Today, we’re looking at a 2.5 hour bus ride up to the Rif Mountains and our destination, the “Blue City” of Chefchaouen (pronounced: shuhf-SHUH-when).
The sun is out and it looks like it’s going to be a nice trip south.
Our Euro-African Journey (So Far...)
CTM is the main bus company in Morocco. You can get most places in the country on a train or CTM bus for a fraction of what similar-length journeys cost in Spain.
Northern Morocco is much greener than I imagined, particularly this time of year. Green hills (and mountains) as far as the eye can see along the route.
The Chefchaouen bus station is in the New Town. From here, it’s a circuitous 3km taxi ride to the top of Old Town where our apartment for the week is located. Heading there in a straight line is out of the question. The reason for this will soon become apparent.
As is the case with all Medinas in Morocco, a taxi can only get you so far (no cars allowed—motorbikes permitted in some of the wider alleyways). From the upper gate of the Medina to our place required a five-minute walk down several dozen steps with our bags.
Fortunately, we’re staying near a gate and parking lot. I can only imagine what this journey would have been like with all of our stuff had we stayed farther down the hill.
From the rooftop terrace of our apartment, you can see the entire Old Town. The town was built on a mountainside. Our place is located at the very top of town and the Kasbah and main square are at the bottom, so we’re blowing up our stair count these days.
Our place was recently updated, and everything was nicer than we expected. The two main downsides are that it’s located on the ground floor in a daylight basement (very dark), and it’s colder inside the apartment than outside (it’s chilly here in January!).
Our living room for the week—the only room with a heater.
Noe’s still searching for the elusive genie.
It’s a five minute walk downhill to the main square, and a 10 minute walk back up. Gravity helps us down, and the frigid evenings motivate us back up again.
True to its nickname, this town is definitely BLUE.
Chefchaouen was founded by a descendent of the Prophet Mohammed 600 years ago. Theories abound as to why the color blue. Some say it was started by Jewish refugees in the 1930s to symbolize heaven and God. Others believe it may be connected to keeping mosquitoes away or with the town’s waterfalls.
Whichever theory you believe, there’s no denying that blue is the color of choice here, and that it’s probably not going to change any time soon.
Mint tea at sunset overlooking the medieval Kasbah. No alcohol sold in this town (that we know of, at least). Looks like Lori and I are observing Dry January (and probably Dry February and Dry March too), whether we want to or not.
Grocery shopping is old school here. No supermarkets, but enough vendors and small grocers to keep us stocked for the week.
A few people in town speak English and many more speak fluent Spanish, which surprised us (this region was once under Spanish control, which may explain it).
So far, we’ve gotten by with a mix of Spanish, English, and our growing French vocabulary (along with a tiny bit of Arabic).
Kefta (meatball) Tagine. Hot and delicious.
And Briwat (meat-stuffed spring rolls)!
Harissa (that red stuff) is my new favorite condiment. It’s a pepper, garlic, and herb paste served with everything here (usually brought out alongside bread and olives before the main course).
Our kitchen table back at home is just big enough for two. It seems that most people staying here opt to take their meals on the roof terrace. It’s too cold for that right now.
Helping Noe out with his long division—something I haven’t been forced to do for a very long time.
Heading back down into a sea of blue.
Place Outa el-Hammam is the main gathering space in the Medina. It’s long and skinny, skirting both the main mosque and Kasbah (fort).
We’ve been told that people in the Medina generally do not have their own ovens. Rather, there are a few Ferranes (traditional woodfire-oven bakeries) scattered around Old Town that bake Khobz (traditional bread) and lots of it!
We took a peek inside one of the oldest. When they saw the kids, the workers immediately ushered them in, excited to show them the facilities and get a picture (just because).
Most everyone we’ve met in Morocco so far has treated us with genuine warmth and friendliness—a stark difference from our experience in Spain.
Spiced coffee and a Moroccan mocha chino at our favorite coffee shop in town.
The two peaks behind town have been calling us since we got here. The sun was shining today, so we thought we’d try tackling the closer one.
We were the only ones on the road leading up the hill, but for the occasional local firewood collectors and Land Rovers headed to a famous waterfall several miles outside of town.
We managed to make it about half way up the peak. Noe wanted to keep going, but Riley wanted to head back (typical). The rain clouds were gathering, so Riley won out. Still, we got to enjoy a panoramic view of town from a viewpoint perch. The green hills seem to go on forever.
On the way back down, we swung by the only legit playground in town. It’s Saturday and there were a good number of kids playing. There was also a playground attendant to help kids if they needed it and ensure law and order—a new concept to us, and one we’d find is fairly common in Morocco.
There is an ancient wall that completely surrounds the Medina. This is the closest point cars can get to our apartment.
We had our first taste of camel burgers for dinner at this rooftop restaurant. And Noe got to work on some sketching.
Morocco is hosting the Africa Cup of Nations this year. One day, this huge screen appeared out of nowhere in the main square. That evening, half the town gathered to watch a semifinals match. Morocco looks poised to go to the finals. Lots of excitement!
The town’s French Bakery.
Noe was thrilled to find this little shop selling old coins. Both boys are obsessed with vintage coins these days. There could be worse things to be obsessed about…but there could also be lighter things as well…
