As always, someone suddenly thinks there needs to be more than just an idea and a car. So we met over beers to discuss... and to have a first look at the map:
YES! We are chameleons. It is quite obvious that all of us here seem to have had the same plans for our summer vacation. Blending in perfectly with the fleet of family vans packed to the roof.
Next time we should think about how we can fit a roof top rack on a convertible. Is there any way?
24 hours - that's about how much time you'll have to spend on the ferry from Sète (FRA) to Nador (MAR). Not much to see here... Exciting first hour to observe how everyone is setteling in. Then it gets boring. Luckily, the Italian staff on the world famous "Grandi Navi Veloci" Ferry is happy to sell you beers as the ship slowly sails through the open sea.
The Moroccan singer's primary duty on board seems to be entertaining kids.
Now we are talking. Forget about Marrakech. No matter what they may have told you, Fes is where you want to end up. Amazing medina, less tourists, and a more authentic feel to it.
How would this be a challenge if we did not head for the Sahara desert? Smart as we are we decided to organize clothing appropriate for the occasion. After all, driving a convertible in the desert is not too far from riding a camel. Except for benefiting from more wind! Fes' rich medina market had all we needed. We paid a premium to get the "real" Touareg headscarf, or so the seller insisted.
Idiots. We planned the trip like idiots and executed it the same way. Engaging in the most touristic program. Including a camel ride in Merzouga followed by a night in a tent. We were told by the organizer that "one bottle of water will do per person". Right. After sand boarding and running around the dunes like crazy people the bottle lasted for 10 minutes. It ended badly and the poor tour guide ended up sharing his water with us. Oh, and we though nights in the desert would be cool. Wrong. In summer the nights are so hot that sleeping inside a tent is impossible.
Cultural excursion. West of Merzouga there are several sites that were used for famous movie sets, such as Gladiator. Absolutely stunning and absolutely too hot during the summer.
When it is too hot, head to the mountains. Wise words. So we did. When road tripping in Morocco, the Dades gorge is not to be missed. We had a bit of trouble finding beers in the evening though.
Beach. Obviously another good idea when it is hot (not sarcastic this time). Agadir was the first place where it actually made sense to drive a convertible. The Atlantic treated us with a fresh breeze. The problem there was that our attire was not very much welcome and we were turned away when we wanted to enter the Casino. I do not remember why we would want to go there in the first place...
Dangerous. That's what you often hear about Tangier. We did not feel that way. To the contrary, leaving the local port gave the nearing end of the trip somehow a nice spin. Looking at the iconic city from the Ferry's deck. Much nicer than leaving from the industrial high-capacity Tangier Port a couple of kilometers east, which now absorbs most of the local ferry traffic.
"Oups". Seems like we adjusted a bit too much to a more easygoing way of life. Ignoring somehow signs that we should not park here we thought "as long as other cars park here we are probably ok." Hmm... did not seem that way anymore the morning after.