Day Trip to Tangier, Morocco

From the small port of Tarifa, which is the southernmost tip of Spain, it's only a 35 minute ferry to Tangier, Morocco which makes it a popular day trip from Málaga.

Tangier, طنجة, is in northwest Morocco where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea.  It's home to over 948,000 people and is the country's fourth largest city.

Carthaginian colonists established Tangier in the 5th century BC.  It was later ruled by the Greeks, Romans, Vandals, and the Byzantine Empire.

Tangier was ruled by Portugal from 1471 to 1662 when it was given to King Charles II of England as part of a dowry.


In 1923, Tangier was made an international zone.  In 1952, the zone was abolished and in 1956 it became part of Morocco.

The city is a mixture of colonial and Arabic styles.

Our tour bus took us around different parts of the city.  One of our first stops was for the €2 camel ride.  Pretty touristy but I had to do it.

We also had stops at the souk where vendors sold anything you could possible think of.

The Sidi Boy Abib Mosque was built in 1917 and is near the centre by the souk.




The Kasbah was used historically as a defence station.





After a really delicious lunch it was off to see more of the souk with stops at a carpet shop and a spice shop.

Mohammed V Mosque

Overall it was a good day.  I feel like we got a quick feel for the city which was fine.  While I still want to go to Casablanca, Fez, and Marrakesh, I feel like I saw enough of Tangier that I can cross it off my list.

Here's a Rick Steves video I found out on YouTube about the city.

©Rick Steves

Andalusia, Spain

Andalusia, in Spanish Andalucía, is one of 17 autonomous communities located in southern Spain.  There are eight provinces and the capital is Sevilla.  It borders Portugal and shares about a ¾ mile border with Gibraltar.  Morocco is only a 35 minute ferry ride away.  Andalucía is the only part of Europe that sits both on the Atlantic and Mediterranean.

Andalucía is home to about 8,4 million people which is over 17% of Spain's population.  The area bigger than Maine or a little smaller than Indiana.  



The area has been home to the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Vandals, Visigoths, Byzantines, Jews, the Muslim Moors and Spanish Christians.

It is one of the sunniest and warmest parts of Europe which makes it popular with tourists.  In Spain, only Catalonia gets more tourists.  Some of the most popular places to visit are Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Granada, and Ronda.

Here's an hour long Rick Steves video I found out on YouTube about Andalucía (and Gibraltar).

©Rick Steves

Some New Interns

We have a new batch of student interns this term.  Today I had a round table session with the seven who will be working with my project management team.  This group comes from Spain and Czechland and I'm sure that they will do great.

Photo Exhibition at Vila Löw-Beer

Yesterday, Claudia and I went to Vila Löw-Beer to see a temporary photo exhibition of old Brno.

The exhibit was held in the customs house in the back garden.  Not very big but quite well done.

There were pictures of different parts of the city taken from way back when alongside how things look today.  It was very interesting to see how things have changed over time.



The Big Synagogue was completed in 1855.  The Nazis destroyed in it 1939 when Brno was occupied as part of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.  Today part of the land is used for commercial buildings.

The exhibit only runs until the end of the month so I'm really glad that we caught it.

Vila Löw-Beer

Vila Löw-Beer is located in Brno's Černá Polé district.  It was built in 1930 by Moritz Fuhrmann.  He died in 1910 and his heirs sold the property in to Alfred Löw-Beer in 1913.






Alfred Löw-Beer was a Jewish industrialist and textile trader.  At the end of the 1920s he gave the upper part of the land to his daughter Greta.  She and her husband Fritz Tugendhat built Vila Tugendhat there.

Alfred and the family lived there until 1939 when they emigrated.  In 1940 the Nazis seized the villa and it was used by the Gestapo.  After the war, the property was taken by the Czechoslovak state.  From 1962 to 2012 it was used as a youth home.

It is currently owned by the South Moravian Region and administered as a museum.  There was a complete renovation completed from 2013 - 2014.

There's a permanent exhibition on display called The World of the Brno Bourgeoisie Around the Lõw-Beers and Tugendhats.  I really want to go check this out after having read "The Glass Room".



The villa and back garden are both accessible to the public.  The back garden goes all the way up to Vila Tugendhat but a fence separates the two properties.  Probably because Tugendhat is a UNESCO World Heritage Site but it would be nice to be able freely walk directly from one to the other.

Tagging

In Prague

I hate tagging!  When I grew up we called it graffiti but at least then it often resembled art.  Not a fan of most graffiti but tagging I find more annoying.  It's basically people writing their names where they don't belong.

Some people look at it as "freedom of expression" or "artistic release".  I call it vandalism.  It drives me mental when I see tagging on a beautiful 18th or 19th century building here in Europe.  Some people must not realise how lucky they are to live in such beautiful places and feel the need to write the equivalent of "stupid was here".

Unfortunately, it's common everywhere but some places have way too much.  I know it is in Brno but personally I think it is way more common in Bratislava.

There's a campaign in Brno called Proč tag(k)? ("Why tag?").  This sticker on a tram window discourages tagging because the window costs 5000 Kč ($230). 

I can understand graffiti as art on something like the Berlin Wall.  But actual images were painted; not someone's initials.  I found the John Lennon Wall in Prague to be just a bunch of tagging but at least it's concentrated in one place and there is a theme.  At the very least be clever about it like they are with the Sofia Soviet Army Memorial.

I believe that Provision 182 of the Czech Criminal Code states that damaging and defacing public property and utilities is punishable up to six years in prison.  I don't know if there is a fine as well.  Too bad it's not like Singapore where the perpetrators would get publicly caned.

Update:  The only tagging here in Brno that doesn't annoy me is the bridge where each summer graduating students spray paint their name and new academic title.

Liz & James Visit

Liz and James came to visit Brno on Sunday.  They were in Bratislava for a few days and took the bus over Sunday morning and left today.  I hadn't seen them since July at Eiko & Tommi's wedding in Helsinki.

It was so good to see them!  We did all of the normal touristy highlights such as the castle and walk through the centre.  What's funny is that they probably saw more of the city this time then they ever have before.  When they've been here for Thanksgiving there's usually not much time to see anything other than the Christmas market.

It was great catching up with them and they had lots to share as they are expecting their first child in June.  So excited for them.

Update:  They had a little girl - Poppy Grace.  And she's beautiful.  I can't wait to get to England to see her.

Gibraltar

Gibraltar, also known as the Rock, is a British Overseas Territory on the Iberian Peninsula.  While it is physically connected to Spain, it is a part of the United Kingdom.  Gibraltarians (Gibs) hold UK passports.

Gibraltar is small.  It is only 6,7 km² (2.6 sq mi) which is more than 10 times the size of The National Mall in Washington, D.C.  However, it is densely populated as it is home to 30,000 people.

Phoenicians inhabited the area around 950 BC.  Over time it has been held by the Carthaginians, Romans, and Vandals.

In 1704, Gibraltar was captured from the Spanish during the War of the Spanish Succession.  In 1713, the territory was given to the UK in perpetuity.  Spanish monarchs have unsuccessfully attempted to regain the territory.

Strategically it is quite important because it's only 13 km (8 miles) to Africa, which means from Gibraltar the British Navy can control entry and exit to the Mediterranean Sea.  Today, almost half the world's seaborne trade passes through the strait.

Gibraltar has its own money, sort of.  It issues Pound Sterling coins and banknotes, like Scotland and Northern Ireland do.  It's easiest to just use £ Sterling as it may not be accepted back in the UK.

English is the official language but most people speak Spanish.  Many people also speak Llanito which is a mix of Andalusian Spanish and British English, plus bits of Maltese, Portuguese, Genoese Italian and others.  When people speak it they flip back and forth mid-sentence.  This is where the term "gibberish" comes from.  Here are a few examples but where I grew up in California we call this Spanglish.

Gibraltar is the only British Overseas Territory that is part of the EU which is a problem now.  Gibraltar voted overwhelming to stay in the EU so Spain may use Brexit as a way to get back control.  Although time and again, the people remain fiercely loyal to the UK.

Here's a video I found on YouTube that helps share some more insight.

©SeekerDaily

Later this month I'll be in Málaga for a week's holiday and we've already booked a day trip to Gibraltar.  Here's a Rick Steven video I found that highlights more of the touristy stuff.

©Rick Steves

Update 2025:  Here's a short video about why the UK has Gibraltar.

©History Matters

Kingdom of Morocco

The Kingdom of Morocco, المملكة المغربية, is located in North Africa.  It borders Algeria and Western Sahara, as well as Spain due to the Spanish exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.  Along with Spain and France, it is the only country to have both Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines.  

Morocco is a little larger than California and is home to almost 34 million people.  The capital is Rabat and Casablanca is the largest city.  Other well-known cities include Marrakesh, Fez, and Tangier.  

Morocco has been ruled by independent dynasties since 788 AD.  It was the only country in North Africa to not fall under the Ottoman Empire.  In 1777, it was the first country in the world to recognise the USA as an independent country.  

The current royal family dates back to the 17th century.  In 1912, Morocco was divided into French and Spanish protectorates.  Independence only came in 1956 and today it is a constitutional monarchy with an elected parliament.

Morocco claims Western Sahara as its southern provinces and annexed the territory in 1975 after Spain gave up the territory.  It currently controls about 80% of the territory but this ins't recognised by the United Nations.

Berber alphabet

The official languages are Arabic and Berber.  Over 30% of the population speaks French and it is used in official documents for both government and business.  

The Moroccan dirham (MAD) is the official currency.  The country is home to Africa's fifth largest economy.

Islam is the predominant religion.  Morocco is no place to be openly gay as homosexual acts are illegal and punishable by 6 months to 3 years in prison.

Here's a video I found on YouTube about how powerful the country is.

©SeekerDaily

Czech Republic Second

Yes, I am American and, NO, I did not vote for Donald Trump.  While I'm not a fan of our current president I will say that comedians love him.  The things he says and does, while are often tragic, usually turn out to be comedy gold.

During his campaign he continuously pledged to put "America First".  Then a Dutch show made a satirical video of "America First, Netherlands Second".  Now the new viral sensation are parody videos from other countries all trying to be "Second".

I love the Czech version.  This video takes a slight twist and doesn't want "Czechia Second", it wants to be the 51st state.  God love Czech humour!  Here's the video I found out on YouTube.

©Stream.cz International

Here's another funny one from a group here in Brno.  Genius!  But it's going to be a long four years.

©60seconds.cz