We made it to Casablanca! A few morning showers were not going to derail the start of our Moroccan adventure.
After our overnight flight, my friend Sarah and I hit the ground running. We are doing an indecent trip booked through Audley Travel. First stop, with our knowledgeable guide Naima, was the impressive Hassan II mosque, right on the Atlantic.
Casablanca is the economic center of the country and home to close to 8 million. Although often serving as entry point to the country it doesn’t offer many of the more exotic experiences found elsewhere.
It was, however, a very good introduction to Moroccan culture and I felt starting with the mosque was a perfect (and respectful) launch to our visit.
I’ve always loved beautiful doors and Morocco has so many incredible entryways. The doors shown above are from the mosque and around the Medina (old city).
In the Medina, we were also intrigued by the community oven and grateful for the free sample of a delicious almond pastry offered by the area’s most famous local bakery (Patisserie Bennis Habous).
Because the French controlled the area from 1912 until 1956, their influence is evident everywhere, and deco architecture can be spotted throughout downtown. French is widely spoken.
Our driver Mohammed did a great job getting us around town, including to see a variety of Atlantic vistas. We ate more than we needed for lunch at the lovely seaside restaurant Cabestan, with vista of waves crashing against the rocky shore. Although totally modern, they are celebrating their 100 anniversary.
Dinner at Rick’s Cafe lived up to expectations. They did a fabulous job recreating the club featured in the 1942 movie Casablanca. And the food and service were wonderful. It was a fun experience.
Now it was time for a protest. As mentioned in a previous post, Chile is getting a new president. The first thing we noticed as we set out to explore our Lastarria neighborhood was green scarves thrown over various statues. Then, we begin to hear crowds chanting, saw people rushing down the street, and noticed more police than usual. So, we headed in the opposite direction, and our guide spoke to the police. It was an impromptu protest staged by communist sympathizers (who are not pleased with the recent election).
We were taking a private walking tour arranged through our hotel, with charming Margarita. A former actress and current artist, she had the perfect personality for this arts-focused morning.
Passing the dogwalkers and joggers, we wandered through Parque Forestal. Margarita shared some lovely stories about her grandparents’ courtship in the park, two generations past.
Creative Inspiration
Statues inspired conversation about literature, romance, and mythology before we stopped in at the Belle Époque art museum (Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes). The museum is the oldest art museum in Latin America and is free to visit.
The massive GAM Cultural Center has been repurposed from its political/military origins and now houses rotating art exhibits and pop-up performances. It’s become an airy, inviting hub for local artists of all sorts.
The narrow streets of the Lastarria neighborhood are filled with restaurants and shops. I particularly loved the cat-work of one artist famous for painting his images on buildings. There is also a rich history in this area, being adjacent to the historic Santa Lucia Hill, which played an important role in Mapuche culture, missionary worship, and defense of the city.
A Dramatic Reminder
A more recent history lesson led us to the Neoclassical Parroquia de la Veracruz, a striking red-toned church that was burned during civil unrest in 2019. Named a historical monument in 1983, the reliquary is said to house relics of the Holy Cross originally found in Jerusalem. Today, the church is left partially restored and has exhibits as a reminder of what happened.
In the afternoon, we enjoyed a breezy ride around town on a hop-on bus – retracing many of our steps and gaining an insightful overview of everything we’ve seen in the last two days.
The Wonderland Café provided a whimsical spot for some late-afternoon refreshment, featuring crunchy scones and sinfully rich chocolate cake. The Café offers three stories of Alice in Wonderland food, fantasy, and gifts. An appropriate ending for our magical trip to Chile.
It was a beautiful day for our introduction to Santiago and ended up being the first day I was hot in two weeks and the second day in a row where “steps” took on a devilish meaning.
We arranged transport from our ship to Santiago through Shore Excursions. It was a good move, and there were just six of us with another excellent guide, Alwin. Santiago has 7.4 million residents and is a mix of modern and colonial architecture – all with the impressive Andes as a backdrop.
Racing to the Past
Our first stop was the local race track, Club Hípico de Santiago, inspired by Longchamps. A big hit with my husband, who used to have racehorses. The thoroughbreds were just practicing and being exercised this morning. It’s a beautiful historic facility, and parts reminded us of the Hialeah racetrack in Miami’s past.
We initially focused on the center of town, touring around the Plaza de Armas, main cathedral, Palacio de la Moneda (presidential palace), museums, and classic French-inspired Belle Epoque buildings. The French architectural influence was a surprise to me. The market we visited was an amazing example – what an incredible ceiling.
A lot is going on here since they are inaugurating a new president. I won’t go into it here, but we had very interesting conversations with our guides about the politics in Chile and beyond.
Foodies Would Do Well Here
Gustave Eiffel did some work here, but the Mercado Central was designed by British architects in 1872 and features an amazing Victorian-era cast-iron ceiling. The seafood displays also looked amazing, and I would have loved to have time to grab a meal at one of the on-site restaurants.
We went to the leafy Patio Bellavista area for lunch, where there were many types of international restaurants to choose from – but we wanted to try local food. At Zacharias, we shared the typical Chilean dish, Pastel de Choclo (corn pie), made with chicken, meat, corn, onion, olives, eggs, etc., and served in a typical clay pot. Thank goodness, we shared. It was very good and very filling; plus, I also ordered assorted empanadas.
Thus fortified, we headed to the nearby Cerro San Cristóbal area, a beautiful series of parks, with what seemed like a million steps leading up to a statue of the Virgin Mary. It was exhausting, but the views from the top made it worthwhile.
Once we checked into the Singular Hotel in the artsy-bohemian Lastarria neighborhood, we called it a day and stayed on property for a nice dinner at their charming rooftop restaurant.
Made me feel like I was back in Tampa, so good!
Buenas Noches.
Our ship docked in the middle of the industrial port of San Antonio. It was a busy place with cranes and containers being loaded and lots of cargo ships. We were not allowed to walk on the pier and had to be transported to the passenger terminal (such as it was) by shuttle. It just made things a bit more complicated.
Since we had a packed agenda, I booked a private guide through Tours by Locals. It was a very pleasant and interesting day under the capable guidance of Christopher (Chris) W. He was enthusiastic, entertaining, knowledgeable, and very interesting. Needless to say, there were no quiet pauses in our day together.
Some Competition for Miami’s Wynwood Walls?
We started in Valparaiso, early to beat the expected crowds on this Sunday, the last day of the Chilean summer break before school resumes. We took one of the few working funiculars up to get a good view of the city and Pacific coastline below. Just in time; not long after, a marine layer of fog rolled in.
Chris explained local and Chilean history and enlightened us about the local art scene. Knowing the context was key as he showed us the many colorful murals in the area. Look closely, and you may see some familiar figures. I’ll let the pics tell the story. And when I say we got our steps in today, I am not kidding!
I was very happy to be with someone who knows the ins and outs of the various neighborhoods because there is a lot of street crime here, and you really have to keep your wits about you. He also knows where all the decent bathrooms are.
Sacred Moai on Watch
A quick drive through the nearby seaside resort town of Viña del Mar provided a good frame of reference. This is where many Chileans vacation and have second homes. It was definitely more upscale with loads of nice-looking restaurants and shops. We didn’t feel like we needed to spend any extra time here, but it was a treat to see the one mainland-based Moai statue from Rapa Nui (aka Easter Island). BTW, Rapa Nui is now the official name of this Chilean island, and there is one other statue off-island, appropriated by the British long ago. They are fighting for its return.
Casablanca Wine Valley
It was a delight to head east into the lovely Casablanca wine country, which looks so much like Southern California. Chris does a lot of wine trips, and he took us to a wonderful boutique winery off the beaten path – Villard. After chatting with the winery manager, we selected three of their wines to try – their signature Tanagra (a Syrah), a Pinot Noir, and a Sauvignon Blanc. We liked all three. We paired the wines with a selection of food from their nice menu and dined outside, under a pergola, with a soft breeze. A delightful conclusion to a terrific day!
