Expedition to Morocco: Part I

After first watching and reading about Anthony Bourdain's trip to Morocco in the book/former tv show: "A Cook's Tour," I was captivated and curious to visit Morocco. I didn't know much about the country before seeing that show over 13 years ago, but I've drawn interest in experience it firsthand. Fortunately, I recently had the opportunity to finally visit this mysterious, ancient, and culturally rich land. 

Since I was in Sevilla in Spain, I took a bus to Tarifa (a Southern port city) which regularly has ferry services (4-5/day) from Tarifa to Tangier (Morocco). It is only €66 ($89) roundtrip. The ferry trip was short, only 30 minutes or so. You can buy the tickets in advance on their website http://www.frs.es/ or in person. The ferries don't usually sell out so you don't have to worry too much about booking in advance. I just showed up 15 minutes before the departure and bought the ticket at the ferry ticket station. Please note, if you do take the bus from Sevilla, the train station it's a 15-20 minute walk to the ferry dock, so please factor that in when you go. 

Pictures of the FRS ferry trip:

TANGIER:

Once a place known for smugglers, pirates, outlaws, and expats, it is now a popular tourist trap for day trippers from Spain. As an initial point of entry for Morocco, it's port is lined with huge cargo containers, merchant ships, and tourist ferries. I think they are trying to develop the port area to accommodate and attract more investment and tourism as apparent by it's current on-going various construction and redevelopment projects. 

I stayed at the famous Hotel Continental which apparently used to be frequented by movie actors, actresses, politicians, and other celebrities. I found out it is one of the oldest hotels. It has a wonderful view overlooking the Tangier Port above the sea cliff. 

Here's some pictures from Tangier Port:

Later, I explored the Medina area (center of town) passing the souk (market), narrow alleyways, cafes, and souvenir shops. It was exciting to finally walk through and take in the sights and smells of Morocco. Surprisingly, the Medina area was not as large as I imagined it to be. Most of the shops surrounding it were souvenir stores selling trinkets, leather goods, and t-shirts. After awhile, I realized there were more tourists than locals and that most of the medina was tailored to selling things to them. I had expected the Medina and Souk to be like the large one in Marrakech, but it wasn't. I won't post pictures of those shops so I wouldn't ruin the experience. I did find some local culture while I was walking around.

Here are some pictures from the Medina and Souk:

The highlight of my trip to Tangier was my lunch at the famous "Saveur De Poisson." This internationally-recognized institution has been serving quality meals with fresh ingredients daily from the nearby markets. I first learned about this place from Anthony Bourdain's show "Parts Unknown" on CNN. The place may be a little difficult to find as it is away from the main center of the Medina and it is a small humble place. There is no menu, but for €20 ($27) or so you will have probably one of the best meals in your life! There specialty is seafood so most dishes include some of the freshly caught seafood. The waiters and owner are very accommodating and prompt. Everything is made daily and they serve several courses, you will definitely get your money's worth!

Here are pictures of the restaurant and delicious food:

Next post will be Part II of the series on Fes. 

Sevilla: Return to Al Andalus

Arriving in Sevilla, I was immediately captivated by how different it was from Madrid. The city seemed much older, exotic, and mysterious due to its Oriental and Occidental architecture, Moorish and Spanish heritage, and it's diverse foods. The city is deep within Andalucia and was important during the Moorish rule in Spain.

En route to Sevilla via the Renfe speed train:

Sevilla Santa Justa Train Station:

First, I visited the Torre del Orro. This was a former Almohad watchtower built in the Moorish style. Overlooking the Guadalquivir River, it was a strategic post controlling incoming ships and supplies into the city. Oddly, it is now houses a naval museum which does not mention anything about it's original use and history. It is unfortunate since this was a major part of the rich Moorish history which existed for over 700 years. 

Torre del Orro:

The shape of the building is octagonal with a lookout tower at the center. Within the tower, the original Islamic geometric tiles cover the interior walls. Outside the lookout tower, curved arches decorate each of it's 8 sides.

View of the Old city from the top of the lookout tower:

Next, visited the Plaza de Los Toros (Bullfighting arena). Was interesting to tour around the site to learn more about one of Spain's national sports.

Plaza del Toros:

Made my way to the center of the old town to marvel at the dominating Sevilla Cathedral. Surprisngly, there were endless droves of crowds so it was impossible to visit the main part of the cathedral. Built on the former site of a Moorish mosque, it is intricately designed to incorporate Moorish and Gothic architecture. The Giralda, which was the former minaret tower was converted to a Christian belltower.

Sevilla Cathedral:

Nearby was El Alcazar (Royal Palace). This palace was built by Charles IV on the site of the old Moorisb palace. It is aesthetically mezmorizing due to it's Moorish style courtyards, geometric elaborate designs, and mixture of Eastern and Western walls. 

Finished the day of with a Flamenco show. Sevilla is known as the birthplace of Flamenco so you must see one if you are in town. Many bars and restaurants offer a show and dinner combo so you can scout around which one is best. There are also flamenco performances at small or large venues tbroughout the city. The one I went to was in a small alley in a small hotel. It is a must-see in Sevilla!

Day Trip to Toledo

If you are in Madrid for a few days, I recommend you visit Toledo which is a nice day trip outside of the city. It is only 30 minutes by Spain's bullet train (RENFE). The cost is around 10€ roundtrip. You can buy your ticket in advance or the day of at the Atocha Renfe train station in Madrid. I bought my ticket the day of, but they sold out of the 10€ tickets so I ended up buying the more expensive seat for 17€.

I did the trip a couple of days a go and it was amazing. Toledo was the former capital of Spain so it is filled with medieval ramparts, Moorish and Western architecture, cobbestone streets, and narrow alleyways. It is also the home of El Greco's masterpiece-"The Burial of the Count of Orgaz." Toledo is a small walkable city perched on a hilltop overlooking a valley and river.

One of the main must-see sights in Toledo is the Cathedral. It's monolithic arches, gothic typanums, and exquisite treasures captivate those who visit. Here are some pictures of it:

 

Another lesser known site is the Cristo de la luz Church which was a Catholic Church housed in a former mosque (Mezquita in Spainish) during Moorish rule. It's curved arches and pillars display its simple yet intricate design. Not much remains of the
Christian era.. except for a few fading frescoes. Surprisingly the Moorish carved interior and exterior has survived centuries of conquest and reform.

You can a get a Toledo Pass which allows you to visit certain selected sites with some with some guided tours ( which is what I did).

Marzipan is also famous in Toledo so you must try and/or buy some before you leave!! There is a convent where nuns make marzipan and other treats. You just droo by and ring the bell to purchase some. Give it a try!!