Casablanca – No, Rick Wasn’t Here

1-2 April 2025

Casablanca was filmed on the Warner Bros. sound stages and on French Street on the studio’s lot. The only exterior location was the Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles, where Conrad Veidt’s character, Major Strasser, arrived by plane. The final farewell also occurred on the Warner Bros. lot. End of story. 

Relaxation Casablanca Style

We arrive early afternoon at our more-than-comfortable lodging at the Marriott. Traffic is thin but noisy. Drivers are either naturally impatient here or really grumpy from lack of food and water during Ramadan. The Old City surrounds us as does the modern amenities of the Marriott. It has been a couple busy weeks.

I feel indecision. Meander through the medina towards the port and the Hassan II Mosque or take the elevator to the Lounge for a cold libation. 

Neither choice wins. Practically everything is shuttered because of the holiday. Hotel not serving alcohol until end of Ramadan. It’s Coke Zero for me.

A Morning Roaming Medina and  Corniche 

Before leaving home, Google Maps acted pretty sketchy in Tanger but totally useless in Casablanca. One would think they have something to hide. Within Casablanca, I happily see that the mapping is working well enough I will not get lost. The last experience I want is to wander the Medina without a clue how to get back to my hotel.

The difference of night and day. Last night Gabrielle and I walked an empty Medina, populated by a few men, about 6 women and a bunch of cats. A friendly policeman chatted us up with a friendly salute. There existed a corner of the Marriott where we could get a beer. Gabrielle found a little cafe where food was served. Town remains pretty quiet.

Morning Has Broken

This morning, everything appears livelier but possibly not back to what I would normally imagine the thriving city of Casablanca to be. We left our bags at the Marriott and wandered outside.

Streets are busy. Drivers and motorcyclists zoom down the boulevards. Amazingly, when we step off a curb, they stop. There are few pedestrian lights but the crosswalks appear sacrosanct. I am still nervous walking in front of the speeding cars but the system seems to work. Buses I would avoid.

We escape into the Medina’s narrow streets and endless line of souks. It is actually quieter here, at least this morning. Many shops remain shuttered. Perhaps too much celebrations yesterday?

We are immediately greeted by sales pitches: “Come see my shop” to “Where you from?” I have no wish to do the first and am embarrassed to admit the latter. “I’ve got oil.” A more subtle translation would be “Have I got a deal for you.” Still, no thanks, keep moving.

Think I’ve Seen Enough

Overall, the Casablanca Medina, when compared to Tanger, is dirty and littered. Their cats are neglected as are their streets and walls. Perhaps part of the problem could have been fewer shops open to distract from the garbage.

We return to our hotel, collect our bags, and hire a red Petit Taxi? He quickly transports us across the city to Hotel Club Val d’Anfa. The roads appear to be chock-a-block overflowing with insane drivers speeding down boulevards and circling roundabouts. However, cars appear to lack severe dents and scratches. I’ve not seen anyone run over nor pedestrians run over, yet.  

Out Hôtel is located in a much different, resort area of the city. Overlooking the Ain Diab Beach and just a few steps from the Ain Diab McDonalds, we settle in. This signals a release from all responsibility for planning. Tonight, we meet our tour guide who will lead, inform, and transport us for our remaining days in Morocco. 

Beach Walk

Ain Diab Beach is wide and long attacked by the crashing waves of the Atlantic, a slight breeze keeping temperatures cool. The weather looks beautiful overhead, though clouds exist in varying shades of gray but impossible to imagine rain. 

However, the downside is that the beach is quite littered. The corniche is rocky.  This is a public beach with hundreds of people playing soccer or relaxing in the sun. While it is technically a sandy beach, the trash and the prevalence of rocks at the edges really detract from its appeal.

Closer to the mosque, between the mosque and the lighthouse, the beach looks much nicer. It could be that we just weren’t close enough to tell.

To get to the beach, I walked through some garbage, rocks, and small streams, possibly remnants of the tide. You have to watch your step to avoid walking into someone’s soccer game. They do have boundaries marked for their games but still….

There’s also the risk of getting run over by a soccer player, hit by a soccer ball, or trampled by a horse. The waves are strong and could be dangerous with, as my dear Terri used to say , an undertoad. 

ElderTreks Welcoming Dinner

Whenever I travel beyond the major cities of the world, reaching out to remote or more difficult-to-reach places, I turn to ElderTreks. This Canadian tour group has ushered me around many parts of the globe from Nepal to Turkey, Antarctic to Ethopia, Bhutan to Rwanda. I like their small groups, informative itineraries, and expert drivers and guides. And they never ask me to wear a stupid name tag! Here is hoping this trip lives up to its predecessors. 

We meet our tour leader, Samir Harit el Mir, who studied here in Casablanca and has been leading groups like ours for over 20 years. He specializes in the history of Morocco as well as Islam and the Arab world. He speaks English, Arabic, French and Japanese. Sounds like this will be a wonderful learning experience for the 16 people in our group. We introduce ourselves and prepare for our journey. 

Hassan II Mosque

Completed in 1993, King Hassan II commissioned the mosque and hired French designer and architect Michel Pinseau. It is the largest mosque in Africa and the 7th largest in the world, accommodating up to 105,000 worshippers (25,000 inside and 80,000 in its expansive marble courtyard). The mosque stands as a stunning example of Moroccan craftsmanship, incorporating traditional Islamic architecture with modern engineering techniques.

Mosque Built to Impress

The mosque itself stands upon a promontory extending over the Atlantic Ocean. Part of its floor, made of glass, allows people to see the sea beneath, though we visited a carpet covered the floor. Soaring above into the blue sky is the 689-foot minaret, the tallest minaret in the world.  

Many mosques around the world strive to build the tallest in their region. There are no religious rules dictating that a minaret outside of Mecca cannot be taller than those in the holy city. However, this minaret, topped with a laser beam pointing toward Mecca, may  be the most unusual in the world. 

The mosque features intricate mosaic tile work, carved wood and marble, coming from materials sourced from across Morocco. For more technological advancements, it also includes a retractable roof and heated floors, though we are told the roof remains closed most of the time because of opportunistic pidgins.

The Hassan II Mosque – a place where faith meets engineering, and where even the ocean leans in for a closer look. It sports a taller-than-your-ego minaret, a sunroof, heated feet warmers, and an artisanship that would turn anyone green with envy. However, it also represents one of the few mosques whereas a non-Muslim, and woman, can enter. It appears kind of like an architectural equivalent of faith operated with a smartphone. 

Quick Exit – Stage Left

We spend little of our time exploring Casablanca. Actually, there appears little to explore. We made a wise choice staying longer in Tanger. I have been in Casablanca twice – both times shown little more than the Hassan II Mosque and then the exit routes.

Today, it was no different. A fast tour of the mosque and we reboard our bus and head for the exits.