After our awesome stay in Tangier and Tarifa, we took a 45-minute taxi ride to Ceuta. Our taxi driver, Said, spoke great English and talked about the sites as we drove. The scenery en route was beautiful, with stunning ocean and mountain views. Said brought us right to the border, aka "The Frontier."
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| Said our driver; let me know if you need his number! |
Ceuta is a Spanish territory located in Africa. Since it is a part of Spain, immigration laws apply, so we had to show our passports in order to get in. It took a while to cross the frontier, as many Moroccans were trying to get in, some legally and some not (they would try to press through, but were rejected). It was interesting to see long lines of Moroccans leaving Ceuta, hauling purchases into the country. These items were bought in Spain (in Ceuta), which is a duty-free zone, to be resold in Morocco. It seems like such a lot of work for little profit. These people do this day after day reminding me of mules.
After getting through customs, we headed for the Parador de Ceuta, which would be our home for two nights. This hotel is modern looking, but is unique in that it is attached to Ceuta's old Royal Walls, formerly a fort used by the Royal artillery. The walls date back to 962, with the most modern parts being added in the 18th century. They are protected by a moat filled with seawater. We got to walk all around the outside and toured the interior as well.
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| Spanish Flag at the top |
It is interesting that rather than tearing down old forts, Spanish builders simply added to old structures. For example, as smaller entrances became fashionable, blocks were simply added to make smaller doors.
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| Interior Dome |
Here are some photos from around town. . .
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| Beautiful, clean city |
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| Pretty courtyard |
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| Statue in the square |
Statue imitations by Richard
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| Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, 15th Century |
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| Hercules Sclupture |
The city contains many statues including a bronze sculpture of Hercules.
This work of art symbolizes the separation and the union of Europe and Africa. It is placed in the original setting of the Hercules myth, at the Strait of Gibraltar.
Richard and I thoroughly enjoyed walking the seaside. The shoreline was beautiful, with white sand and turquoise water. The bay was also lovely, with boats, ships, and ruins.
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| La Ribera Beach |
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| Beautiful Ceuta in the rearview |
We taxied with Said back to Tangier and boarded the train home to Casa (another whole story!). Fantastic memories for Richard and me. Tangier, Tarifa and Ceuta are highly recommended. And the adventure continues . . .
