I was making my way back to the old medina of Rabat. I was very impressed that how clean and orderly Rabat is. This is in total contrast to the other medinas that I have seen. Medinas have their own character but there is only so much hassling you can take. Admittedly, Rabat doesn’t have many people hassling you to go this or there which was a refreshing change from the mayhem of the other medinas. One of the main thoroughfares in Rabat is the Avenue Mohammed V. Obviously, this avenue is named after the man who helped the the country become independent. Immediately, you can tell that this place is special.
The Avenue Mohammed V is a wide avenue with a strip of greenery in the middle. It is pretty much a park in between two streets. There were palm trees plants on the center island. There also seats here where people can relax and admire the avenue. It does feel a bit strange to be “relaxing” in the between two busy streets. Fortunately, I didn’t feel the pollution was that bad, but I don’t think it would be a good idea to stay here for long periods of time either. The avenue eventually ends up at the old medina, though the central island doesn’t reach all the way there. Avenue Mohammed V is considered the most beautiful street in the country, it is hard not to see why.
[xmlgm {http://www.worldwanderings.net/kml/AvenueMohammedV.kmz} zoom=19]