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Published: January 20th 2020
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18th January 2020
We werent going to eat last night given the amount of lunch we'd had, but I started getting peckish at around 8...I did have half a taco after all.
Shane isnt going to have anything. He's still full from lunch. The Riad does cook meals but you need to give advance notice. The cook can make some cous cous up if thats ok. I'm well happy with that and so apparently is Shane, who isnt going to have anything tonight because he's still chockers from lunch! Honestly, both of these meals were monstrous and included salads and 2 tagines of cous cous and beautiful vegetables and lamb.
We've had a fabulous day today exploring the city and its outer areas. The beautiful park here behind the city, Perdicaris Park, was owned by a US diplomat , Ion Perdicaris, who built a home on the 70 hectares in 1872. He was kidnapped in 1924 and after his release, he and his wife left Tangier to return to the US. The property now belongs to the Moroccon state. The story on the sign at the park tells a different story. It says his wife became gravely ill
Tangier
Medina fish markets living in the city, and after spending a long time living in the country, she became well again naturally. He was so grateful that he donated his property to the people before he left for the US.
Mmmm.... I know which explanation I'm leaning toward.
Grottes d'Hercule, or the Caves of Hercules! According to Greek mythology, it is here that Hercules rested after he separated Africa from Europe!! Inhabited for more than 7000 years, the caves were used as a quarry for millstones, even as far back as the Phoenicians! The image where the sea exits the cave is stunning and looks like an inverted map of Africa itself!
Our guide today, Achraf, is a great guy, and a local to Tangier. You cant put a price on the places he took us in the Medina today. "Come here", he beckons gently outside a tiny door, " you wont believe what you can see down here....". As we follow him down a small, dark, narrow set of stairs, the room opens up, and we see an old man below us, placing and removing bread from the wood fired oven that is inserted deep in to the wall.
Tangier
Medina markets This is a communal oven! As we descend toward him, he greets us warmly and continues about his business. He's been doing this for 47 years. There is nothing he hasnt been asked to cook. A man has come to collect the trays of biscuits he bought in to be cooked earlier, and offers us one from the tray. It is deicious. Another lady has come to collect the loaf of bread she dropped by earlier, but its not quite ready. She'll come back later. Oh look....out comes a tray of eggplant!
We are blown away by the warmth and friendliness of the people in Tangier. " Welcome to Morocco" they say with a smile everywhere we go. From the well to do gentlemen in the expensive artesan store, to the man in the scarf store who then takes you to his rug store, who understands that happy wife means happy life, to the designer who owns the djellaba (mens robe) store and has Shane trying them on to my immense amusement, and the man in the herbal medicine store who can ship argan oil to my door for a great price - without exception, all of these people
Tangier
Medina markets were so happy to speak with us about what they do and equally happy to wish us well - no hard sell here.
Lunch is another mega food extravaganza! We cannot escape it! Today is almost 6 courses; Bread and dips with olives, salad, chicken and vegetables with cous cous, fruit, baklava and mint tea.
We arent going to have dinner tonight given the amount of lunch we had! You see where this is going? ?
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