My name is Marion Vermazen. I am a traveler, hiker, reader, Sun alumnus, computer geek, YouTuber, Spanish and French language student, knitter, weaver and genealogist.
We had a long almost five hour drive today east along the coast. The road was good, there was hardly any traffic and the scenery was beautiful.
When we got to our hotel in Al Hoceima we played cards and went for a walk.
We ate dinner in the restaurant across from the hotel
This morning from window of our room in Ceuta, Spain there was a beautiful view of the Rock of Gibraltar across the straight.
After breakfast we walked around the square outside the Parador. Then we caught a taxi to the border.
We walked across the border into Morocco and got a second taxi to take us back to our rental car.
The town on the other side of the border is Fnideq. From there we drove south about an hour to the town of Chefchaouen where we are staying at Puerta Azul Hotel
Later we hiked up through the Medina to a viewpoint overlooking the town.
On our way back to the hotel we stopped and had dinner on the roof of a restaurant called Bab Ssour
After dinner Duke got a $5 haircut.
This morning when we left Tangier we took a beautiful drive along The coast south and west of Tangier.
Then we headed east to Ceuta. Although Ceuta is on the Moroccan coast of Africa it is a part of Spain.
As we approached Ceuta we saw an absolutely enormous Container port. The biggest I have ever seen. There were at least 40 big container loading cranes.
We couldn’t take our rental car out of Morocco so we parked it and took a cab to the border crossing.
After walking through the border control check points we caught a Spanish cab to the Parador of Ceuta.
Later we walked through Ceuta. Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising but Ceuta is strikingly European as compared to just across the border.
We had dinner at the Parador
This morning after breakfast we packed up and walked to the car. The helpful guy who seemed to be in charge of parking directed us out of our parking spot and we drove to the Hassan Tower and Masoleum of Mohammed V.
We lucked out and found a parking spot right in front of the Hassan Tower. But after we left there we tried to find a parking place not too far from the Royal palace. We couldn’t find one and it was raining so we decided to just start our drive to Tangier.
The drive was all toll road and in a few hours we were at our hotel, Pestana City Center, Tangier. We checked in then went into the Medina to visit the American Delegation Museum. Morocco and the U.S. have the longest unbroken treaty relationship in U.S. history. the museum is in the original Legation building. I especially liked the World War II section of the museum.
After visiting the museum we had coffee at a sidewalk cafe.
For dinner we walked to a waterfront restaurant, Mesana. On the way it started to rain heavily. We sheltered under an overhang until it let up.
At Mesana we had by far the best meal of our trip so far. And the service was exceptional. We felt special. If you are ever in Tangier I would highly recommend Mesana.
On the way back to the hotel the rain had stopped.
Last night we were in the High Atlas Mountains. Today we drove the farthest we have driven so far, almost five hours. We drove out of the mountains north to the Atlantic coast, to Rabat, the capital of Morocco.
When we got to Rabat we found parking on a side street and the parking guy led us to Riad Almazhar.
Then we went for a walked and stopped for coffee in the Kasbah.
For dinner we walk about twenty minutes to a restaurant called Le Petitbeur. Duke and I had what was probably the best meal of the trip so far. We shared a roast leg of lamb.
Marion's Blog 