Due to bad weather, a journey that was expected to take about three hours from Sevilla, Spain to Tangier, Morocco turned into an overnight stop in Tarifa (on Lori’s birthday, nonetheless).
But we still managed to have fun and make the most of our time in a new town.
Our Euro-African Journey (So Far...)
The next morning, we headed up to the rooftop of our hostel to eyeball the crossing, and the conditions were completely different than the day before.
Flat seas, sunshine, and barely a breeze. Looks like a nice day to go to Africa!
Time to gear up and made our way down to the ferry terminal for what would hopefully be a quick and uneventful crossing.
After getting our passports stamped out of the Schengen zone (muy importante), we lined up to board the 11am…along with everyone else in town, apparently.
The Balearia ferry was on the nicer end of the ferries we’ve taken…with the exception of the unmistakable aroma of seasickness hanging in the air (they were still mopping up from the day before). That didn’t exactly surprise me given it was the same vessel as the one yesterday.
We spent the first 20 minutes (roughly half the voyage) waiting in line to get our passports stamped into Morocco.
The remaining 20 minutes was spent enjoying the slightly rolly, yet pleasant ride across the Strait of Gibraltar. I really can’t imagine what yesterday’s 90-minute voyage was like (and very glad we weren’t on it).
The boys first sight of Africa! They were very excited. Morocco will be a new country for all of us—something that hasn’t happened in the seven years that Riley’s been with us.
Tangier Ville in the background. Almost there!
The boys set foot on African soil for the first time. It’s been eleven years since Lori and I were last on the continent.
Later that day in Tangier, we happened to cross paths with a couple that had been sitting next to us in the waiting room the previous day in Tarifa as we were trying to decide whether or not to change our tickets.
They told us that they had crossed yesterday and said it was absolute hell. The woman invoked the Titanic a couple of times in her description. She said that people were screaming and vomiting all over the place as the ship tossed and turned and slowly lumbered along in the storm. At times, she wasn’t sure if the ferry would make it.
For us, it was a small logistical nightmare changing hotel reservations and ferry tickets, and Lori’s birthday turned out a bit different than we planned, but our conversation with the couple made it pretty clear that we made the right decision (happy birthday, Lori!).
Grabbing a Grand Taxi into town was straight-forward. Our place is in the city’s French Quarter, a seven-minute walk from the Grand Socco and Medina gates.
قف means قف !
Our two-bedroom apartment in Tangier Ville isn’t fancy, but it has everything we need for a three-night stay.
Again, the boys have their own beds.
The host was very kind and understanding regarding our delayed arrival, and even refunded us the night we missed. He even left the boys a little welcome treat.
So far, I’m really digging Tangier. It’s a fascinating place full of history and intrigue.
The city used to be an autonomous independent zone where spies, famous writers, artists, musicians (like the Beatles and Rolling Stones), and criminals would all intermingle in various cafes across town.
One such place is Gran Cafe de Paris, which happens to be just across the street from our apartment.
In Morocco, most patrons face out in order to people-watch while they drink mint tea or coffee (no alcohol—Morocco is a predominately Muslim and [mostly] dry country).
Gran Cafe de Paris might just be the most famous establishment in town, where the likes of Paul Bowles, William S. Burroughs, Tennessee Williams, Henri Matisse, Truman Capote, and Ian Flemming all frequented at one time or another.
These days, it’s a popular hang out for old Moroccan men and expats living in Tangier.
For such a well-known cafe, it’s surprisingly inexpensive. Brunch and coffee for the four of us came to US$10.
A café au lait and café allongé.
And…
…our first Moroccan Croque Monsieur. Look at this monster! Only US$2 and VERY filling.
The fresh-squeezed orange juice was amazing, and the boys enjoyed figuring out how to tackle the Croque (wasn’t easy, but DELICIOUS).
These colonial cafes in Tangier have also been a fun chance to dust off the little French I picked up years ago while preparing to head to the Peace Corps in Chad.
I ended up in Portuguese-speaking Mozambique, but some French seems to have held on in the dark recesses of my brain.
After brunch/lunch we followed the street downhill to the waterfront.
It doesn’t take a guidebook to see that Tangier is a very old city. A few minutes walking the harbor drives that notion home pretty quick.
We are surprised by how cold it is here right now (temps in the upper 40s (F)). We thought North Africa in January might be a bit milder, but it feels just as frigid as it did in Sevilla (with the addition of the wind and coastal humidity).
Something else we didn’t know before arriving is that Morocco is currently hosting the African Cup of Nations (the biggest soccer tournament in Africa), and Tangier is one of the host cities.
Also along the waterfront is the KM 0 marker, also known as the “Gateway to Africa” which historically represents the beginning of the road for travelers arriving on the continent from Europe.
Heading uphill from KM 0, we’re treated to a nice view of the ancient Port of Tangier and the Atlantic Ocean. On a clear day, you’re supposed to be able to see Spain from here.
A short walk away is the Kasbah. You can’t go inside (though there is a museum we might return to), so we make our way through the gateway to the Medina.
Tangier provided our first Moroccan Medina experience. It appeared to be a good day for this, as the typically bustling narrow alleyways were quiet this afternoon due to the stormy weather of the past 24 hours.
We did eventually find more people—huddled around the Petit Socco and its own famous collection of cafes.
We had our first Moroccan mint tea experience at Gran Cafe Central, the oldest cafe in the city dating to 1813.
We got one with sugar (grey handle) and one without. The bottles of water come standard with the tea.
After some afternoon tea and people watching, we made our way back to the apartment for a break before returning once more to the Medina later that evening.
A day late, but still great, we finally got to celebrate Lori’s birthday in Tangier at Dar Harruch, the restaurant I had hand-selected for the occasion.
A delicious chicken tagine and lamb skewers (not pictured). More flavorful than perhaps any local dish we had in Sevilla!
They even threw in a pot of mint tea and some desserts at the end.
We’ve seen the servers pouring tea like this all day and wondered why. Our server at Dar Harruch said that it is to show hospitality—the higher the pour, the more welcome you are.
The boys were very taken by the whole experience. And very tired. We all are.
After a very good night’s sleep, we returned to the Petit Socco to have breakfast at, yet another historic cafe.
Cafe Tingis was another popular beatnik and spy haunt, and a favorite of Anthony Bourdain and Rick Steves. And the boys got their first squatty-potty experience (that they can remember, at least).
Another tasty and filling US$10 breakfast. I could get used to this.
With happy bellies, we made our way back up the hill towards the Kasbah to take in the view across the water on a clear day.
That’s Tarifa, Spain in the distance (on the left). The largest port in Africa (Tangier Med) is behind the point on the right and roughly 15 miles up the coast.
Making our way through the Grand Souk at lunchtime, there’s plenty to see. The guys above are making the local bread.
Walking through the market, Noe almost ran head-first into this lamb carcass. Riley was intent on making sure not to get anywhere near that thing.
Got to watch where you’re walking around here.
The boys love old cannons. These are a bit more complicated than they’re used to.
Another evening in Tangier, another delicious Moroccan dinner. This one’s at Chez Hassan.
For the past three months, we’ve made a point to cook dinner at home to save money, so the past three nights have been a special treat.
I could get used to this (but maybe not the outdoor dining in frigid temperatures).
Our final day in Tangier was a low-key affair. We had a leisurely morning exploring Tangier’s famous Plaige (beach).
Not a whole lot going on (on account of the cold temperatures and the season). But that didn’t stop the horses (and even the camels) from coming out.
One final dinner out in Tangier at Dada. We hadn’t had a couscous yet, so we figured we’d order one and got this beauty:
We also ordered savory meat-filled Pastillas (kind of like an empanada), which were also delicious.
During our time in Tangier, we searched high and low for a cake to share with Lori for her birthday, but came up empty handed. Fortunately, Lori found some Turkish-style desserts that were an excellent substitute for the occasion.
Tangier has been a great introduction to Morocco so far and we’re thrilled to have a new country to explore for the next three months.
I’m having fun improving my French and Arabic and the people so far have been incredibly warm and friendly (a big contrast from Sevilla).
First impressions of Tangier are very positive. It’s a lot less touristy than I was expecting (time of year, maybe?) and has just enough grit and authenticity to make it fun (but caters enough to tourists from Europe to make it relatively easy).
We weren’t originally going to spend any nights here, but changed our minds at the last minute—and are very glad we did!
Tomorrow, we leave the coast behind and head south to the mountains!
