Tetouan: The Riad and the City

Since we're amidst a six-hour bus ride to Fes, I've prevailed upon Sudha to guest blog… with a bit of editing from myself.  Without further ado…

We spent the first night in Morocco in a riad. Riads are old Moroccan homes or palaces that are renovated and modernized with western toilets, etc. to cater to tourists. The riad we stayed at in Tetoaun was called El Reducto and was run by a Spanish woman. It used to be the home of the last Spanish governor of Tetouan. The rooms were small but were decorated with beautiful chandeliers and lamps (with electric bulbs of course).  Behind the bed was an intricately carved wooden headboard which also doubles up as a closet for valuables.  While the hotel rooms were in the second floor, the lower level had the restaurant.  The decorations there were similar with the addition of 18th century Spanish tiles on the walls.

As soon as we checked in, we were served the traditional Moroccan mint tea.  It was very refreshing even though a bit too sweet.  Later at dinner, Nitin had a locally produced red wine, while I had freshly squeezed orange juice which was very good.  For dinner, we had couscous. Dessert was orange slices with cinnamon and a custard with almonds and cinnamon.  Oranges here are especially good.

After dinner, we went for a short walk aroun d the Spanish quarter of the city. Not very exciting. We saw a lot of men on the streets but very few women. Almost all the women here have their heads covered, so I have been wearing a scarf too to draw less attention.

We had a hearty breakfast this morning.  We started off with orange juice, yoghurt flavored with pistachios, coffee cake, toast with butter, marmalade and cheese.  It was accompanied with a cafe au lait.  The highlight was the arabic version of Indian parathas (without any filling).

We continued our exploration of Tetouan through the narrow streets and medina.  Shops were just opening, and we didn't linger very long.  Tetouan is nestled at the base of the Rif Mountains, which afforded spectacular views of the climes, framed by a backdrop of dark, ominous clouds, portending more rain.

Returning to the riad, we fortified ourselves with mint tea before taking a petit taxi to the bus station…