Ole' - from Tangiers, Morocco & Gibraltar!

by Teri E. Popp, Tastemaker in Residence

Our experiences from Spain continue with a side trip; we decided to take a day and visit Tangiers, Morocco in North Africa. To my delight, everywhere I turned a spectacular door awaited my camera viewfinder. It was a door-photo collector paradise. And the architecture truly astounded.

But no trip to Tangiers is complete without sampling Moroccan cuisine. We sampled bread made in the community market before visiting one of the finest restaurants the city had to offer--tasty treats from the African coast.  

And once we'd dined and visited their world famous spice markets, we made a special trip to the American Legation. Located in the Medina of Tangiers, the Legation was the first public property owned by the United States located on foreign soil. The Legation now serves as an historic reminder of the strong ties between Morocco and the U.S. When we walked into the building, the staff said: "Welcome home."

On another side trip, we visited the island of Gibraltar. Owned for centuries by the British, it is located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula near Cadiz, Andalusia, Spain. Known for the Rock of Gibraltar, it actually holds an auditorium, hospital and miles and miles of tunnels in the rocks core. 

The island is also home to the Gibraltar ape--a small, furry creature most interested in seeing what food source it can find and steal. Once we'd toured the interior and exterior of the island, we finished our tour with a fine Spanish paella while overlooking the deep blue Mediterranean.