Morocco - October, 2022

 

This month we had the opportunity to fly into the city of Tangier. We had just finished leading a tour of Spain and bid farewell to our wonderful group of travelers. We then flew directly from Seville across the Straights of Gibraltar.

 

Walking across the tarmac we entered the terminal and shortly hailed a cab for the old city. The colors and commotion of Morocco are lasting impressions when you visit this North African county. It felt as if we stepped into the movie set of Casablanca, only in living color!

 

We love to stay in Airbnb apartments as they offer additional space and the feel of living like a local. It was located in the Medina, the medieval neighborhood that clings to the slope overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. We called our new apartment the ‘stone treehouse’. There were six rooms in all, and each on its own level. On the top floor was a patio that afforded a 360 degree panorama of the city including the Tangier harbor. Our breakfasts were enjoyed here as we watched the sun rise to illumine the facing shores of Africa and Europe.

 

The Medina is a labyrinth of streets and alleys that hide and reveal countless homes and shops. It is impossible not to get lost and that is the fun of it. It makes the layout of Venice look like a proper grid. We met very few Westerners and the outfits of the locals were straight out of another century. 

 

The food of Morocco is fresh and locally sourced. With the ocean just steps away we were able to eat seafood in incredible variety. One evening we ventured to the shore where there were numerous restaurants and cafe’s. As we drew close a bevy of waiters approached imploring us to choose their establishment for dinner. We playfully pretended to flip a coin and selected one with no regret. Pointing at a case of fresh fish we ended up ordering a panoply of seafood. Boiled shrimp, fried calamari, heads-on-fish, and savory sauces appeared on our plates.  

 

Another evening a kindly majordomo, replete with a red fez cap and green blazer escorted us to a virtual ‘Rick’s Cafe’. Rather than Sam playing music on the piano, a five piece orchestra was warming up on their oriental instruments. Throughout our exquisite dinner these five musicians serenaded the diners with their lilting strains of music. We ordered the classic Moroccan dish of cous cous served alongside a steaming tagine of savory vegetables and meat. 

 

That evening we also enjoyed getting acquainted with a dozen Lebanese who had gathered for a family reunion. They were raised in Beirut but now hailed from Australia, Denmark and Texas. When the music became rhythmic the men jumped to their feet and began to dance. Beckoning us to join them the lot of us clapped our raised hands and became one big family. 

 

There are a number of interesting historical sites in Tangier. We visited the American Legation where diplomats over the years have maintained relations between our two countries. We learned that Morocco was the first nation to recognize America after declaring our independence! Typical of the Medina, you can see a building not far off but it is another thing to find it on foot. That was our experience trying to locate the magisterial  Continental Hotel. We got lost in a maze of alleys and dead ends when a kindly boy of eight or so came to our assistance. Saying slowly ‘Continental Hotel’ to him with a smile and a wave of the hand he began to lead us to our destination. 

 

Early on while staying in our stone treehouse we noticed a tap tap tapping somewhere below on the street. The following day we decided to find out the source. Just across the street from our apartment was a cellar from which the noise emitted. Stooping to have a look we saw in the dim light of a suspended lightbulb two men hunched over working on metal objects. One had a propane torch glowing with a hammer set on a grid. Another was tapping on the side of a copper disk. 

 

They beckoned me down and so I stepped into their cavern and found a stool next to them. Using hand signs and broken English, French and Arabic we introduced ourselves and they showed me what they were working on. It tuns out they were making replicas of Berber gun powder flasks. They lifted up one that was finished and it was gorgeous. Entirely handmade it’s polished surface glowed in the light of the fire. 

 

Curious I enquired how much and, were they for sale. The fellow across from me held up both hands with all ten digits and then repeated with one hand, fifteen in all. Basically it was $15 for one!

 

Morocco is a Muslim country and there were numerous mosques with in the Medina. Five times a day the call to prayer is announced from the towering minaret. The sound of a single muezzin chanting the call to prayer is alien to my ears and at times a cacophony. But we experienced the unique sound of a chorus of voices that wafted up from individual minarets and it blended into a Gregorian chant-like melody that was ethereal. Especially in the early morning hours when it was still dark and we were not yet awake. After these calls to prayer subsided the sound of chirping birds gave us another prompt to greet the coming dawn.

 

A day trip to the Blue City, Chefchaouen rounded out our stay in Morocco. This mountainous city was a refuge for Jews after they were expelled from Spain in 1492. In a sign of their gratitude for safety and their joy in life they began to paint the exterior walls of their homes blue. Walking the streets of Chefchaouen is like walking in the sky blue of heaven. The space between land and air dissolves and you become a cloud held down only by gravity. 

 

A final and fun discovery was learning that part of the movie, The Bourne Ultimatum staring Matt Damon was filmed in Tangier. A frenetic chase scene was filmed on the rooftops, alleys and restaurants nearby our apartment. On the flight home we were able to watch the movie in its entirety and look with glee at the very locations we walked and traversed as did Jason Bourne! 

 

When asked if I would like to return to this magical place on the coast of Africa, I can only quote Rick, when he says, “Play it again Sam.” 

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