[Dec. 2025] It’s been a while since we last crossed continents and enjoyed a cross-cultural experience.
Our destination was Morocco.
Actually, this was my third time.
The last time I visited was as long as 26 years ago.
For my husband, it was the first time.
From Milan, a direct flight with low-cost airline easyJet was convenient, so we chose it without hesitation.
Since we had pre-booked our seats and checked baggage, we arrived in the capital, Rabat, smoothly, without the same troubles as on our previous trip to London.
Most of the passengers on the packed flight seemed to be Moroccans returning home.
It was a blessing to be able to cross the African continent and visit a country with a completely different culture in just two and a half hours.
It was pouring rain at the airport when we arrived, but it stopped while we were claiming our luggage.
Just as promised, a young man named Youssef was waiting for us when we left the gate, holding a sign with our names on it.
This time, we were on a chauffeured tour of Morocco, a grand tour of the country.
The 27-year-old speaks fluent English, but apparently has never set foot outside of Morocco.
After listening to him explain things like the Moroccan flag, our first stop was the Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V.
Youssef wasn’t our guide, so he waited for us and we had to figure out the details for ourselves.
We weren’t aware of this, so we were a little hesitant, but we decided to go inside the mausoleum first.
It was guarded by serious-looking guards in red uniforms.
The mausoleum was completed in 1971 after 10 years, and is truly magnificent.
I was overwhelmed by Islamic architecture, something I hadn’t seen in a long time.
Then, we headed to the Hassan Tower.
Construction of this tower began in the 12th century, but it was left unfinished after the death of the king who commissioned it.
It’s still quite large, apparently standing 44 metres tall.
The unfinished walls and pillars all around make for a spectacular sight.
At this point, the sky was a deep blue.
The tower really stood out.
It was also interesting to see the pigeons nestled one by one in the holes in the pink walls.
My husband said, “It looks like Andalusia.”
I knew he’d definitely say that.
This is the original, though.
