The new marina here in Rabat has proved to be a safe place to leave the boat enabling us to use Rabat as a base for trips inland.

Curious can be seen in the centre of the picture with the town Sale immediately behind making it possible to walk to the medina in Sale or across the river in Rabat, with short taxi ride into the new parts of town.

Now the capital of Morocco, Rabat has its own long history and much to see in and around the old Medina and Kasbah.

Situated on top of the hill overlooking the river the minaret is all that is left of what was the 2^nd largest mosque in the world with the base of the

pillars all that can be seen of the original main building.

As well as the mosque there is also the tomb of King Mohammed V the grandfather of the current, young reforming king. Mohammed the VI

has introduced many changes to the country including universal suffrage, school education for children up to the age of 15 and a program of

infrastructure development that includes many new roads and motorways as well as opening the airspace to create additional tourism and trade.

Surrounding the mosque and the tomb there are beautiful gardens with some exotic plants, the most striking being the one pictured below.

Does anyone know what it is called?