#587 The Last Voyage of the Last Cruise Ship built in Great Britian

Semester At Sea is prime time for ship spotting.   Along our Fall 2013 route, we've crossed paths repeatedly with distinctive old-school cruise ships painted with mustard yellow funnels. They catch our eye.

In Casablanca, the MV Explorer docks next to a yellow-funneled gem, the Saga Ruby.

The Saga Ruby in Casablanca

We watch with envy as her passengers circumnavigate her open decks, walking and soaking up the Moroccan sun.  Inside, they are apparently enjoying the library decorated in purples and reds.

She's vintage 1973 and the last cruise ship built in Great Britain.  This December, the Saga Ruby makes what may be her final voyage sailing from our first port, Southampton.

"There's something special about Saga Ruby. Perhaps it's her classic lines and elegant profile, or the fact that she's the last cruise ship to have been built in Britain. But I think it's simply that she epitomises the magic and romance of a bygone age of cruising". Captain Angove.

Yours in catching a glimpse of a true classic,
Kelly

#585 Marrakesh Express

On another gorgeous Moroccan day, we travel about 150 miles south and inland from Casablanca to Marrakesh.  We travel by bus, not by train, but that does not keep us from trying to remember the words to the Crosby, Stills and Nash classic Marrakesh Express.

Wouldn't you know we're riding on the Marrakesh Express
They're taking me to Marrakesh
All aboard the train, all aboard the train

Marrakesh, the Red City, is known for its ubiquitous terra cotta-colored buildings.  Highlights of the day include the uniform terra-cotta-ness, the Majorelle Garden, the souks, and the Jemaa el-Fnaa square.

The Majorelle Garden is a botanical garden filled with Kelly's favorite things: bamboo and ferns.  It was designed by a French artist and later owned by Yves Saint Laurent.

We wander the winding pathways of the souks, or traditional Berber open-air markets, with a small group of students looking for just the right Moroccan gift for families back home.

 

And we end our search with a glass of leafy green Moroccan tea at the the famous Jemaa el-Fnaa square filled with cobra charmers, gymnasts, and persistent hawkers. When we return home, we will watch Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much - with scenes of this square.

 

We leave magical Marrakesh at sunset, heading back toward our MV Explorer home and contemplating life. 

Yours in repeating CSN's words "looking at the world through the sunset in your eyes,"
Mary

#584 First time in Morocco, our oldest friend

After seven ports in Europe, we finally arrive in Africa in the Moroccan port of Casablanca! 

It's our first time to visit Morocco, the oldest ally of the US.  "On December 20, 1777, Morocco became the first country to formally recognize the colonies as a unified sovereign nation."  And according to Morocco-US relations, the Treaty of Friendship between the US and Morocco is the longest unbroken treaty relationship in U.S. history.  We definitely feel welcome.  That's for sure. 

Casablanca is Morocco's largest city.  Docking on a gorgeous day, we tour the Hassan II Mosque - the largest mosque in the country and the 7th largest in the world. Built on the Atlantic Ocean, it's magnificent - inside and out. 

Built in 1993 with lovely hand-crafted marble and a retractable roof, much of the funding came from mandatory public subscription.  Sometimes, I wonder about money spent on showplaces like this (or the Boris Yeltsin presidential library in Saint Petersburg) when there are so many pressing needs.  But you can't question the majesty of the Hassan II Mosque.


Yours in appreciating the welcome to Morocco,
Mary