By the sea … at Asilah

11 September 2014

I loved Asilah! (There weren't many places I didn't love, to be honest!) It was an early afternoon arrival in Asilah. The faithful chariot was parked outside the walls while Hami carried my bags and I followed to the riad I was staying in that night, Dar Manara. Smaller than other riads I’d stayed in but absolutely delightful, as was the hostess.

It's covered a few miles!

Entrance to the riad
and the window to my room

Quirky shower wall

After settling in I wandered freely about the town. First within the walls, simply enjoying the art work and relaxed beauty. No need to worry about cars.

But no, this is one photo I did not take! 

No selfies for me  ;-)

Outside the walls of the old town there was a real mixed bag, including more murals, another church and, believe it or not, thoughts of my ex who used to run a timber yard and building supplies business. Fancy that! Plus a different view of the walls. And wider streets, of course.

 The walls were put to another use – young bucks jumped off the ramparts into the sea. It was both thrilling and scary to watch them in action.

Or you could be like me: sit under an umbrella, sipping a coke, surveying the scene and contemplating the purchase of an ‘off the plan’ seaside apartment.

I won’t say I could have stayed at Asilah forever … but I could have stayed there for quite a long time!

From country to city

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 ...