I was awakened by the gulls and the sunlight coming into the room. The heated ceramic floor made getting out of bed a little bit easier. Guittel went to the hammam for a session while arbitrated with the children next door to get ready and head for breakfast. The breakfast at Dar L’oussia was served on the rooftop terasse, five floors above ground with a gentle breeze, strong morning sun and comfortable chairs and tables arranged around the roof, overlooking the courtyard. Several families and couples were already being served. We took our places in the midst of the seagulls and were served coffee au lait, fresh orange juice, crepes, yogurt, baguette with bread and jams etc. Service was elegant and likely a hint of what the restaurant for evening meals was like. Unfortunately we did not get to try either the bar or the restaurant. The décor was elegant Moroccan but the striking feature was the large black and white portraits of older African men. Saved for another trip, I guess.
After the morning meal, we paraded out around the port of Essouira and scala du port. The smell was overwhelmingly fish, the cannon and walls were Portuguese but the men on the docks were all Moroccan. The fishing boats are all blue and the seagulls swooped over the harbor and the shore, waiting to be scavengers.We then walked into the square and through some of the maze of alleys that are named streets. Shops with souvenirs and crafts mixed in with the occasional gallery and restaurant. Cafes were everywhere as fitting the lifestyle and sunshine. We wandered through the medina some more and then later had lunch at a café in the square. My grilled sardines were light, salty and crispy. No beer available to wash them down with. The other s ate well also and the scavengers cats were always in evidence waiting for our droppings. The whole area was crowded with locals and tourists since it was Saturday.
Mid afternoon we carted our baggage out of Dar L’Oussia, regretting that we only had one night there and in Essaouira. We loaded the car up after the street attendant moved a few cars for us so that we could open the back doors. He literally pushed the cars on the level street to make space. (All of us had left the parking brakes off. This was one of the most efficient uses of parking space.) We drove down the beach road and saw the more conventional part of the town. Then it was 170 km down the road to Agadir. Now although the map shows a straight highway much of the distance, there was no straight section of the road anywhere until near Agadir. Moroccan engineers seem to have a disdain for topography and build roads in a twisting, turning fashion up and down hillsides and mountains. The drive was scenic as usual, first inland and then over the coast road with the Atlantic crashing on the rough shoreline. As we approached Agadir, there were more surfers and beach activity as we saw on a similar drive down the California coast a few years ago. Finally at 5PM we arrived on the road overlooking Agadir, a city of white buildings, built since the destructive quake of 1960. Our hotel, the Anezi was centrally located but a bit dated in appearance and functioning. We did catch a great view from balconies of our adjoining rooms. We walked 10 blocks to find a pizzeria, La Sicilenne, which was recommended in the books. We could see that Agadir was different from other Moroccan cities. The pizza was authentic Italian style but with Moroccan twists and service. Ironically, since the restaurant was a WiFi spot, I also read about the shooting and funeral of Nick Rizzuto in Montreal. Sent an email home and then Guittel and I drove putt-putt around the beach area and downtown for a few minutes to see what the night time action was about. The city is just a big resort and not that much different from other similar places. Tomorrow, last day.
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