Another Couple Of Days In Rabat

Last night Elena and I went to see the Murailles. All they are are walls. Just walls. Not super impressive, though they light them up at night. We passed the American embassy on the way and that was kind of cool.

This morning we went to check out the kasbah. We found the part that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and looked at the little people down below at the beaches. Then we got a coffee and some cookies at the Maure Cafe. While we were there, we watched as tour groups filed in and out like cattle.

Then we had lunch at La Veranda--the lunch place attached to the Institut Français. We had decided to not let cost be an issue--just to enjoy our last few days together before we part. And it showed. Elena got Satay Chicken for 85 dh, I got a Steak with stacked potatoes for 100 dh, we got a half-bottle of wine for 80 dh, apple crumble for 40 dh, and 2 coffees and water. The total was 340 dh--like US$50. It was yummy, the place was comfortable, the wine (Domaine Sahara Reservé) was delicious, and we were in a good mood. It's our last special lunch together for a long time. Tonight we'll have our last dinner in Rabat--we're thinking of the Weimar Cafe again since they have big mugs of beer and pizza.

Since I had finished La Sorcière de Portobello, I decided to get another book. Fortunately, Rabat is by far the most literate town in Morocco. There are bookstores all over the place. The people here actually read. The bookstore I chose, Librairie Livre Service, however, has a very chaotic layout. They really need a massive reorganization. But I did manage to find a book to keep my occupied--the second volume of Tocqueville's de la Démocratie en Amérique. The second volume is the good one. I started it when I got home and it's about at the edge of my comprehension--certainly harder than Coelho, but fairly understandable.

We also got tickets today for Casablanca. There are 2 stations in Casablanca, Casa Port and Casa Voyageurs. Casa Port is close to our hotel, so we are going there. No taxi necessary. It was quite nice to get the tickets in Rabat. Rabat has a guy--like a bouncer at a trendy club--who makes sure that the number of people at the windows isn't too high. Everyone else waits behind the ropes. It is organized and efficient. I think the large number of Westerners who value their time has forced the ONCF to take wasted time and chaos into consideration when designing how the ticket window works. It's quite nice.

Here's time spent in the courtyard of the Splendide: