Long Read

tangier drifts after a misty morning

@Ava Morales2/9/2026blog
tangier drifts after a misty morning

i just checked and it's foggy, there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. the air feels like a damp hug, and the streets are slick with a thin sheen that catches the streetlights. i wander down the alley where the old fish market used to be, and the smell of salt still clings to the walls. someone told me that the lighthouse keeper still leaves his lantern on at midnight, but i think it's just the wind playing tricks. if the silence starts to itch, the neighboring cities are just a short drive away, and i find myself daydreaming about hopping on a bus to tetouan or chefchaouen for a quick escape. the locals whisper that the best coffee is served at a tiny stall near the port, and i decide to follow that rumor, pushing through the crowd until i hear the clink of tiny cups. the market stalls are a riot of colors, from woven rugs to spices that look like powdered rainbows. i snap a quick photo of a vendor arranging figs, and the image ends up looking like a painting, so i post it on my feed with a link to the spot on yelp. yelp tangier has a page full of late‑night reviews, but the real gossip lives in the comment sections where people argue about whether the sea is actually a gateway to another world. i also check tripadvisor for the top attractions, and the list includes a museum that supposedly houses a collection of ancient coins that glow in the dark. i heard that the museum's curator is a former sailor who claims to have seen mermaids near the cliffs. the rumor spreads like wildfire, and i can't help but feel a little thrill at the thought. the weather forecast says it will stay cool until evening, so i grab a light jacket and head to the promenade. the promenade is lined with benches that face the sea, and i sit down to watch the waves roll in, feeling the spray on my face. i take a breath and realize that even though the city is small, it feels massive when you let its rhythms sink in. the fog lifts just enough to reveal a mural of a sailor with a guitar, and i think about how music can be a map in itself. i snap another photo, this time of the mural, and upload it to an unsplash collection, using the link format they suggest:

green grass near body of water during daytime

. the next image shows a brown rocky mountain near body of water during daytime, captured from a hidden trail that only locals know about, and i can't help but feel like i'm discovering a secret garden.

brown rocky mountain near body of water during daytime

. another shot of a brown and gray rock near body of water during daytime appears on my phone, reminding me that even the hardest stones can hold a story.

brown and gray rock near body of water during daytime

. the city's heartbeat is a low hum, punctuated by distant horns and the occasional laugh from a street artist painting a new piece on a cracked wall.

if you get bored, the nearby towns are just a short drive away, but i think i will stay a while longer, letting the misty mornings settle into my bones. the cafés here serve a brew that tastes like burnt sugar and sea salt, and i spend hours scribbling notes on napkins while the barista hums an old folk tune. the street artist paints a giant eye on the side of a building, and i hear someone whisper that the eye watches over travelers, guiding them home. a local vendor offers me a piece of baklava that melts on the tongue, and i hear that it's a recipe passed down through generations, a secret that only the oldest families know. i check the local board for any pop‑up events, and there's a late‑night poetry slam at a tiny courtyard that i didn't even know existed. the slam is advertised on a flyer that looks like a torn postcard, and the link is posted on a community page: tripadvisor tangier also check tangier forum for extra tips. the crowd is a mix of students, retirees, and a few tourists who got lost and decided to stay. the poems talk about fog, about the sea, about the feeling of being stuck between two worlds. someone in the audience shouts a line about the wind carrying stories from distant shores and the whole room erupts in applause. i leave the slam with a head full of verses and a heart that feels a little lighter. the night ends with the sound of waves crashing against the harbor, and i stare at the stars that peek through the clouds, wondering what stories the next sunrise will bring.


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About the author: Ava Morales

Fascinated by how things work—and why they sometimes don't.

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