After fuelling up at CEPSA in Gibraltar, (0.75 EU per liter but more expensive than Philippines!) we left for Tangier on Sunday Mar 8, 2020. Navigating our way out of Gibraltar bay between the anchored freighters and tankers is the easy part. What you really have to look out for are the high speed ferries. We stopped the boat dead in the water to let this “beast” pass. The engine rumble is so powerful that it made our whole boat vibrate.
Once in the Strait we had a pleasant sail going West. Since there is a net inflow of water into the Med due to the continuous evaporation the Westwards tide is considerably shorter then the East-bound tide. Therefore we had to motor-sail for the last two hours of the 7 hour passage. Having the engines standing by made manoeuvring around the busy shipping in the strait also more relaxed.
We had given Tanja Marina advanced notice of our arrival and this would be our first experience checking into a non-EU country. The process was very smooth, polite and respectful. The Moroccan officials even removed their shoes when stepping on board! The marina manager, customs and immigration, all have a dedicated office in the marina so we did not have to roam around looking for the correct buildings in the main port. There was some confusion why our Dutch passports were issued in the UAE. Luckily one of the marina staff had worked in Abu Dhabi and he also had his Moroccan passport renewed in the UAE. He explained the proces to the immigration officer and the hurdle was cleared. Many thanks to all for the warm and courteous reception in your country, Morocco.
The Carthaginians named it TNG. The Greeks and Romans called it Tenga. The Berber name was Tingi, but modern day Tangier is undergoing rapid development and modernisation. Projects include new tourism projects along the bay (like the marina development), a modern business district called Tangier City Centre, a new airport terminal, and a new football stadium. Tanger-Med port opened in 2007 and is the largest port in North-Africa. For us, the Medina (the old city), the Kasbah (fortress in the medina) and the Souk (traditional market) are the most interesting.
The tourist site furthest from te marina but still in walking distance are the Phoenician tombs, where we would be heading first. Wilst slowly making our way South along the fringes of the Medina we stopped at the Sidi Bou Abib Mosque, overlooking the Grand Socco market square.
Markets are always interesting to visit so in we went, visiting the “Mercado Central” or “wet market”.
After another 2 km walk we arrive at the site of the Phoenician Tombs, overlooking the Atlantic ocean to the South-West of the city. Tangier was founded as a Phoenician colony somewhere in 10th – 8th century BC. See https://www.twobatsea.com/history-of-iberian-peninsula/
Although the site is nothing more than a few rectangular graves hewn in the rock, we still wanted to see the site since we have read so much about the history of this area. Cafe Hafa is a 5 minutes walk from the tombs and is listed as a tourist attraction. The location in the hillside provides splendid vistas from its terraces, so we went there for a lunch.
After lunch we made our way back to the city along the Corniche. Beautification works are in full swing. Old and dilapidated buildings are torn down. City walls are restored and landscaping is improved.
The photo below is made in the same area, only a few hundred yards further North. The transformation is evident.
We entered the Kasbah at the Western gate “Bab Kasbah” and walked in a maze of allies, soaking up the atmosphere of the colourfully painted dwellings.
Ibn Battouta was born in Tangier in 1304. Over a period of thirty years, he visited most of the Islamic world, Central and Southeast Asia, India and China. He wrote a book of his journeys, titled A Gift to Those Who Contemplate the Wonders of Cities and the Marvels of Traveling. He travelled more than any other explorer in distance, totaling around 117,000 km, surpassing Marco Polo with 12,000 km. The design of the Ibn Battouta mall in Dubai is themed around the countries he traveled. There is a permanent display of his travels in Dubai.
We were on our way to Restaurant Riad Al Andalous to experience a typical Moroccan dinner away from the tourist crowds. While waiting for the food we were served three small bowls with potato salad – olives – and pumpkin salad over our orange jus. Alcohol was not available, although Moroccan law does not prohibit the production of beer and alcohol but prohibits the sale to Muslims. In fact, the Moroccan wine industrie is with 400,000 hectoliter/year the second largest producer in te Arab world, employing 20,000 people.
The first course was “Bastilla”, a flaky sweet pie filed with savoury chicken (or pigeon).
The main course was of course Tajine. Liza opted for the lamb & prunes while Frits had the chicken & almonds in honey. The food tasted delicious but the level of sophistication did not match the finesse of the interior. We don’t like a mouthful of splintered bones caused by chopping the meat (and bones) in stead of cutting around the bones.
The shops are open until 10.00 pm and on our way back to the boat we walked into a fragrant cloud of aromatic spices and perfume. The colorful spice shop at the “Rue de la Plage”. The spices are ground on sight in what looks like a big coffee grinder, and releasing their aroma.
In front of the marina is a water fountain displaying a colourful ballet every nightfall at the sound of the Moroccan National Hymn.
To be continued.