Travels and Thoughts
Tangier is located on the Maghreb coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel.
It was, for me, the most interesting city. Its founding dates to 2nd Century BC! To overlook a great deal of history, Tangier was taken over by the Byzantine Empire in the 7th Century. The U.S. dedicated it first consulate during the presidency of George Washington. In modern times, Tangier acquired the reputation of a spying and smuggling center and attracted foreign capital due to political neutrality and commercial liberty at that time. It was via a British bank in Tangier that the Bank of England in 1943 for the first time obtained samples of the high-quality forged British currency produced by the Nazis in "Operation Bernhard". The city has also been a subject for many spy fiction books and films.
William S. Burroughs famous book Naked Lunch relates some of his experiences in Tangier. Also, Allen Ginsburg wrote his poem "America" there. Desolation Angels by Jack Kerouac relates him living with William Burroughs and other Beat writers in Tangier. Interzone by Burroughs – It talks about a fictionalized version of Tangier called Interzone (aka International Zone) and Let It Come Down, Paul Bowles's second novel, was first published in 1952. Tangier was a haven for the Beat generation.
The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain includes a mixed bag of comments on his visit to Tangier, ending with: "I would seriously recommend to the
Government of the United States that when a man commits a crime so heinous that the law provides no adequate punishment for it, they make him Consul-General to Tangier."
Barbara Hutton had a home on the outskirts of Tangier where she held her famous parties. And, of course, the great artist Matisse did much of his work in Tangier. Malcolm Forbes had an unbelievable 70th birthday party in 1989. The event cost $2 million, and the entertainment included 600 drummers, acrobats and belly dancers and 300 Berber horsemen. Guests included Henry Kissinger and Elizabeth Taylor, who alos honeymooned here with her 8th husband, Larry Fortensky.
Our condo was near Sun Beach where it is said that Tennessee Williams drafted Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
Our drive from Fez to Tangier was not without incident. We left when Adam came back from his golfing with Brahim. Unfortunately, Adam went the wrong way! We drove up through the old part of Fez and into the unknown countryside. For 26 miles we forged ahead arriving at roads that were barely roads but rather pathways. There was no sign of life anywhere. It was farm country with carts pulled by donkeys or tractors along roads that did not allow one to pass! We found out later from Abdulwahib that this area in particular was known for its drug traffiking!
Finally, we came to a small crossroads with a few houses. Adam pulled over so Fadwa could ask directions. Suddenly our car was surrounded by young men curious about these strange people who had arrived in their village. My thoughts were are these people bandits, drug lords, people who could rob and kill us with impunity. No one would ever find our bodies in this remote area.
The reason we finally stopped at this crossroads was that we had come to a very old looking iron one-lane at best bridge across a deep gorge. To fall off the bridge would lead to immediate death! It was quite a moment. Of course, there was no cell access here.
The men Fadwa asked said that we could not get where we wanted to go by going on. We had to turn back to Fez and start again! I was just praising Allah that we were not forever lost!
When we got back to Fez and took the right road to Tangier, I was thrilled. We arrived in Tangier around 10:00pm after meeting up with Brahim, Fatima. Abdou, and Allis at a rest stop so we could follow them the rest of the way to Brahim's condo on the beach in Tangier. When we finally got to the condo, Ashma, Lillia and Sofia, Abdulwahib and Mima were there - they had been there since 3pm. We had some fresh fruit, unpacked, and were off to bed. I was given the biggest bedroom on the second floor with a balcony facing the ocean and Spain!
Saturday, May 20th - Condo on beach in Tangier. Because Tangier is on the north coast of Morocco, the temperature is mild and gentle breezes blow in from the Atlantic and from the Mediterranean Sea. The open air balcony that was accessed from the bedroom had a fantastic view of the sea and, looking across the 30 mile stretch, of Spain. Brahim and his family spend a great deal of free time here to escape the hotter climate in Fez.
These are the condos in Tangiers. This is the back side; the fronts of the condos face the Mediterranian Sea. On a clear day, one can see the coast of Spain which is about 30 miles from Tangiers. My bedroom had a balcony. I could open the balcony doors and step out to the refreshing breeze and panoramic view of the Mediterranian.
From my bedroom balcony, I could look over the Mediterranian and see the beach below! The water was relatively mild, and the color was a shifting blue/green.
Just down the beach a little was a hill of rocks. The kids really enjoyed climbing atop the outcroping. Adam took a long walk along the beach with the kids so that they could put their feet in the Mediterranian Sea.
After a hearty breakfast, we left for the Grotto of Hercules - rock chambers inhabited in prehistoric times, and in the international era used for parties - including one hosted by Cecil Beaton who served hashish and sea-cooled champagne. Nice party!
Top left: Fadwa and Kenza deep in Grotto. Top right: Abdul, Fadwa, and Kenza. Bottom Left: Before entering the Grotto, there is a large area where one can look out over the Ocean - Adam and Fadwa on the wall. Bottom Right: Visitors could dress up in traditional garb!
After visiting the Grotto of Hercules, we went to downtown Tangier. Our first stop was the awesome Cafe Hafa in the exclusive Quartier Marshan. The Cafe Hafa is perched on a leafy hillside with steep narrow terraces descending to the coastal road. This area was visited by Matisse, Delacroix, Tennessee Williams, Cecil Beaton, William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg (who, by the way, also used to life in my hometown of Cherry Valley, NY), Truman Capote, Jack Kerouac, the Rolling Stones and Tallulah Bankhead.
The famous Cafe Hafa sits atop a steep hill. Top Left: Entrance to the famous cafe. Top right: Fadwa descending the steep steps down to the beach. Bottom Left: Asma drinking the traditional sweet mint tea served throughout Morocco. All levels of the hill were used for eating or sitting outside enjoying the awesome view. Bottom Right: Fadwa takes a photo of Abdul and Adam descending the steep steps.
To achieve the rich flavour the region is famous for the green mint tea should be steeped three times. There is a famous Algerian proverb to explain this process 'the first glass is as gentle as life, the second glass is as strong as love, the third glass is as bitter as death'
Amazon sells Morrocan tea should your taste buds be stimulated. You can also find directions on how to prepare the authentic mint tea.
After we had tea and walked down the treacherous steps, we left for the Grand Socco - a large circular-shaped sloping square ringed by palm trees and cafes. It used to be the main market square and is still a bustling gathering point where women come to sell bread and men sell second-hand clothesand other bits and pieces.
We walked from there immediately south of the square to one of Tangier's main market areas, the Marche Fondouk (Fundek El' shajra." This is a really fascinating area where small shops, not much larger than cupboards, sell everyday items such as babouches, cooking pots and clothing. We shopped and ate at Le Saveur Populair, a small, 10 table restaurant where they serve whatever they caught that morning. There is no menu! You eat what they have prepared for that night.
Top Left: These narrow streets were much steeper in real life than they appear in the photo to the left. I struggled to climb the seemingly endless and crowded streets; however, Mima trucked up with nary a stressed breath! Top Right: The inside of the Restaurant Populaire. There were no more than 10 tables for patrons. We waited nearly an hour outside in order to be seated. Middle Left: Fadwa is holding one of the plates containing our
dinner. There were four types of fresh fish - Baby Shark, St Pierie, Monk, and Calamari. There were also delicious sauces and a special fruit drink. Middle Right: Adam waiting for our name to be called so we could enter. Bottom Left and Right: Side dishes served with our meal.
Came back to condo and took power naps before going out again. This time, we went to downtown Tangier. Abdou, Abdulwahib, Adam, me, Kenza and Lillia had coffee and sweets at a neat restaurant overlooking the dock area which Fadwa had her hair done.
We came back to the condo around 7:30pm, rested a bit until Abdou came to pick us up and take us (Adam, Fadwa, Asma and me) to a casino. While Adam gambled, I sat at the bar and enjoyed several Heinekens.
When we left, we stopped at a pizza place for a few slices. We arrived home late and went to bed.
