Rabat

What a nice surprise to find this in my mailbox today. The stamp is round, although the sender pasted more of the sheet on it. Regarding the stamp, semaine de solidarité = week of solidarity.

Rabat is the capital city of Morocco in North Africa. Over 2 million people live in Rabat, making it the country's second largest city. Rabat is located on the Atlantic ocean, but Casablanca further south along the coast is the main port. Rabat is where the government is located, as well as the King of Morocco, but it's not the commercial capital (that would be Casablanca). Rabat has a rich history but is a fairly new capital, the French gave it this status in 1912 and it remained the capital as per the King's wishes, after independence in 1956.

Rabat is a very pleasant capital, and not as congested as some other Moroccan cities. The boulevards are wide, the souqs are not too hectic and there's a cosmopolitan feel to the outdoor cafes and well-dressed middle classes that live and work here. As with many Moroccan cities, it's divided into the Medina (old-walled city) and the Ville Nouvelle (new city, built by the French). [source: goafrica.about.com]

Thank you very much Narjiss!/Merci beaucoup Narjiss!