Travel Review: Luxury Trip to Spain & Morocco, Madrid, Rabat, Marrakech, Fes, Tangier, Volubilis, Essaouira, Atlas Mountains

There were so many memorable parts!  Each city we visited was unique.  Marrakesch was the first introduction to the Morrocan food - tangine dinners.  Our hotel was particularly wonderful - . The cooking class (leaving Marrakesch on the way to Ourika) was very special.  The drive from Ourika in the Atlas Mts. to Essaouira on the coast was very interesting.  The other outstanding drive was between Essaouria and Ouilidia.  The French hotel in Rabat had a unique Mandarine garden complete with a family of peacocks!  A drive through/tour of Meknes, now home of a university, where we had a wonderful lunch turned out to be one of the many highlights.  Fes, with its leather tanneries and beautiful location was also a favorite.  An unexpected delight was the visit to Volubilis - a Roman ruin in the middle of nowhere.  The blue city of Chefchaouen and the drive to get there were spectacular.

We had a single night in Madrid on the way home, and it turned out to be the night of Christmas/holiday Fesitval.  What a surprise and treat that was!  Stores were open, streets were closed - the plazas and streets were crowded with people - from infants to elderly. Balloons, costumes, vendors, music...