Beyond cosmopolitan Casablanca's romantic reputation

"You must remember this/a kiss is still a kiss/a sigh is just a sigh. The fundamental things apply/as time goes by."

The song from the Hollywood classic Casablanca was ringing through my ears days before I arrived Casablanca. I fancied myself sipping coffee at Rick's Cafe, where I thought most of the movie was shot.

Actually, Casa, as locals call it, isn't overly touristy and may even be slightly less exotic than other Moroccan cities, but as the country's economic and cultural capital, the former French colonial post is the most cosmopolitan and Western-feeling city in Morocco.