Cherry Pie: I left my heart in Casablanca! Part 1

Casablanca isn’t a city that tourists are usually drawn to. For me, it was a dive into my husbands childhood. I don’t know if it is that extra personal twist that touched me so deeply but I absolutely loved Casablanca. Casablanca is huge. It scurries with 1 million motor bikes and little red taxies. It’s loud, it’s polluted but it’s so magical. Packed market places, street vendors and souvenirs from a past French occupation make this effervescent city unique. It’s a mix of traditional ways of life with Morocco’s modern economic development.

A sneak peak at part of the great snack that was waiting for us at our arrival in Casablanca. Little almond Moroccan cakes. Perfect to nibble on with some fresh mint tea!

At the end of every meal… an extravagant fruit platter!

Kisaria Hafari is a huge market that takes up an entire neighbourhood. A small interior section (filled with clothing and shoes) as well as many winding streets make up this gigantic market. Clothing, spices, beauty products, live stock, fruits, vegetables, household items, jewellery…. Virtually everything that you can imagine can be found in the tightly packed streets of the Kisaria Hafari. This was one of my favourite places to explore in Casablanca for it’s endless treasures to be found around every corner. So many things to see, so many things to taste, so many things to smell… One of the great things about this place is…. no tourists! My blue eyes and faire skin betray me but I really felt like a Moroccan woman doing her daily shopping (minus the camera of course…). This market is no secret but I truly feel as if I had discovered a 100% Arabic place, never visited before by any Canadian girl.

The djellaba. I was surprised by the number of women who were this traditional Moroccan dress in everyday life.

The Moroccan babouche. This leather slide-in is worn both inside and outside the house by both women and men. I picked up a few pairs of these for myself…

There is a section of the market where clothing textiles are sold.

As well as the trims.

Seamstresses have little tiny shops where they can do any mending jobs on the spot. Some are even set-up outside, sewing away in the open air.

Casablanca’s coast is lined with hotels, restaurants, pools, bars and nightclubs. The beach however has a very local taste. Families on the beach and boys (young and old…. and very old even) playing soccer on the wet sand.

Ah!!! This is a Casablanca little red taxi. One fun little fact about Morocco is that every city’s little taxis are a different colour. In Casa, they’re RED! You can be a maximum of 3 passengers (plus the driver) and don’t be surprised if a stranger going in the same direction as you hops into the taxi to share the ride. There are thousands of taxis in the city and are a very common way of getting around.