TANGIER CITY TOUR

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After another hearty buffet breakfast, we set out to explore the city that has served as Europe's gateway to Africa for centuries, Tangier. Our sightseeing would take us to the legendary Kasbah, the Grand Socco, and the Tangier American Legation, a five-story mansion located in the Medina.

Our first stop was the Kasbah, and this sample only made me fall even more in love with the architectural style. Here, the samples of the traditional blue brought by the Jews feeling Spain in the 15th century became more prevalent. In this Kasbah, there were more buildings that have been converted to guest houses and B&Bs than in Rabat, which is to be expected from a city as cosmopolitan as Tangier. But from what we were told, they are not going cheaply, and good candidates can be sold for millions of dollars.

We had again started from the higher ground of the Kasbah and made our way down to an open plaza with unsurpassed views of the strait of Gibraltar and Spain in the horizon, with the new port beneath. That marked the end of the Kasbah and the start of the Medina, which we crossed through Bab HAHA, one of the medina's 13 gates and an entrance into the Medina when coming from the Kasbah.

Style wise there wasn't much to differentiate between the two sections, except for the slight widening of some of the alleyways. We made our way through some of these alleyways towards the Grand Socco, officially the Place du 9 Avril 1947, a historic circular roundabout separating the old medina from newer developments in downtown Tangier. The Square is also the entrance to the largest market in Tangier. The name Socco is a Spanish corruption of the Arabic Souk.

Whenever visiting these markets, I was conscious of trying not to take photos of the vendors tending the shops, as I was told that many objected to having their pictures taken. Apparently, there was a problem with some of them having been featured in postcards without their knowledge and consent, which naturally made them upset. As a result, I ended up with only a few photos taken at each market, but they were fascinating places.

I did question a couple of times about the freshness of the products when purchasing them. No doubt they arrived fresh but, for example, how long did chicken sit without refrigerating them was questionable.

After our visit to the Grand Socco, we continued through the Medina to the American Legation Museum. The legation was established May 17, 1821. Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah recognized the U.S. independence from Great Britain on December 20, 1777, making Morocco the first nation to do so. The building was gifted by the sultan to the U.S. government, and it remained a diplomatic post for the next 140 years.

The building itself was Arabic in architecture, although the furnishings and decor were definitely western in style. Not all five stories were open to the public, but the rooms we were able to visit were interesting.

After the American Legation we made our way to the street level and exited the Medina. Then it was time to drive to the Marina across from the beach for lunch. La Boutique Restaurant was partially open onto a promenade with great views of the beach. I ordered a grilled salmon that was delicious but was taken aback when served what I had thought was my side dishes as an appetizer. I never thought that rice and veggies would be served as an appetizer when it would have gone perfectly with my fish. I regretted not having ordered the fish soup, with was creamy and smelled very good.

Afterwards we returned to the hotel and after freshening up decided to explore the beachfront promenade. We found Barcelo, a rooftop bar with a great view, and ordered a bottle of Moroccan wine that was recommended by the waiter. We drank while waiting for the sunset, which did not disappoint.

We were not hungry after our late lunch, but we had seen a pastry shop on the way, and we decided to get some pastries as a snack, and also buy some for the long drive to Fes the following day. Morocco has amazing pastries, and I was very impressed with the meat filled mini pastries I had bought, and the honey based sweet I had gotten as a dessert.

Overall, I really enjoyed Tangier. I spent the half the trip joking about moving to Morocco but, if I ever seriously thought about it, I would probably choose Tangier.

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Photos

Kasbah
Approaching Bab Kasba, one of the upper level gates into the Kasbah.

Kasbah
The tunnel like entrance to the Kasbah.

Kasbah
Inside the Kasbah.

Kasbah
The traditional blue brought over by the Jews fleeing Spain in the 15th century.