ASILAH, WHITE AND BLUE MEDIA ON THE EDGE OF THE OCEAN
Morocco, here we come again! We had admired such beautiful landscapes and discovered such beautiful cities during our previous trips that the idea of returning tickled a little ... even a lot. So we land a beautiful day in February on the northern tip of the country and we head straight to Asilah, about fifty kilometers south of Tangier
The taxi driver starts the discussion: "This is the first time in Morocco? ". Oh no ! This is exactly the third for Mi-fugue and the fifth for Mi-raison. Even if we have never been to the far north, everything seems familiar to us. Stop signs in Arabic, small taxis, large taxis, reeds that grow in dry rivers, GSM antennas made up of palm trees, crooked olive trees, white houses ... It is hardly we do not already feel the perfume of mint tea that will welcome us inevitably
Why did you choose to start the journey with Asilah? Because this cute little town is very touristy summer is more or less deserted in winter, which allows us to easily find a beautiful apartment at cheap prices. With sea view, please. Not to mention the big blue sky, almost indecent in February
We put our bags there for a week. It's a lot more time than it takes to visit the streets of Asilah, but the ideal time to recharge our batteries before exploring other parts of the country
The corner of Asilah that we visit and re-visit without tiring is obviously its medina. From the outside, it leaves nothing to predict, hidden by a thick wall and covered with an imposing Portuguese dungeon. In the 1500s, the Portuguese seem to discover a sudden passion for trading desks and they create a small collection around the world
The interior of the ramparts is a different story. Small alleys with bewitching colors, cats that weave between the flower pots, some craft shops, art galleries and rare inhabitants who ride by bike or winter jellaba
Rabih, the owner of our apartment, confirms that the atmosphere of the medina is far more frenetic in July and August. It is packed with tourists, Moroccans mainly, foreigners are relatively few to visit this region. We are just meeting a few groups of Spaniards at the weekend, coming for a quick tour
If the colors of the streets are not enough (you are demanding!), A dozen frescoes of artists are scattered in the medina. We will avoid spoiling the suspense by showing them to you. Or go, just a little bit
The first morning, we find in the heart of the medina the terrace of a tiny cafe. We LOVE the Moroccan breakfasts! Banana, avocado, filled pancakes, coffee with milk, squeezed orange juice ... Always squeezed oranges. Serve a brick juice is sacrilege in Morocco.
We notice that most of the inhabitants, and the manager of this particular cafe, speak much better Spanish than French. It's not just due to the proximity to Spain, no, it's a little deeper. During the first half of the twentieth century, the entire northern fringe of Morocco was under Spanish "protectorate" and its inhabitants were forced to use the language of Cervantes
In any case, Moroccans are pleasantly surprised when we painstakingly leave a few words of Arabic. We will have to progress
Not far from the medina, the most obvious proof of the passage of the Spaniards is ... a church, laid there like a slice of chorizo on a couscous. It seems hardly used, if we believe the rust that colonizes the gate
The neighborhoods around the medina are more modern than the alleys of the latter, but they still maintain a serenity all asilahienne. Passers-by exchange Salam Aleykum and launch Hola, cómo están
Avenue Mohammed V, for example, is nice for a mint tea on the terrace. Pecking dry fruits is also a good idea. We gavons in particular plain peanuts without salt, they are big and tasty
One out of two street vendors sells peanuts, the local specialty. They grow around Asilah and Larache, some forty kilometers further south. Larache's peanut
Finally, for the sunset, there's nothing like settling on the port's stone embankment, bringing out an improvised picnic (fresh bread, avocado ... and peanuts of course!) While waiting for the ramparts only adorn themselves with their most beautiful colors. What does not fail to happen
Our opinion about Asilah
Asilah is a very small town that does not have much interest, other than being (very) cute. You will do it in two hours, maybe three if you take the time to drink a mint tea to the last drop. A perfect stop on the road between Tangier and Rabat
In summer, it is probably wise to sleep on the spot. When visiting the Medina late at night and especially early in the morning, you should not meet a cat. Finally ... way of talking, cats are so many
By the way, watch out for the winter weather. We were lucky with a sunny February, but it can just as well be sullen in this corner of Morocco
Practical advice for visi
The corner of Asilah that we visit and re-visit without tiring is obviously its medina. From the outside, it leaves nothing to predict, hidden by a thick wall and covered with an imposing Portuguese dungeon. In the 1500s, the Portuguese seem to discover a sudden passion for trading desks and they create a small collection around the world
The interior of the ramparts is a different story. Small alleys with bewitching colors, cats that weave between the flower pots, some craft shops, art galleries and rare inhabitants who ride by bike or winter jellaba
Rabih, the owner of our apartment, confirms that the atmosphere of the medina is far more frenetic in July and August. It is packed with tourists, Moroccans mainly, foreigners are relatively few to visit this region. We are just meeting a few groups of Spaniards at the weekend, coming for a quick tour
If the colors of the streets are not enough (you are demanding!), A dozen frescoes of artists are scattered in the medina. We will avoid spoiling the suspense by showing them to you. Or go, just a little bit
The first morning, we find in the heart of the medina the terrace of a tiny cafe. We LOVE the Moroccan breakfasts! Banana, avocado, filled pancakes, coffee with milk, squeezed orange juice ... Always squeezed oranges. Serve a brick juice is sacrilege in Morocco.
We notice that most of the inhabitants, and the manager of this particular cafe, speak much better Spanish than French. It's not just due to the proximity to Spain, no, it's a little deeper. During the first half of the twentieth century, the entire northern fringe of Morocco was under Spanish "protectorate" and its inhabitants were forced to use the language of Cervantes
In any case, Moroccans are pleasantly surprised when we painstakingly leave a few words of Arabic. We will have to progress
The neighborhoods around the medina are more modern than the alleys of the latter, but they still maintain a serenity all asilahienne. Passers-by exchange Salam Aleykum and launch Hola, cómo están
Avenue Mohammed V, for example, is nice for a mint tea on the terrace. Pecking dry fruits is also a good idea. We gavons in particular plain peanuts without salt, they are big and tasty
One out of two street vendors sells peanuts, the local specialty. They grow around Asilah and Larache, some forty kilometers further south. Larache's peanut
Finally, for the sunset, there's nothing like settling on the port's stone embankment, bringing out an improvised picnic (fresh bread, avocado ... and peanuts of course!) While waiting for the ramparts only adorn themselves with their most beautiful colors. What does not fail to happen
Our opinion about Asilah
Asilah is a very small town that does not have much interest, other than being (very) cute. You will do it in two hours, maybe three if you take the time to drink a mint tea to the last drop. A perfect stop on the road between Tangier and Rabat
In summer, it is probably wise to sleep on the spot. When visiting the Medina late at night and especially early in the morning, you should not meet a cat. Finally ... way of talking, cats are so many
By the way, watch out for the winter weather. We were lucky with a sunny February, but it can just as well be sullen in this corner of Morocco
Practical advice for visi
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