We ended up our trip with a quick overview of Casablanca and an overnight in Madrid. Gate1 took us on a tour of the city with a quick stop along the Atlantic waterfront, visit to an interesting church (Notre Dame de Lourdes Cathedral) and the massive Hassan II Mosque. We stayed at a nice hotel and our last night’s dinner at El Gousto, an Italian restaurant, was fun with a hokey singer playing American cover songs.
Notre Dame de Lourdes Cathedral is a Catholic church built in 1954. It has an austere and industrical looking exterior. However inside the stained glass art is breathtaking. The windows tell the story of Mary’s life. Outside is a replica of the grotto at Lourdes.
The massive Hassan II Mosque is really the main tourist site in Casablanca from what we saw. Named for the king who built the complex in 1993. The mosque sits on the water and can fit 25,000 people inside and another 80,000 outside. It is open for tours to non-Muslims which is unusual in Morocco.
This trip exceeded my expectations and was a great trip for both of us. Our Tour Manager, Choquee from Agadir, was excellent as were the bus driver and his assistant.
