11 September, 2014
We left Chefchaouen and its
European style (apart from the palm trees!) for the morning drive to
Tangier. Sadly, this was the last of the mountains and the true
countryside. In fact, it was leaving many things: farms, crops and
olive groves, villages, dams and quarries. Any of those that I would
see again were being encroached upon by cities.
 |
| Leaving Chefchaouen |
The Moroccan population is
young and growing and buildings are going up to accommodate them.
Plenty of evidence on the approach to Tangier.
 |
| Taking the Tangier road |
 |
| New apartments - Tangier |
 |
| Commercial construction - Tangier |
 |
| New streets for new homes - Tangier |
Before getting into the city
there was a stop at Cap Malabata, complete with lighthouse. One
wonders why the cannon were pointing inland!
 |
| Cap Malabata lighthouse |
From here you can look to
your left, across Tangier Bay, to Tangier (with cruise ship in port) and the Atlantic.
Straight ahead and to your right, across the Strait of Gibraltar
(adorned by the obligatory large ships and small fishing vessels),
Spain, next country on my destination list, is on the horizon – through the hazy, not
easily distinguished from the clouds!
 |
| Looking across to Tangier |
 |
| Spain - barely visible on the hazy horizon |
From Cap Malabata it was
into Tangier for lunch, then a drive around the city. From beautiful
sandy city beaches to a distant view of Cap Malabata, new shops to
traditional street-side stalls, and three types of worship: new-ish church, new
mosque, very new sports stadium.
 |
| Hami at the wheel |
 |
| The growing city |
 |
| Looking across the bay to Cap Malabata |
On leaving Tangier, it was a
short drive down the coast, past family beaches and yet more new apartment
blocks of multiple dwellings, on to the beautiful town of Asilah.
 |
| So many identical apartments ... |
