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It was a bit soggy when we arrived in Tangier. Once again a taxi from the airport was easy to find and the whole journey from Nador to the
Hotel Rembrandt was over in the blink of a bleary eye. Our room wasn't ready though, one of the perils of an early flight, but the cafe opposite had good coffee and croissants, and strong WiFi so we were able to chill for a couple of hours.
Once inside the hotel we were pleased with our choice. Yes, there's a lot of faded elegance going on and it's definitely a throwback to the 1970s but it was comfortable enough and the price is great too. Unfortunately, especially for those in need of a siesta after an early flight, there was significant renovation going on somewhere inside the hotel, so we were disturbed by banging and drilling. Oh well, that's life as a budget traveller! The weather didn't improve a great deal but we managed to go out for a stroll, and we ended the day in our favourite
medina restaurant, the
Ahlem, where we feasted on couscous once again. Seriously, if you are ever in Tangier, you've got to find this place.
It won't be beaten for value, service, and quality of food.
Things were better the next day, the last day of this trip. We successfully did everything that we had planned. First of all we walked through the
medina to the Phonecian Tombs. Located on a clifftop overlooking the Med, they are certainly a spectacular sight. Several tombs can be seen cut into the rock, but sadly a lot have filled up with water in the recent rains and are now loaded with mosquito larvae waiting to hatch. Looks like it's going to get itchy there soon! With such a splendid view, it came as no surprise to see a lot of people, mostly locals, just sitting and enjoying the day.
Nearby we finally found
Cafe Hafa. Having found it, we would add it to our list of must-dos in Tangier. If seagull watching is your thing, it's definitely the place to be, and the same goes for watching ships on the Med, looking at the locals playing the Ludo-like game of
Parcheesi, and of course for drinking hot mint tea. One fascinating thing to see was how the waiter carried around ten glasses of mint tea in a
contraption not dissimilar to an old fashioned milk crate!
Our walk then continued back across town to the
corniche where we went in search of the hotel we had stayed in 23 years ago. Once we found it, we realised that we must have had money then! The
Kenzi Solazur looks a cut above the types of places we stay in these days. It was a very different city back then though, and the promenade and marina development has completely changed the landscape.
After a wonderful final meal, in a restaurant on a terrace overlooking the sea, we retreated to the bar at the Rembrandt for a welcome farewell beer. This Morocco trip has been great and we would highly recommend our itinerary to anyone who wants to step slightly outside their comfort zone without pushing the limits too far.
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Nothing better!
A meal in a tangine is marvelous! Getting hungry just looking at this.