Gareth Deegan

Our final morning in Morocco began bright and early at 6:30 a.m. After a quick breakfast of baps, we gave the apartment a final tidy-up, checking every corner to make sure nothing was left behind. With everything packed, we left the key inside and gently pulled the door shut—our time in Rabat had come to an end. At around 7:40 a.m., we made our way on foot to the train station, where the airport bus (Line AE) stops. A few other travellers were already waiting, suitcases in tow. The bus arrived promptly at 7:55 a.m., slightly earlier than expected. We paid 25 dirhams each (just €5 total for both of…

Our last full day in Marrakech began at a leisurely pace. We got up around 9:00 a.m. and had a simple breakfast of snacks on the terrace, enjoying the sunshine and morning stillness above the Medina rooftops. We set out into the souks with a mission: to find a fossil. At the first shop we visited, we spotted a beautiful ammonite—actually one half of a matched pair. The seller initially asked for 500 dirhams (about €50), but after a bit of friendly haggling, we brought it down to 300 dirhams (€30). He even threw in an extra small fossil and two quartz pieces as a bonus. Later, we looked it…

We were up early today—just after 6:00 a.m.—for our journey south to Marrakech. With a light breakfast of snacks (I had half of my roll), we were out the door by 6:45, heading for the train station. We arrived a little too early, so we sat outside on a bench under the still-blue morning sky, watching the city slowly wake up. The train pulled in right on time at 7:35 a.m.—it doesn’t originate in Rabat, but travels up the coast, stopping briefly here. We were in first class, which gave us spacious, air-conditioned seats, though the carriage was an older one. There were some issues with unreserved passengers taking seats…

Our second day in Rabat began with a trip back in time as we explored the ancient Chellah ruins. We caught a taxi from the train station and were soon wandering through a fascinating blend of Roman and Islamic architecture. The site was atmospheric and peaceful, made even better with audio guides that added context to what we were seeing—well worth the €13 each. One of the most memorable features? The many storks nesting on the ruins, their huge, twiggy homes perched atop crumbling walls. Afterwards, we took a taxi back to the apartment and had a relaxed lunch of snacks on the terrace. Once refuelled, we walked down to…

We were up and out the door by 5:00 a.m., beginning our Moroccan adventure with an early morning drive to Dublin Airport. Our Ryanair flight (FR162) to Rabat departed right on time at 7:40 a.m., and we made the most of the journey by watching downloaded videos on our phones—a great way to pass the time. By 11:10 a.m., we touched down in Rabat under clear blue skies. First order of business: withdrawing some cash (€200 or MAD 2000) and picking up two local SIM cards—20GB each for just €10. Not a bad deal! We hopped on the AE airport bus which took us directly to the train station near…