Wanderlust - 04.2020

wanderlust.co.uk April 2020 125

Istayedatthebeautifullyrestored

LaMaisonBlancheontheedgeof

thekasbah,theoldestand

highestpartofthemedina.Herethe

roomnamesnodtotheliterary

glitterati–includingauthorPaul

Bowles,honouredattheAmerican

LegationMuseum–thathavecalled

Tangierhome.Fromthesun-filled

terrace,Isawminaretsmingledwith

cranes,butthefabledlightthat

inspiredartistssuchasHenri

Matissewasundiluted.

VestigesofTangier‘salluring

louchenessremaininitsnooks;tales

oftheRollingStonesjamminguntil

theearlyhourswithsub-Saharan

gnaouabands,tothelegendaryCafé

Baba,whereafadedphotoofakif-

smokingKeithRichardsstillhas

prideofplace.IheadedtothePetit

Socco,onceahubofsmugglingand

debauchery,andjoinedthelocals

people-watchingoveraminttea

fromtheterraceoftheCaféCentral.

Itstillfeltthat–almost–anything

waspossiblehere.

Birders’paradise

AnhourandahalfsouthofTangier,

IdiscoveredVilaBeaperchedonthe

oceanfrontofthelow-keyand

distinctlyMoroccanresortofMoulay

Bousselham.ThischicFrench-owned

boutiquehotelcouldhavestepped

straightfromthepagesofadesign

magazine,artfullymixingup

Moroccancraftsmanshipwithvintage

Europeanfinds–perhapsaPierre

PaulinchairorVernerPantonlamp

• allframedbysand,seaandsky.
  InJulyandAugust,theone-street
  townthrongswithMoroccans
  escapingthesizzlingcities.However,
  onthisoff-seasonevening,Ishared
  thesuperlativesunsetwith
  ahandfuloffishermenwhowere
  bravingthebreakerstobringinthe
  catchoftheday.
  Beyondthebeach,theMerjaZerga


• orBlueLagoon–isoneofNorth
  Africa’smostimportantwetlands
  andabigdrawfortwitchers.
  Hawk-eyedHassanhasbeenoffering
  bird-watchingtoursformorethan
  30 yearsandaswelefttheharbour,
  bobbingwithsea-colouredwooden
  boats,Irealisedthathehadtimedit
  perfectly.Thetidewashighenough
  toallowustoputteracrossthe
  lagoon’ssmoothexpanse,butthere
  wasenoughexposedmudtogetup
  closetothebirdlife.

AscosmopolitanasTangier,among

thoseholidayingwerealoneblack

egretfromWestAfrica,apairof

sandwichternsfromtheUKand

aflockofpinkflamingosfromthe

Camargue.Icouldbarelykeepup

withthearrayofplovers,gullsand

waders,asaflockofibisebbed

andflowedaboveourheadsand

agracefulospreyskimmedthewater,

afishlunchinitsgrasp.

Historicport

LikeMoulayBousselham,Rabat–

90 minutesfurthersouth–ispretty

lowpitched,especiallyforacountry’s

capital.Animperialcityturned

administrativecentre,it’shometo

MohammedV’sopulentmarble

mausoleumwhichstandsalongside

aforestofshatteredstonepillarsin

testamenttoanancientunfinished

mosque;aswellasthepicturesque

ruinsofChellahonthecity’soutskirts:

partPhoeniciancolony,Roman

settlementandIslamicnecropolis.

ButIoptedtostayinneighbouring

Salé,oncethebaseofnefarious

17th-centurycorsairs,theSaléRovers

whocreatedaself-governingpirate

republic,makingforaystoSpainand

beyondinsearchofslavestotrade.

Thatmorning,asIgazedoutover

theestuarytoRabat’sblue-and-

whitewashedclifftopkasbah,djellaba

(along,loose-fittingrobe)wearing

beachgoersloungedunderumbrellas,

kidsplayedbarefootfootballand

peopleeschewedtheshinynew

‘I was almost within

touching distance

of Europe and yet

Tangier felt, as Mark

Twain said, ‘thoroughly

and uncompromisingly

foreign’’

Moroccan culture
(clockwise from top left)
Djellabas for sale in Salé;
a tiled fountain in Tangier;
coloured steps in the
Tangier medina; breakfast
at The Repose, Salé; The
Repose, Salé; boats in the
Blue Lagoon; inside the
Koranic school, Salé;
serving mint tea at The
Repose, Salé; (top right)
Café Baba; (below) the
Hassan Tower, near the
Mausoleum of Mohammed
V in Rabat

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