September 2019
Morocco had always been a place that sparked my curiosity. From the beautiful carpets to the food, to the music. So when Giorgio suggested that we make a stop on the way to the Canary Islands from Gibraltar, I was ready to go!
Our trip from Gibraltar across the Strait of Gibraltar was uneventful aside from the enormous amount of ship traffic in the shipping lane. When crossing a shipping lane, international navigational rules state that slower traffic must cross as quickly as possible on a perpendicular angle.
We arrived in the Bay of Tangier in the early afternoon, cleared customs, and were in our marina slip at Tangier Marina Bay by dinner time.
Following our motto: eat local, drink local and listen to local music, we enjoyed a Moroccan dinner in a place where the locals go!
Over the next couple of days we spent time discovering the medina (the old town) with its colorful stalls full of spices, olives, vegetables, fruits, oils, and anything else you might desire. Even though the streets are filthy with dust, debris and other stuff, the crowds are bustling with people moving in every direction.
Mostly everyone speaks French (Morocco was a colony until the early 1900s and gained complete independence in the 1950s) but mostly Arabic (or other Arabic dialects) are spoken among the people. Everyone was friendly, kind and polite. Every few hours the melodic and rhythmic calls to prayers are diffused into the air by speakers on top of the many mosques.
The Kasbah is the part of the town that has fortified walls which were built to protect the city from enemies in ancient times.
One day, we hired a driver who took us to the mountain town of Chefchaouen which dates back to the late 1400s when its fortresses were constructed to ward off the invading Portuguese. It is particularly known for its blue walls which are said to represent sky and heaven and a reminder to live a peaceful life. It is a nice place but today it is really a tourist trap.
Cats of Morocco
The Morrocans love their cats! Since I am also a cat lover, I enjoyed snapping photos of these wonderful creatures.
The Marina
The Adventures of SV JAN 