20 January 2025 – Monday – Tangier

We left Chefchaouen after breakfast. We took the scenic route to Tangier along the seaside with a stop to see Sebta which is actually a Spanish land. We passed the outskirts of Tetouane to get to the seaside. During our drive we recounted with Abdou all the places we had already been; who we met; and what we learned. It is fascinating to have the opportunity to meet locals and discuss customs with Abdou. He is eager to engage by  asking our questions to locals and giving his vast knowledge of customs and history. 

As we were driving along the coast towards Tangier, we stopped to look at several stork nests. Apparently they like the coast of Morocco because there were many pairs with large nests. They had not yet begun to lay eggs. But we could see them bringing things into the nest areas. They are huge birds. 

We continued along the northern coast of Morocco towards Sebda. It is a part of Spain. We could see the peninsula and border crossing but there was no reason to go there. Our van climbed up a hill so that we could see the area. Then we went a bit further to another vantage point to see the rock! 

Gibraltar is named for a 12th century warrior named Tarek. The name given was Gibel Tarek, mountain of Tarek, used as a jumping off point across the straits. Mark had given us a fascinating talk about the water circulation in the Mediterranean. Since Gibraltar is the entry and exit point the water circulates in and out with the Atlantic Ocean. Warmth and evaporation creates a layer of heavy salty water that forms a middle layer in the Mediterranean between the incoming cool water and deep cold water. Concern for climate change has become an issue because it may change the very valuable fishing industry. So much is changing. 

We made our way past an enormous new shipping port that is still being enlarged to accommodate container ships that can bring all sorts of goods to north Africa. 

We stopped for lunch at a Lebanese restaurant just at the outskirts of Tangier. We ordered a selection of mezze which was purported to be a light lunch of salad and dips and small grilled chunks of chicken or ground beef. It was delicious but not really very small. 

We boarded our van as it was raining. We drove out to a vantage point past some major “palaces” that were mostly hidden behind walls. The king has a palace along the road evidenced by flags and guards. At the top of the road we reached a marker showing an imaginary boundary between Atlantic and Mediterranean waters. It was a good photo-op. 

We returned to town and walked a short distance into the Medina to our Riyad. The building used to be a bank. The lobby is quite beautiful. As usual, we were given mint tea and cookies while our luggage was placed in our room. 

After we got settled, we walked around town for a bit. Tangier is much more international feeling than other places we have visited so far. Clothing stores have high end labeled pieces that may be fakes or not. 

We stopped for a happy hour at a bar near the harbor. Our Riyad is very strict about no alcohol. 
We returned for dinner which was a delicious puréed vegetable soup and fish tagine. It’s hard to eat everything we are given but also hard not to try the different tastes. Mint tea and then off to get ready for tomorrow when we see a bit more of Tangier before taking a bullet train to Rabat.