We were up at 6:15 am this morning for an early morning departure to Casablanca. We got downstairs around 7:15 am and enjoyed a light breakfast out in the fresh morning air.

Breakfast.
Breakfast.

We left the hotel at 7:45 am and, after a pleasant drive, we were in Casablanca by about 10:30 am. We made our way directly to Bd Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah to see the Hassan II Mosque.

The Hassan II Mosque is the largest in Africa and the 7th largest in the world. It was designed by the French architect, Michel Pinseau under the guidance of King Hassan II. Construction commenced in 1986 and took seven years. The mosque features hand-crafted marble walls and a retractable roof. It can accommodate 105,000 people: 25,000 inside and 80,000 outside. At the height of a 60-storey building, the minaret is the second tallest in the world.
The scale of the mosque is quite incredible.

Andrea outside the Hassan II Mosque.
Andrea outside the Hassan II Mosque.
Inside the gallery next to the Hassan II Mosque.
Inside the gallery next to the Hassan II Mosque.
Inside the Hassan II Mosque.
Inside the Hassan II Mosque.
Inside the Hassan II Mosque.
Inside the Hassan II Mosque.
Inside the Hassan II Mosque.
Inside the Hassan II Mosque.
Inside the Hassan II Mosque.
Inside the Hassan II Mosque.
Keith outside the Hassan II Mosque.
Keith outside the Hassan II Mosque.
Keith and Andrea outside the Hassan II Mosque.
Keith and Andrea outside the Hassan II Mosque.
Andrea and Mohamed walking at the Hassan II Mosque.
Andrea and Mohamed walking at the Hassan II Mosque.
The Hassan II Mosque.
The Hassan II Mosque.

We left the mosque and headed for the Habous market, where we had a nice walk. We stopped in at Pâtisserie Bennis Habous, where we sampled some local baked sweets.

Street leading into the Habous market.
Street leading into the Habous market.
Sweets at Pâtisserie Bennis Habous.
Sweets at Pâtisserie Bennis Habous.

We walked back to meet Dawad, who was (as he has been all week!) patiently waiting for us.

Our driver, Dawad.
Our driver, Dawad.

We then went on a nice drive around the city, learning about some of the architecture and history of Casablanca, before heading to Le Casablanca Hotel for the afternoon. We said goodbye to Mohamed, who we have enjoyed getting to know over the last week as he guided us around Morocco.

Burger for lunch.
Burger for lunch.
An interesting ginger ale drink from Spain.
An interesting ginger ale drink from Spain.

We then went upstairs to our room to relax for the rest of the afternoon, before Dawad returned at 7:00 pm to take us back to Casablanca airport. We got to the airport and said goodbye to Dawad, and headed into the terminal. We were escorted though security and to the check-in by a local agent who assisted us. This was just as well because we had some drama at check-in as a result of our luggage being too heavy, so his assistance proved to be very helpful in dealing with the rather militant Royal Air Maroc check-in agent (although she steadfastly refused to let us check in our suitcases because they were all overweight so we ended up buying another bag and redistributing our luggage!).

We are now on the plane and will shortly be taking off and heading to Cairo, where we will be spending the next few days.