What can I say about Morocco? It was absolutely FANTASTIC! I ended up flying economy on Delta via a paid ticket because my dates were not flexible and I needed to arrive/depart from different cities.  ): 

But my son, who works overseas, met me and we spent the week together, and we hadn’t traveled together in a few years, so that made it extra special (and worth flying economy)!   

I researched tours via Trip Advisor and picked one I liked, which was Marvelous Morocco Tours, and they were MARVELOUS! It’s owned by a young Moroccan named Iddir, and has only been in business for a few years. I told him where I wanted to go (again some research) and he emailed back with a customized itinerary. Just the two of us had our own driver, with airport pickup/delivery and all hotels, meals, and tours included for $900 per person, not including lunch, which we thought was a great deal! I highly recommend them – http://www.marvelous-moroccotours.com/ OR email Iddir at marvelousmoroccotours@gmail.com.

We arrived in Casablanca and were met by Rachid in a new Toyota four wheel drive, our “home” for the next nine days. We saw Rick’s Café from the movie, Casablanca, and the mosque there, before arriving at our hotel that evening. Our hotel was right by the water and was sumptuous, as you can see!

The next day was a long travel day to Chefchaouen, located in northwest Morocco. We stopped in Rabat, the capital city, and visited Hassan Tower and the Mohammed V mausoleum. Hassan Tower is part of an incomplete mosque, built in 1195 AD.

Chefchaouen is a small village in the Rif Mountains, which is all painted in shades of BLUE! It’s not only the houses, but government buildings, lampposts and even trash cans! Why is it painted blue? The custom dates back to the 15th century, when Jewish refugees fleeing the Spanish Inquisition settled in large numbers in Chaouen, as the locals call it. They brought with them their tradition of painting things blue to mirror the sky and remind them of God. It was one of my very favorite places in Morocco and we wish we’d stayed longer. We were located at the top of the village, within walking distance of everything. Here are some pictures, including our blue guesthouse, where we had one of the BEST meals of the trip! I will let the pictures do the talking…

 Next up, Fes…

 PS I’ve noticed all these CAPS and exclamation marks! Morocco REALLY deserves it!