Frankly, I’m not quite sure what I had expected Tangier, Morocco to be like. I’d heard Casablanca supposedly was based on events that took place in Tangier, and I knew a lot of tourist daytrips went through the city. I assumed the place would be fairly westernized, what with the close proximity to Europe and tourist stream and what not.

As it turned out, I was definitely off on the latter. There are western, particularly French, influences in the town, certainly, but spend a night or two in Tangier, and go for a walk in the more middle-class neighborhoods, and there is little doubt you’re in a Muslim country. Ladies, dressed in traditional, yet very fashionable, outfits, and cafes filled with men (only), drinking tea and watching soccer. Not that it’s all that different from here, but the split between the sexes and the differences in fashion serve as reminders that you don’t have to travel far from Europe to see a fairly different world.

Anyway, food and beverages. All pretty dang good. The lamb kebab, for example, were juicy with just a bit of spiciness to them. And of course no Moroccan meal can go without kuskus, served this time with chicken.

My favorite was still something as simple as the tea. Just simple straight forward tea, with mint leaves soaked in it and (lots of) sugar. Definitely worth sipping down by sea.

And if that’s not to your liking, there’s always another KFC rip-off. But more on that later.