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One April Day in Tangier


At 7:30 am of a perfect spring day I catch a flight from Milan to Tangier.  After a couple of hours the airplane came in to land… towards a Moroccan beach! An amazing view.

I then catch an unregistered taxi for the city centre, where I taste my first real Moroccan mint tea (really delicious) and buy a Moroccan sim card for my cell phone.

After that I meet Beatriz (my host) in front of the hotel Chellah, and I leave my luggage in her place, not far from there. Very hungry, I have lunch with an original felafel in a fast food joint in Mohamed V Street. From that point, my wondering around Tangier begins.

First destination: the beach. I go down Boulevard Mohamed VI, towards the sea. I’m on the ocean, and the wind is incredibly strong (sun and clouds follow one another at a very fast pace). The beach is very long and lined by palm trees… A camel is quietly sleeping there (and its owner is ready to approach anyone who show any interest, to take and sell photos with his money-making “pet”).


I walk back along Boulevard Mohamed VI, towards the Medina, looking for the local fishermen port, a very characteristic, colourful and alive harbour. Walking through little streets (which remind me of Italian “carruggi” in Genova, strewn with small shops) I arrive to “IX Avril” square.
Before entering the square, I go through the open market, full of elder women who have come from the countryside with their traditional costumes and colourful hats to sell their products (vegetables, milk…). From there, after getting lost in a labyrinth of Arabic streets, I arrive at ‘Place de la France’, where I get a noss-noss (coffee with milk, which Moroccans seem to like very much) at the Cafè d’Italie, an ancient stylish café, and I spend some time enjoying the view of the port from the “Slackers’ Terrace”, a favourite place for locals to spend lazy afternoons.

My day in Tangier is almost over. I walk to the opposite side of the city, direction southeast, to find the famous supermarket Sabrina, which sells foreign products: I want to cook something Italian for my host! Beatriz appreciates the dinner: I can go to sleep, exhausted but happy with my day.
Overall impression: even though it’s a beautiful tourist destination, Tangier remains a “real” city, where you can feel the fast development of the Country in its busy businessmen and entrepreneurial activities.

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