Casa Blanca, Morocco, and the end of Ramadan

Due to technical difficulties this blog is going out as is without my normal editing. Please forgive the randomness of the pictures.  A brief description of our first day in Morocco is below the pictures. 

The first part of our trip. 

Anyone who wants can use the equipment for the skate park. 

The Opera House is in the background. 

The town center was packed when we walked by while returning to our hotel. 

We have arrived in Morocco for our first ever trip with OAT (Overseas Adventure Travel).  Our trip from Orly, Paris France was an easy and uneventful flight which is just how we like it.  We were picked up promptly at the airport and 45 minutes later we entered our hotel and were being greeted by our delightful guide  Malek.

Our first walk around town wasn’t too exciting.  The streets were fairly empty, and the city had a tired, dirty, rundown feeling.  The influence from France was evident in some of the architecture. We returned to our hotel and while Tom decided to relax Bruce, Tess and I said we’re here and need to go exploring. By mid afternoon the city was coming alive. Little girls were dressed in sparkly clothes and party dresses.  Men and women were dressed in their caftans covering themselves from the neck down. Much of this had to do with respect for Ramadan which ended last night. As people came out to visit friends and family the streets filled with excitement. The city came alive. At the town square housing various important buildings including the opera house there was a fountain. Around the fountain were ponies that children could sit on, people,dressed in costumes, venders selling food including grilled corn on the cob that looked and smelled delicious, and children in electric cars with their parents walking alongside. The day that began gloomy and quiet changed once the sun came out along with hoards of people.  The town was jumping!  I kept a tight grip on my phone and Fanny pack because we had been warned.