sunshine & stripes

Saturday morning, waking up with sunny stripes on the wall.

Working on a new knitting project, spencer with yarn leftovers.

dar nour & le salon bleu

DAR NOUR

House of Light, in arabic Dar Nour, our bright & blissful guesthouse during our stay in Tanger.

Close to the el­e­ments, the house breathes in harmo­ny with the sea and the wind. It is built from nat­ural ma­te­rials with whitewashed walls, wool car­pets and cedar wood windows.
No two rooms in the guesthouse are the same. They all have their own atmosphere, colour and unique (vintage) furniture. Our mini suite had a natural mix of styles, so that we had the feeling that we were staying in someone’s house. Original, historical materials have been used everywhere in the building. The guesthouse is stylishly furnished by owner and architect Philippe and we felt at home immediately.

Dar Nour is perched high up on 11th centu­ry ram­parts, not far from the palace. The roof terrace pro­vides stunning panoramic views over the Bay of Tang­i­er and the old Me­dina. A perfect place to enjoy breakfast in the morning or a pre-dinner drink in the evening. Be­ing both in the heart of the Kasbah and facing the Med­iterranean, Dar Nour is a magical place in Tanger and has retained the spirit of a tra­ditional Moroccan sea­side building, with sub­tle touches in its fur­ni­ture and decor reflecting the cosmopoli­tan history.

LE SALON BLEU

A small sea­side house, transformed into a tea­room and restaurant on the Place de la Kasbah. Just a few steps away from Dar Nour.

Overlooking the kasbah and the views of the beach and Spain are spectacu­lar! When you visit the restaurant you will find out why they named it Le Sa­lon Bleu. Here too, you will find many original and authentic objects in the interior. We visited the place a few times, at all hours of the day. Morning coffee on the roof terrace (via a small spiral staircase), lunch in the blue salon on the first floor, with a 'spools of thread wall' and dinner on the terrace below overlooking the Sultanate Palace.

TANGIER was surprising! Both Dar Nour and Salon Bleu made our trip even more special. Above all it was very nice to discover an entire different part of Morocco.

So very different from Marrakech and at the same time it felt so familiar. I enjoyed the beauty of Morocco, the overwhelming colors, the hospitality and daily life in the kasbah and medina in the same way! The light is different in Morocco. Oh how I love that light!

(and I'm already looking forward to return to Marrakech in October)

bright light & vivid colors

Tanger is an edge city, caught between worlds. Located at the border between east and west, between north and south.

Standing at the top of the Medina you are at the northernmost tip of Africa. You can overlook both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic and can see the hazy silhouette of the Strait of Gibraltar.

The city has always been a crossroad of cultures and this mix has drawn a notable collection of artists. French painter Henri Matisse is probably the most well known. In search of a new direction and surrounded by bright light and vivid colors, the French master found inspiration for some of his greatest works.

As a 'photographer', I strive to capture color and light, and I have always been enticed by Morocco's rich hues and variegated sunshine.

I came to Tanger because I wanted to seek out the creative spark down alleyways.