Tangiers – Feeling the Blue in Chefchaouen

Feeling like we were on a real roll here as we were visiting yet another new port.

Standing guard at the mouth of the Strait of Gibraltar sits the port of Tangier.  The first views from the deck showed a modern cosmopolitan city but look a little harder and you can see the walls of the old town that protect the Kasbah and the bustling alleys of the medina.

Sunrise over Tangier

the fast ferry that takes you over to the European side of the Strait

Very nice cruise and passenger terminal where you had the choice of catching the port shuttle or making the short distance on foot.  The latter was the faster option as you needed to line up for a shuttle ticket (like tendering) if you wanted to travel by bus.

Meeting point for our tour.

But for us we were going to visit the beautiful Blue City known as Chefchaouen (chef shao wen).

Leaving the city behind us we headed out straight up to the Rif Mountains. Like a splash of colour Chefchaouen springs out against the green and brown of the countryside.

Beautiful valleys

No shortage of water in this dam

this is what they mean by stubborn as a mule

The sea of blue spanning the side of the mountain

Roadside stall selling beautiful Tagines and other pottery items

Within these walls is the labyrinth of blue and white alleys.  The bright vibrant colours of the ware the traders are selling turn this little town into a photographer's wonderland.

So many photos.... i will create a second blog entry called the doors of Chefchaouen.

beautiful handicrafts on display

Photo opportunities everywhere

A small creek runs through the village bringing the coldest of water from the top of the mountain to the base. Here you will see this restaurant making the most of the cool water and placing the tables and chairs in a position to keeps their guests cool.

no need for refrigeration.... we also saw some stall holders keeping their milk and soft drinks cold in the water.

just like a doby ghatt, these ladies run the local laundry...

we ate this delicious bread straight out of the oven

Why blue? 

There are a few stories that vie for the reason on why it is painted blue.  Could it be really true that blue repels mosquitos or was it the fleeing Jews who started the tradition because the blue reminded them of the sky and the presence of God.  Or is it just that the blue and white reflect the sun and help keep the houses cool….  Regardless of which one is true we are left with “The Blue Pearl of Morocco”

 

After our visit, we stopped and enjoyed lunch before heading back to Tangiers and making it back in time to enjoy a beautiful sail-away and waving goodbye to the blue seas of the Mediterranean and sailing into the Atlantic.

On such a hot day and being Sunday everyone was down at the beach.