Our last full day in Marrakech and we are starting off with a cooking class. 

The cooking school classroom.

Granny with the master chef.

Granny is stir-frying her veggies.

Tajine prep is done.  Cover and cook.

Plate of Veggies

Tajine on the table and ready to eat.

IIt was our last afternoon in Marrakech and Hassan wanted us to see the Menara Gardens  We had tried the day before but they close at 6:00pm and we didn't get there in time.  Today we made it.

The gardens were established in the 12th century and the "pavilion" was built in the 16th century.  There is an artificial lake which looks like a large pond.  Since a walk around the pond didn't interest me, while Hassan pushed Granny on the circuit, I went and visited the pavilion.  That turned out to be fortunate as it closed before Hassan and Granny got there.

The area is surrounded by olive groves which are irrigated by water from the pond.

On the walk back, we stopped briefly at a spot where there was a bench and a little souvenier area setup.  They were in the process of packing up for the day and this little girl was playing while her mother did the packing.  I'm always a sucker for cute little girls.

When we exited the gardens, Granny and I waited on the corner while Hassan went to get the van.  Ir was parked a distance from the entrance and was too far for Granny to walk.  While we were waiting I thought Granny might like to try one of the older forms of transport but she declined.  There was also what appeared to be a bicycle rental stand.  We have seen these in a few spots.  I'm not quite sure how they work.

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For our last dinner in Marrakech, we decided to try Palais Namaskar.  It was a VERY posh hotel a little outside of the main area of the city.  In fact it seemed quite remote.  Dinner was good.  Not great but good.  The place was beautiful and it felt very luxurious.

Next stop is Rabat, the capital of Morocco.  However, on the way to Rabat we stopped in Casablanca to see the Hassan II Mosque.  The Mosque is the largest in Morocco, the second largest in Africa and the 5th largest in the world.  It's relatively new - finished in 1993.  It is huge and VERY impressive.

We arrived at the Mosque about the time of afternoon prayers.  Our driver - I refer to him as Hassan I - raced off to pray.  We wandered about the grounds waiting for his return.  Upon his return, he got ticktes for us to visit the inside which opened for tourists at 3pm.

Above is a panoramic view of the Mosque and the grounds.  It is situated on a promontory that looks out to the Atlantic Ocean.

The small patio above is in an area enclosed by the "wall" of arches.

One of the fountains and a close-up of the fountain.  Also look at the beautiful floor.

The inside of the mosque is also enormous.  According to the pages in Wikipedia, the mosque can accommodate 105,000 worshippers aat one time.  25,000 inside the mosque and an additional 80,000 in the areas outside.  Also notice in the pictures above, the separate section for the women.

Finally, the magnificent decorations and the carved wood ceiling.