Casablanca: ... and strolling through the lush Forêt de Bouskoura

Those of us missing lush green meadows, fields and forests in the always hot and dry Morocco should visit the "Forêt de Bouskoura" in Casablanca right now! After all the rain the forest presents himself in the most beautiful vivid colours you could imagine... And besides joggers you can even discover cows, sheep and maybe also sometimes wild boars...

Casablanca: ... and the magnificent sunday afternoon view from the twin towers

Sunday afternoon... already knowing the city well... still too cold for the beach... too lazy for visiting something ... being a bit melancholic that the weekend is nearly over again...

How does a hot café au lait sound to you while laying back in a cosy and warm armchair watching the world pass by 28 floors below... Maybe some gentle background music... nothings else but this magnificent view on 

CASABLANCA - the city of white houses...

Casablanca: ...and spending a Spanish evening in the nostalgic 'La Corrida'

'La Corrida'... can nearly be called an institution since it has already been established in 1951 by an spanish torero and his wife. It used to be THE PLACE to go to in the 60'ies in Casablanca...

Nowadays it seems far more calm but not less tasty or trendy! And one thing is for sure: The new owner Malika welcomes and takes care of her guests as cordially as the former owner once did.

It's definitely worth a visit in 59, Rue el Harrar - 0522 27 81 55. ENJOY!!!

Casablanca: ... and voilà, one of my new lamps:

Casablanca: ... and the best shop for creating lamps

Maybe you already know the little shop 'Inter Lumiere' in Casablanca... In case you don't, it's a tiny store in the Rue Mostapha El Maâni, 301, Tel.: 0522 26 54 05. This is the place where you just have to bring a lamp of your choice, choose the matching colour for the shade and collect the most beautiful lamp a couple of days later...

M. Zini is the owner of the store and supports you with his experience he has collected within the last decades in this business. As soon as the lamp is ready, he simply gives you a call.

 

                    The little shop... make sure you don't miss it when searching it!

                                                                               This is the owner M. Zini.

Casablanca: ...and a sunday afternoon at 'La Corniche'

Well, what could be nicer than spending a sunny sunday afternoon with your family in nature? Moroccans and Europeans are in this case very alike and like strolling along the 'Corniche' in Casablanca with view on the nice beach and the ocean.

But one thing which is again very different is all the people gathering around all the different little self-made and -chartered stalls in which snail soup and hot tea are offered.

It seems to me the the Moroccans like the beach the most the more crowded and packed it is with stalls and people, whereas we actually would prefer it more lonely...

Casablanca: ... and strolling trough the old medina

Did you ever take the time to stroll through the medina without actually searching or buying something? I can tell you it's worth it: you will discover many things and details you never paid attention to before...

Casablanca: ... and collecting some firewood

Do you know these kind of days: you have an electrician or someone else in your house to have something fixed which is again not working and then one thing is leading to another....

In my case I had a 'ramoneur' at my place who should clean the chimney. He did very well for 500DHS and if you should need one, here is number: 0671214768.

Well, cleaning the chimney was of course not all he was offering: after demonstrating me how to lighten a fire properly he wanted to show me where the best firewood in Casablanca is sold. And I desperately needed some, especially small one to get the fire running.

And so, off we went in my car, 15 km north of Casa direction Rabat on the motorway until we passed by some slums and finally arrived at a very big junk yard. After we left the car behind because the road was in such a bad condition, we reached the announced fire wood selling place where I ordered 100kg of fine cut dry fire wood.

Do you see the man working on the big machine: he cut all the wood, of course WITHOUT any protection for his hands....

Finally, after 2 hours - as everything here in Morocco takes its time - I was driving back in my car with all the wood in the trunk. And guess what: the fire in our fireplace is now burning properly...

Casablanca: ... and preparations for the Aid El-Kebir...

One month after Ramadan and at the end of the pilgrimage all moroccans celebrate the Aid El-Kebir. Each family who can afford will buy at least one mutton and have it killed/butchered in the morning of the Aid El-Khebir. For one week the family is only eating mutton meat and is also sharing parts of their meat (mostly the mutton head) with the poor.

So at least one week before the celebration sheep can be bought everywhere and they are kept until the morning of the Aid in the family's garden, the balcony or even in the apartments. Therefore it is not rare that you can observe muttons being transported on car roofs or in the boot.

Muttons for sale: 1kg costs around 4€

All these beautiful sheep wait to be selected for the Aid...

A Moroccan family father is showing me on the teeth of the mutton

how old this one is: 12 years apparently

Aha, one mutton has been selected and is now waiting to be weighted...

And here we go: selected, weighted and now ready to be transported 

to the family's house/apartment...