Smooth sailing.

We arrived in Casablanca so smoothly this morning you could be forgiven for thinking I simply had a flair for the dramatic. Captain Jeremy gave us our last warning about 6.45 am saying "the boat might roll considerably" and we waited and waited and felt absolutely nothing! I got up about 6 am, had a shower, made us our morning tea, got dressed and hopped back into bed to be sure I had George to hang on to. Flashbacks and tension! However, all went well and we breakfasted on deck looking at the industrial port view of the city. not beautiful but we were all excited to be here nevertheless.

I never think of Casablanca as African but of course it is with its palm trees, Art Decco buildings and tree'd street centres...it's an exotic mixture of Africa and France. Perhaps the France of the French Foreign legion. George and I took a shuttle bus to the port entrance and walked into the city. It was hot in the sun but a lovely cool breeze made walking in the shade a pleasure.

We both managed to use ATM machines: George had far more difficulty finding one which would accept his Toronto Dominion debit card while I immediately, to my amazement, was given cash using my McMaster Credit Union debit card! I always knew it was the best bank!

I wanted a cup of coffee but every street cafe was filled with men, not a woman in sight. Eventually we found one, same situation, all men, yet it was beautifully situated under trees looking out on to a wide roundabout and there was a breeze. So I said 'the heck with it let's sit here even if I am the only female' and we did. We had lovely strong coffee in tiny cups and watched the exotic world go by.

We then strolled slowly through the packed medina: narrow lanes, crowded with shoppers this Saturday morning. Women in their beautiful, loose robes with hoods or headscarves, and men in loose cotton jellabahs, shirts and trousers or simply T shirts and jeans. There was a wonderful mix of spicy smells; barrows piled high with bananas, oranges, pomegranets and grapes: long crusty baguettes under plastic domes. There were tiny shops selling beautiful leather goods, pointed toe men's shoes, embossed handbags, gorgeous loose hooded gowns and kaftans in gem colours with heavy embroidery, simple cotton ones for men which I love. I wanted to buy myself one of these and found a tiny hole-in-the-wall shop with a sole woman in charge. I only had to blink interest as I passed and I was inside before I knew it! I tried on lots of stunning kaftans, getting hotter and hotter by the second but happy to practice my French. George stood patiently waiting and gave an audible groan when I finally chose the first one I had put on....or she had put on me, because that's what happened. I entered and she had my sling bag off in a split second and the lovely white gown (with pale lemon embroidery at the neck and sleeve edges!) was thrown over my head before I could protest. I have it on as I write...exactly what I wanted, loose and cool....and white! I did bargain but not all that successfully as she knew what she had, (a trapped tourist) and only negotiated a little.

We then started walking towards the port again looking for a restaurant for lunch. The first one we entered said "Salon de The et Restaurant". We climbed the stairs and found ourselves amidst red velvet chairs and black tables. Ah I thought passing a man with a hookah, there are two women, good....one with a hookah certainly, but chatting away as I would with Liz, Nora or Jo in the Winchester. So we sat down....bliss, dark and cool. We asked about food, 'Ah non' said this nice young man (another escapee from kindergarten) 'Hookah?!' "Ah non!" we said in one voice and left. Me thinking I wonder what it would be like to smoke one?!

We crossed the road and wandered further down. At last we saw "Restaurant, Gastronomique et Morroco" It was perfect, again dark and cool upstairs...and not a soul there. Fast service, the joy of fresh lemonade without sugar...what a thirst quencher, with a bottle of iced water to add slowly..parfait! George had the iced beer he had been craving and we ordered tagines of lamb and vegetables for me, lamb and prunes for George. Ah we said smugly...peace, away from the ship, just the two of us. Hello said a familiar voice, what are you doing here? A whole SAS group, faculty, students and Life long learners on a city tour and this (our) restaurant was their choice! We couldn't believe it. It happens of course everywhere we go, even in a city the size of Casablanca...or Cape Town or Shanghai...you can't escape 'em! The meal was delicious and they sat far away so it didn't really disrupt our peace too much.

We are back on board Explorer now and shall remain here until we leave fairly early tomorrow morning for Volubilis and Fez. It is good to be 'home' again in air conditioning and with a bed just behind me to drop on to when I feel like it. George is lying on a chaise longue on our balcony...feeling he says a little under the weather. Oh dear, he leads the trip tomorrow, let's hope he makes a speedy recovery.