THE START OF SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL
Due to my mom's love of films from the 40s and 50s, I grew up very knowledgeable about all things film noire and some of my favorite actors come from this era: Joseph Cotton, Gene Tierney, and, of course, Humphrey Bogart. Naturally, one cannot think of Bogey without thinking of Casablanca. Not surprisingly, the city of the film (which was mostly shot on a sound stage in Hollywood) has nothing to do with the real city. In reality, Casablanca is Morocco's largest city with well over three million inhabitants. It should also be noted that there are about a dozen Rick's Cafes for tourists to find and photograph.
Casablanca's Hassan II Mosque is the largest in Morocco and the third largest in the world. It has room for 25,000 worshippers and a further 80,000 can be accommodated in its adjoining grounds. Its minaret is the world's tallest at 689 ft (210 m). Being on the Atlantic, I take a couple coastal shots of town. Downtown itself is very continental in feel, filled with cafes, department stores, and souviner shops. I grab some lunch and a few souviners and then am on my way to Rabat.
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