forward to being home with my crazy dogs and enough ideas to write a zillion books.  Good thing winter's almost here--in Maine that is.

See you on the other side of the pond.

My Flight to Rabat

Friday, I boarded a plane (and just so you know, Delta is NOT Air France even if they're 'associated') to fly to Morocco.  It's always been an easy trip.  Leave Boston in the early evening, settle down and sleep 'til I arrive in Paris, hang around for a couple of hours and then fly into Rabat.

Not this time.

I figured things were going well because I was in about the only row of 3 seats with only 2 of us seated.  Until we took off.  And the kid in the row behind started crying.  Not just the whimper or whine of ear troubles taking off.  Nope.  This was full-throated, frantic wailing.  That went on.  And on.  She'd stop for about 5 minutes, then start up again.  For anywhere from 15 minutes to half an hour.  Another 5 minute break and back to wailing.  Mind you, this is a 7-8 hour flight.  All plans of arriving rested flew out the window -- so to speak.

Eventually, the kid wore herself out -- or I was even more exhausted and fell asleep in spite of the racket.  In any event, I got a couple of hours sleep, max.

During the layover in Paris, I got more and more nervous as people assembled for the flight to Morocco.  Kids.  Lots of kids.  Lots of little kids.  I groaned inwardly -- and maybe not so silently.  This flight is only a couple of hours long, but I had figured I could at  least get in a nap.

As it turned out, it wasn't bad.  There were a few cries here and there, but the usual fussiness, not the frenzied crying on the previous flight.  So, I was able to get a couple of hours sleep.

When my son and lovely granddaughters ( 4 and 6) greeted me after I got through customs, I gave them big hugs.  My son asked how the trip went.  So I came to a dead stop, knelt down, beckoned the girls over and said:  "Poor Gramma had a baby in the row behind me crying all night.  Then there were kids crying on the flight here.  So, please do me a favor.  Don't cry today or I'll run out of the house and run screaming down the street, tearing my hair out." 

They are the best girls.  Not one whimper or whine out of them for the whole time since I've been here.

More about Morocco later.

Judi

A Visit to Chellah

Visiting old places

 

The other day we visited Chellah, the site of ancient Roman settlement in Rabat (long before it was Rabat).

Now a crumbled ruin, this outpost of the Roman Empire was probably established around by the Phoenicians in the 12^th Century BC.

  
Hundreds of storks call it home (the giant nest on top of the mosque tower)














and cats near a wishing pool

 

Parts of it are now overgrown with lush vegetation.         

Sometime in the 1300s, the sultan Abou Said constructed a small fortress beside the site of the Roman ruins. 

Later, his son, Abou al-Hassan, built a mosque. 

A successor rival walled the whole area off preventing access for a long time.

Now accessible to the public, it is a peaceful area to wander through and view the ancient remains of old civilizations.

And, of course, imagine stories of the lives of the people who lived during those times.

More later, Insha'Allah