Tag: Morocco

Al Hoceima, Morocco to Melilla, Spain

On all the highways in Morocco you see frequent police check points. Usually at a checkpoint there are three speed limit signs (60, 40, 20) each 20 feet apart then a stop sign.

You might be able to see two of the speed limit signs here.

Up until today the police have waved us through every checkpoint. We have probably gone through 50 or 60 of them. Unfortunately today we got stopped. Duke pulled over and the officer asked us for our papers. Because he didn’t speak English he called up somebody on his cell phone who told us in English that we had been going 73 kph when we passed the 60 kph sign.

He said the fine would be 150 Moroccan Dirham ($15). Since we were on our way to the border crossing, we had already spent all our Dirham. So he said we could pay $15 U.S. It took the officers a while to write the ticket. When I took a picture he told me to stop and made me delete the picture. Eventually he gave us the ticket, we paid our $15 and we were on our way. It was interesting to see that all the police were wearing body cameras.

Here is our ticket

About 30 miles later we arrived at Nador airport where we turned in our rental car. From there we took a 50 minute taxi ride to the Moroccan border with the Spanish enclave of Melilla. Border control was easy and we got another cab to the Parador where we are tonight.

At the border

Later we went out for a walk and checked in for our ferry ride tomorrow.

The Melilla fortress

We had a fabulous dinner at a restaurant called La Travis’s.

Grilled vegetables
Octopus
Pork
Cheesecake

Chefchaouen to Al Hoceima

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.

From Chefchaouen we drove through the Rift mountains to the coast.
There was no liquid in the world shield washer reservoir so along the way we stopped to fill it.
The coast is sparsely populated. The road was along the cliff edge.
We stopped in n a small market to buy oranges.

When we got to our hotel in Al Hoceima we played cards and went for a walk.

Playing cards
The park in front of the hotel. That’s where we walked.

We ate dinner in the restaurant across from the hotel

Salad
Duke’s fish
Jo Ann’s fish

Ceuta to Chefchaouen

This morning from window of our room in Ceuta, Spain there was a beautiful view of the Rock of Gibraltar across the straight.

The Rock of Gibraltar in the distance

After breakfast we walked around the square outside the Parador. Then we caught a taxi to the border.

The square in front of the Parador

We walked across the border into Morocco and got a second taxi to take us back to our rental car.

Crossing the border

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

We had tea while we were being checked in
Our room at Puerta Azul

Later we hiked up through the Medina to a viewpoint overlooking the town.

Shops in the Medina
Hiking up the trail
View of the town from the trail
At the top

On our way back to the hotel we stopped and had dinner on the roof of a restaurant called Bab Ssour

Salad
Chicken tagine

After dinner Duke got a $5 haircut.

Duke in the barber shop before the haircut
Duke after the haircut playing cards in Brian and Jo Ann’s room.

Tangier to Ceuta

This morning when we left Tangier we took a beautiful drive along The coast south and west of Tangier.

This is the lighthouse at Cape Spartel. It was built in the 1860s
Near the entry to Hercules Cave where part of the Hercules legend was set

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.

There were probably 8 or 10 groups of cranes like this
Ceuta from above.

We couldn’t take our rental car out of Morocco so we parked it and took a cab to the border crossing.

Looking for a place in Fnideq , Morocco to park the car

After walking through the border control check points we caught a Spanish cab to the Parador of Ceuta.

Waiting at the Spanish entry window
Checking in at the Parador of Ceuta
The Rock of Gibraltar from our room

Later we walked through Ceuta. Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising but Ceuta is strikingly European as compared to just across the border.

The Ceuta Cathedral, the first church we have seen in a week.
Out for a walk

We had dinner at the Parador

This fish is biting its own tail
Dukes cake with Carmel sauce

Rabat to Tangier

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.

Jo Ann’s fruit and veggies. The rest of us had fruit, yogurt, eggs, baguettes, bread and juice.
Directing us out of our parking spot
Inside the Masoleum
Outside the Hassan Tower and the Masoleum

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.

Part of the World War II section of the American Legation museum in Tangier

After visiting the museum we had coffee at a sidewalk cafe.

Coffee in the Medina

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.

Pouring rain

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.

Our vegetable soup
Duke’s squid
Cheesecake for desert.

On the way back to the hotel the rain had stopped.

Walking back to the hotel after dinner