|
WORDS BY SIMONA SCHNEIDER
PHOTOS BY KATHRYN AYRES
For an adventure to challenge your senses and exceed your expectations, Tangier is top of the list
 One of the new routes on the network, Tangier retains a dizzying blend of exotic tradition that’s been given a boost of support by recent government investment. Tangier is the new Marrakech. The labyrinthian network of souks and sidestreets and the traditional jelaba-clad figures may seem intimidating at first, but with a little insider knowledge its beauty and charm is truly captivating. The city’s manageably sized medina is one of the most welcoming of any Moroccan cities to explore. Its narrow streets give the sense of an endless maze, but soon open onto peaceful squares; Fountain Square, in the middle of the medina’s winding streets, twitters with the sound of the birds being sold there. To get your bearings head to Place de la Kasbah, the patio of the hotel Hotel Continental and the Lazy Wall. If you get confused, get back to one of the main squares to find your bearings again.
 The Grand Socco is the main square, boasting the Cinematheque de Tangier, a new arthouse cinema with a free wificafé and market stalls, a babouche (slipper) souk and a fish market. It was here, at the edge of the city to which travelling merchants on camelback came to hawk their wares, as recently as the 1940s. After dark, the medina doors locked and no one could go in or out as a safety precaution from the itinerant strangers.
From the Grand Socco take the main market street, Rue Siaghine, down to the Petit Socco. Here you can shop, or get a bird’s-eye view of the action from the balcony of Café Fuentes, drink an orange juice at the parterre patio at Café Centrale, or try a hummus sandwich at the new Zoko Chico.
Place de la Kasbah is on the edge of Africa, at the highest point in Tangier.
 To find it, walk up through the medina. The Kasbah Museum, located just off the square, has antique pottery and pre-historical artifacts as well as contemporary exhibitions. If you’re there in the evening, from 6pm onwards stop in to see The Sons of the Strait an Andalusian music circle in the tiny café across from the museum. And for an unobstructed view of the Strait of Gibraltar and the bay, simply step outside the door of the 17th century fortifications.
Place de France is the key square you arrive at when you walk up Rue de la Liberté, a bustling fashion street that runs from the Grand Socco towards Boulevard Pasteur and the area described as the New City. This section was built by Europeans during the International Zone Era (1912-1956). The Gran Café de Paris, the name itself a typical polyglot mix of Spanish and French influences, was featured in the film The Bourne Ultimatum and is also known for accommodating legendary writers Samuel Beckett and Tennessee Williams. The people- and bay-watching from Place des Canons (The Lazy Wall) around the corner is so luscious that men hang out there all day—hence the nickname.
NOT TO BE MISSED: Sunset at the Pheonician Tombs of Marshan. If you leave through the western door of the Kasbah, and continue uphill, you’ll reach the diplomatic neighbourhood of Marshan. It is home to a number of stately houses in various states of disarray. A colonnade leads to a small park with a large rock cliff. This is where the Pheonician sea-farers chose to be buried, and is also a popular picnic spot.
 Tangier has many delicacies to offer a gastronome, from fresh Mediterranean fish to lamb and prune tagines, couscous and pastries. Take a stroll through the souks to get a feel for what’s in season. Fruit lovers will be in heaven when they try the fresh fruit smoothies on the Grand Socco at Fruits of Quality, the only fruit juice stand on the square. More amazing than your average juice drink, these smoothies are created from a range of exquisite superfoods: choose from milk or orange shakes with banana, avocado, strawberry, nuts and much more. A ‘fruit cocktail’ incorporates everything that is in season, plus nuts, and is more of a meal than a drink.
When night falls, a cosy table at Agadir, just up from Place de France, offers tagines, couscous or more continental fare, as well as wine and beer. If you’re looking for something more saucy, head to Saveur du Poisson, Restaurant Populaire. Local Merlan, Dorado, St Pierre and sardines are the true stars of this superb fish restaurant. A three-course fixed meal is 15 euros. No alcohol is permitted, but the unusual combination of spices in these all-natural recipes is fabled to have a healing and aphrodisiac effect. For a larger menu with Moroccan, Spanish and international dishes, head to the dining room of the new VIP Tanger. They win the prize for best fish recipe that combines St Pierre fish with shrimp in mushroom and creamy artichoke sauce.
 Most Moroccans spend their evenings engaging in a ‘paseo,’ the Spanish custom of strolling and showing off, on the boulevard. Alternatively, men sit in cafés, discussing business, playing parcheesi, or watching the local football matches. For mixed company, head to a salon du thé. Most cafés close at around 11pm.
As the sun sets on the beach, the neon lights come up. Head down to the boardwalk on Boulevard Mohamed VI to a row of clubs for all tastes. Chellah Beach is an open-air bungalow lounge with live music and straw beach umbrellas where you can dine or just drink.
Club 555 is a blast (from the past) for those who really want to dance all night, with a dance floor that is lit up and usually bustling with an eager crowd, there is also a resident dancing cow.
Just next door, La Esquinita is a western feeling bar with an extensive menu of snacks and overflowing Moroccan mint mojitos (open from noon to 3am every night). If a British crowd is more your style, head to Star of India; be warned if you’re coming from London, though, as you’ll certainly be disappointed by the food. On the beach strip, there is usually a party that rotates among the different bars depending on the DJ and the crowd.
 AFTER-HOURS AFTER PARTY: For a truly exotic experience, try Morocco Palace (Rue du Prince Moulay Abdallah, in the new city.) This place really doesn’t really get going until 1am. The virtuousic ‘oud’ player is the man to watch among the Andalusian musicians, singers and dancers that get the night off to a throbbing start at this traditional zellij Moroccan salon, before the late night crowd takes it away.
 IN THE MEDINA, YOU’LL FIND A PLETHORA OF STORES AND SOUVENIRS FROM CARPETS TO JELABAS, BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU ARE GETTING A FAIR PRICE? Negotiating for an item can be fun, and if you’re bargaining for something big, like a carpet, you’ll probably be invited to have tea, or even a meal.
Usually the bargaining process starts with the vendor establishing if you really want the object. This process establishes a mutual respect—you for his goods and he for your decisiveness.
After he tells you the price, propose slightly below the amount you are willing to pay, that way you have room to move. Once you’ve reached your limit, stick to it. If it’s reasonable, you’ll get your carpet. Unlike in some other cultures where extreme disinterest is to be used from the start, here it is the trump card to be used at the last.
If you can’t find a compromise, you can walk away no harm done.
When deciding your price, consider how much it would cost at home, but also remember that here there are no import fees and labor is cheaper.
|
