If I had to pick one place to live in Morocco, it would be Rabat. This capital city lacks the history of Fez, the swag and glamour of Marrakesh and the magic of Chefchaouen, yet it ranks as my favorite place in Morocco. Why? Because Rabat feels like home, a genuine city where life is relaxed, accessible and secure.

I first discovered Rabat in Autumn 2014 when a group of friends and I travelled around Morocco for two weeks. Our trip had started in the medieval alleyways of Fez, with a quick pit stop in between to see the wonders of Chefchaouen. Rabat was our third destination. The only reason we were heading to the capital city was to volunteer with an organisation carrying out meditation and cultural exchange programmes. Otherwise we would have done like most tourists, simply bypassing Rabat for its famous neighbours, as there really isn’t much to see or do in this bland and non-eventful place. 

The journey there was by train, and as we were travelling during peak Eid holiday season there were few seats available. I eventually found a spot further down our carriage and soon started talking to my neighbour, a humble and kind middle aged man. We must have spoken for ages because the 3 hour journey flew by. We talked about life, work, and we spoke about God and what spirituality meant to us. It was a satisfying conversation, the kind where you feel that despite all cultural differences you really connect to the other person. Today I have forgotten this man’s name or what he looks like, but I haven’t forgotten the peace and contentment that radiated from him.

My friends and I were staying at the Hotel Balima in Rabat, just around the corner from the train station and right in front of the Moroccan parliament. A central location that gave us pedestrian access to the most interesting areas of the city. We were met at the hotel by Edith, the lovely lady who was running the meditation programme, and she promptly whisked us off to a small restaurant close by for a good tajine dinner. Despite it’s grand location, the Hotel Balima was a tad bit run down and in need of refurbishment (it has since permanently closed) - we ended up having to change rooms that first night when we found small bugs on our mattresses - but otherwise it did a decent job of hosting us. 

Our first day in Rabat was spent walking around and handing out leaflets for the event we were volunteering for, a night of meditation and world music. The people of Rabat were so kind and welcoming, they accepted our leaflets with thanks and some would even come up to us and ask for more. In this way we slowly made our way down the Avenue Mohammed V that brought us to the entrance of the old town and the open air Medina. 

By this point we had run out of leaflets so we just went for a stroll around the Medina, taking in the daily life around us. The open air market was busy with people out and about buying spices, vegetables and bread. Some of them were buying clothes. We walked by many stalls and passed some scary looking male mannequins, popped into a perfume shop to get a few small bottles of oud and found some good argan oil at a small shop further down. Someone was selling live baby turtles in the middle of the street. Despite being surrounded by many passersby, sellers bargaining with customers, hawkers attracting people, the noise, the hustle and bustle in general - a certain harmonious rhythm marked these proceedings. Best of all, there were hardly any tourists.

The next day was special, we got to see the King! His Highness Mohammed VI came to inaugurate the new session of the Moroccan Parliament, which was in the building facing our hotel. The first we heard about the visit was when our hotel ordered us to close the blinds on our windows for a few hours, for security purposes. Soon, military vehicles started arriving on the streets just below us and the area was roped off to other cars. Large crowds then materialised with drums and other musical instruments, waving big red Moroccan flags. We decided to join them and get a better look at what was happening. In this jubilant musical atmosphere His Majesty appeared in his golden Djellaba and briefly waved to us the crowd, before climbing the steps leading into the Parliament building. He came out about an hour later and once again waved at us, receiving rapturous applause and greetings from the patriotic crowds, and then drove off in a column of black SUVs. Slowly the road emptied itself and the last musicians blowed a few farewell notes. 

The party was over but the afternoon was still young. So we took a walk again through the Medina till we reached the Kasbah des Ouidias, an old citadel-fort overlooking the mouth of the river Bou Regreg as it merges into the Atlantic sea. The entrance to this citadel is up a wide set of stairs and through an impressive arched doorway. Old walls encircle the citadel that is still home to hundreds of people living in quiet residential narrow streets, dotted with the rare shop selling souvenirs and faded postcards. Some of the walls here are painted blue as in Chefchaouen, but the effect is less striking. There are more cats than people about, lazing in the sun on door steps or walking along rooftops. We strolled leisurely along this simple and forgotten place.

From the terraces of the Kasbah overlooking the waves we enjoyed some mint tea and sweets while relishing in the sea breeze. Around us other Moroccans were doing the same, we could hear them chatting and laughing away in Arabic. This was clearly a great place to socialise and come with friends. Just next to us were the Andalusian Gardens, planted by the French within the fortress walls back in the 1920s. A small oasis of green where you could hear birds singing and water rippling from fountains. Quite a few people were sitting in the shade of trees, playing games or reading books. I took a stealthy delight in watching the people of Rabat enjoying their city. 

Edith took us sight seeing on our third day. She had been coming regularly to Rabat for a few years now and knew many interesting and less well known places. We all hopped into two big taxis and drove to Salé, the small town opposite Rabat, to the workshop of a potter where we spent about an hour watching him at his craft. We saw where he kept his clay, how he painted his tajine pots, where he fired them. I was astounded by the techniques used by the potter that were clearly the same ones his grandfather and ancestors would have used. Perhaps the only modern additions were the electric bulbs beaming light from the ceiling, otherwise it felt like we had gone back in time. The potter threw his pots with a patience and detached mastery coming from performing the same gestures thousands of times. It was hypnotic. Edith then took us for lunch to a tiny restaurant shack next to the sea where we ate a rather huge quantity of fried fish with our fingers, a most satisfying culinary experience. 

We spent the afternoon rehearsing for our music programme in the evening. A few hours later the small room we had hired at the Hotel Balima was full to the brim and people were spilling out into the corridor. We had an incredibly joyful meditation session all together. We then started our concert and the response we got from our audience was exhilarating, soon most people in the already packed room were dancing. We were not allowed to finish the concert as our public kept asking us for one more song. Well after we had been scheduled to stop, we took leave of the last participants who thanked us over and over again. What a rewarding event! Over a very late dinner we kept talking about our programme and how much we had enjoyed our volunteering experience.

The next day was our last in this laid back city. Once again we went to the Medina, heading over to an area where traditional handicrafts were sold. By this point I knew my way around the old town and no longer required help in getting around. This is one of the reasons why I love Rabat, it is very easy to familiarise yourself and feel at home. This modern city feels safe and it is easy to blend in as a foreigner. As we walked once more down the Avenue Mohammed V, stopping for an avocado juice at a fruit stand, sniffing the delicious aromas coming from the street food shops with their outdoor seating, strolling past the local telecoms shop, popping into a bakery for some fresh bread - I felt I could be comfortable living in this city. It reminded me a bit of Italy. 

The handicraft shops that sell souvenirs are in a beautiful wide and airy arcade covered with a wooden latticed roof that filters the sunlight into a kaleidoscope of bright patterns. You can buy the usual Moroccan souvenirs from slippers to leather bags, but at much cheaper rates than other cities. There is no pressure to buy here and you can stroll and examine goods at your leisure. The sellers are also friendly, often inviting you in for tea and showing you their workshops in the back. It makes the experience of being a tourist much more pleasant as you feel valued as a person instead of being viewed as a cash pot, yet another quality that sets Rabat apart from other Moroccan cities.  

Our trip to Rabat finished where it had started, at the main train station, a modern terminal with great facilities and a good cafe. Five friends with their travel bags waited on a platform for a train to Marrakesh, chatting, snacking, and all agreeing that Rabat had been the highlight of our trip so far, for all the non obvious reasons.