Morocco Odyssey 8: Tangier and points north [Sky Watch Friday]

From Tetouan we drove north to Tangier. Even from the bus window, there were photo-ops along the way.

Like most Moroccan towns, Tangier has a variety of different portals into the medina. The entrance below, Bad el Fahs, exhibits the distinctive horseshoe arch [also known as the Keyhole or Moorish arch].

While engaging,Tangier did not have the sparkle of the other medinas we had seen. Still, there were interesting people and sights. This artisan [and his creations] below was one of the few who did not refuse to be photographed, and he did not request payment.

The colorful blue and white below is, unfortunately, not how the houses are painted in Tangier.

Just outside one of the medina gates was an area where various workers congregated with their tools, waiting for a prospective hire.

After departing Tangier, we drove to Cap Sparlet, the point where the Atlantic Ocean [on the west] meets the Mediterranean Sea [on the east], marked by the painted rock.

One of the big attractions in the area is the Cave of Hercules, a natural cavern sculpted over centuries by the waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Various artifacts [tools, pottery, human statues] found in the cave have been dated back to 5,000 BC. Viewed from the ocean, the upper portion of the opening looks like the contour of the map of Africa. To me, looking out toward the ocean, the outline reminds me of the silhouette of Nefertiti. Unfortunately, missing from this still shot is the loud crashing of the waves and surf.

After exiting the cave and proceeding up a walkway, I turned and saw this trio of men sitting on a bench, beautifully silhouetted against the sky. Was the plant eavesdropping on their conversation?

Morocco Odyssey 7: Tetouan

 We finally took our leave of Chefchaouen and drove to Tetouan, which has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here we encountered the first of our local guides who took over leading the tour group to the sites in each city. These guides were all proficient in English and well schooled in the history and culture of their respective domains. Best of all, they each possessed a good sense of humor.

Tetouan houses one of the many palaces of King Mohammed VI. The square located in its vicinity is quite colorful, as can be seen below.

The Tetouan medina is a labyrinth of narrow streets and squares, and filled with all manner of small shops.

What also makes Morocco so fascinating is the people, and the wares and food they sell. The top and 3rd/4th images show characteristic Berber headwear.

Many were not actively involved in commerce. The elderly gentleman in the bottom image, Abraham, is among the last of a once large Jewish population in Tetouan.

Morocco Odyssey 6: Chefchaouen (iv)

Among OAT tour highlights are home-hosted activities in order to meet with native Moroccans. During our stay in Chefchaouen, we made such an excursion to visit with a rural family for lunch and a cooking lesson. Below is their home.

Fatima, one of the family members, is seen here supervising the preparation of loaves of dough that will be baked for our lunch, and loading the oven.

Unfortunately, I did not get a shot of the fresh breads, but I have an image taken in front of a bakery that is a good representation of what came out of her oven.

                                Below is the scrumptious tajine that we were served.

                        Here is a triumphant Fatima celebrating the successful food preparation.

Morocco Odyssey 5: Chefchaouen (iii)

 I continue our visit in Chefchaouen, which was one of our favorite places in Morocco. I should note that most tours, including that of OAT, do not include it in their regular tour packages. However, it was part of a pre-trip extension; despite the additional cost, we were glad that we signed up for it.
 Today’s images will include more ‘life forms’ than in the previous postings; and I start off by showing who the ’we’ is that I keep referring to.

This elderly gent is wearing a jellaba, a hooded smock worn by many Moroccan men. We saw it throughout Morocco, but it seemed more prevalent in the northern part of the country.

The two men on the bench [in the main town square] were musicians entertaining passersby for tips. 

Here are several additional images from the town square area. I am not sure about the nature of the trees; but, I suspect they might be old olive trees.

Finally, a word about pets. Animals are not regarded as clean and are not generally permitted inside houses. Cats, on the other hand, enjoy a better status, maybe because they root out rodents. While I am not in to photographing animals, these two shots demanded to be taken.

Morocco Odyssey 4: Chefchaouen (ii)

On our first walk to the Chefchaouen medina, we observed a public area for doing laundry. We had seen such places before in European towns.

 The remaining shots give you an idea of the wide assortment of narrow blue-white streets. Next week I will post additional examples. After experiencing these lovely streets, I guess we do not have to go to Santorini.

The bottom image scored a 10 out of 10 at the Camera Rochester monthly digital photo competition.
One problem I faced in getting all these images was that the other tour members, with one exception, were not as devoted as I was to getting ‘the shot’. Consequently, I was in constant danger of becoming separated from the group. As you may have deduced, these streets were not ones that we actually walked. Rather they were all side streets that caught my eye and just had to be shot quickly.

Morocco Odyssey 3: Chefchaouen (i)

Following lunch and several hours of driving, we arrived in Chefchaouen, which is perched on the foothills of the Rif Mountains. It is noted for its distinctive blue and white-washed buildings. We would stay for 3 nights in Riad Darechchaouen whose entrance is shown below. A riad is a large house [if not palace] with an interior garden and/or courtyard. Being multi-story and with many rooms, these sumptuous residences have been converted to guest houses.

                                                The dining area was simple, yet elegant.

Despite being the oldest folks there, we were rewarded with a room on the top floor. So, it was up and down a narrow, winding staircase. But, at least we had a nice view out as we exited our room.

Just a short walk from the riad, there was a wonderful overlook of the city. In the bottom image, you can see the wall that encloses the medina on its eastern half; the new city is in the western half. In modern Arabic, medina means city or town.