Invest in Tangier Headlines

Tuesday 13 March 2007

The Tunnel between Europe and Africa will be a modern wonder of the world.

The man entrusted with designing the tunnel is the veteran Swiss engineer Giovanni Lombardi.

He has already been involved with many great projects, including the Gotthard Pass tunnel in Switzerland and the Mont Blanc tunnel which links France and Italy.

But he says this one may be his toughest assignment yet.

"No works in the world compare to this one," he said.

"There are a lot of challenges. First of all the sea at this point is 300m (1,000ft) deep - about five to six times deeper than the Channel Tunnel [linking the UK and France].

"Then there is the geological conditions. There are quite a lot of tectonic movements between the African and the European plates. So there would be quite a lot of movements in the earth, of stresses and so on."



On a cliff top outside Tangier stands a rusty frame with cables and weights. It may not look very much but this is the start of a shaft that descends 300m below sea level, and this is where scientists and engineers are examining the sea bed to see how difficult it will be to drill into the rock.

The team is lead by engineer Jillali Chafik from the Moroccan research team SNED.

"At the moment we are carrying out the last studies into the sea bed which hold the key for the railway tunnel," he said.

"These studies should be finished by the end of 2007. We are looking at how the tunnel will actually work and the amount of traffic that will use the tunnel, once it starts."



Political will

The blueprint for the tunnel envisages two tubes for train lines beneath the Strait of Gibraltar, with an emergency or service tunnel in between them.

Like the Eurotunnel project, the trains would carry passengers as well as cars.



It has been talked about since the early 1980s, but the Moroccans say this time there is the political will. They are now in the final stages of the feasibility study which will be completed by the end of the year, with construction starting soon after.

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero recently visited Morocco and said that Spain was fully committed to the project.

"It will be a great symbol of our times," he said.

"It will change the face of Europe and Africa. With support from members of the European Union, we can build this historic connection between the two continents."

Morocco's minister for transport, Karim Ghellab, says there would be huge economic benefits for his country.

"It's clearly desirable that Morocco and Africa are joined to Europe by a fixed link," he told me.



"It would ease communications between the two, and allow passengers and goods to move easily between the two continents. It's an historic project which the world needs today and it will go ahead," he said.

Bankruptcy fears

That is the official line, but ordinary Moroccans remain sceptical.

The fortunes of the Channel Tunnel were followed closely here, and people have read the bad press about massive cost overruns, and desperate attempts by immigrants to cross into the UK from France.

A group of students pointed out some of the downsides of a tunnel.

"I wonder if the problem of illegal immigration will be solved or not. By the time the tunnel is built young people will see the tunnel as a chance to run away," one said.

"It will take a lot of money away from Morocco where we have so many problems - like poverty and unemployment," said another.

"You can see what happened to the tunnel between England and France and the company almost went bankrupt so you can imagine what would happen to Moroccan companies if they participated in such a project".

But scientists and politicians on both sides of the Mediterranean now seem convinced that the design will become a reality.

The big question is where the money will come from. Estimates of cost vary between $8bn and $13bn (£4.1bn - $£6.7bn).

It is hoped that funding can be raised via two publicly owned companies in Spain and Morocco, as well as financial support from the European Union.

If the money is forthcoming, the very first fixed link between Europe and Africa could become one of the modern wonders of the world.


thanks to Richard Hamilton BBC News, Tangier

Saturday 10 March 2007

Morocco has always been a celebrity destination




The celebrity location

Writers, painters, actors, musicians, stars and celebrities in general, regardless of fashion, have always been attracted to Morocco . The phenomenon, which goes back to the last century, has never waned.

A simple detour via Marrakech will be enough to convince you. In just a few years, the “ Pearl of the South” has become a key location for artists and celebrities. Here, Naomi Campbell and Madonna have their homes. As you walk through the city, do not be surprised to bump into Bruce Willis, Jamel Debouzze , Bernard-Henri Lévy, Anne Sinclair, Gérard Depardieu, Johnny Halliday, Jack Lang or Ophélie Winter… Like many others, they have given in to the charm of the region.

Why hide out in the Pacific islands or major capitals when Morocco has absolutely everything needed to experience a dream stay? A great way of life, beautiful towns and panoramas and kind people… the charm of Morocco has always attracted people of good taste.

Yesterday like today, several illustrious personalities have lived there: Delacroix, Matisse, Gaudi, Alexandre Dumas, Roland Barthes , Truman Capote, Joseph Kessel, Samuel Beckett, Saint-Exupéry, Tolstoy, Sean Connery, John Malkovitch, or Elizabeth Taylor … to mention just a few.

800k Spanish tourists expected in Morocco by 2010




Some 800,000 Spanish tourists are expected in Morocco by 2010, i.e. twice the figures reported in 2006, said, here Wednesday, Managing Director of the Moroccan Tourism Office, Abbas Azzouzi.


Tourist arrivals from Spain flared up 17% in 2006, Azzouzi told MAP on the fringes of the 7th Euro-Mediterranean Forum, underlining that the new low cost airlines will consolidate the neighborhood advantage between the two countries.

To accompany this increasing demand, said Azzouzi, Morocco will consolidate the traditional destinations, promote new tourism formulas and improve Morocco's image in Spain.


Morocco's efforts are part of an ambitious strategy dubbed "Vision 2010" to attract some ten million tourists by the end of the decade.

Tuesday 6 March 2007

Spanish PM pushes for train tunnel to North Africa








Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero today said that his government was committed to building a high-speed train line to North Africa in a tunnel under the Strait of Gibraltar.



Mr Zapatero, who spoke after a meeting with Moroccan Prime Minister Driss Jettou in Rabat, Morocco, said a tunnel would help speed development on the African side of the Mediterranean.

“The Spanish government has firmly decided to work for the tunnel,” Mr Zapatero said, without providing specifics on when a decision could be taken or when the tunnel could be built.



The tunnel would link the Moroccan city of Tangier to the Spanish city of Tarifa, the excavation of a tunnel joining Europe and Africa deep below the Strait of Gibraltar could start as early as next year after Spain and Morocco commissioned preliminary engineering studies.

Veteran Swiss tunnel engineer Giovanni Lombardi has been called in by the governments of both countries to draw up a project outlining how work could proceed towards creating the only direct physical link between the two continents.



Exploratory tunnelling could start after his report, which will be based on recent detailed studies of the geological patterns under the strait, is handed in next year. "We are just beginning the work, but I would say this is more difficult than the Channel tunnel," said Mr Lombardi

Thanks to the Guardian and Irish examiner

Sunday 4 March 2007

Tangier bustle


, originally uploaded by shadowplay.

Chefchaouen, Morocco


Chefchaouen, Morocco, originally uploaded by shadowplay.

The Atlas from Marrakesh

Tangier, Morocco


Tangier, Morocco, originally uploaded by shadowplay.

Morocco celebrates the birth of Princess Lalla Khadija Morocco


Rabat - Last week Moroccans were preparing for several days of festivities to mark the birth of Princess Lalla Khadija, the second child of King Mohammed VI.

The baby was born at a clinic at the royal palace on Wednesday. The 4.16-kilo girl and her mother, Princess Lalla Salma, were reported to be "in perfect health".

Celebrations to mark the arrival of the new royal are expected to match those marking the birth of her brother three years ago, in a signal of growing respect for female children.

Dozens of people gathered in front of the palace, where the 43-year-old monarch made an appearance to greet citizens.

Cannons fired 21 shots and national television showed images of the monarch holding the newborn.

Special books were also to be laid out at regional government offices for people to congratulate the royal house.

According to Muslim tradition, the main celebrations were set to begin seven days after the birth - next Wednesday - and last several days.

Lalla Khadija's birth follows that of Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, named after King Mohammed's father Hassan II, in May 2003.

The warm reception for the new princess is seen as being in line with the "feminist" views of King Mohammed.

His regime is known as one of the foremost champions of the rights of women in the Arab world, according to analysts in Rabat.

The government has, for instance, reformed family law, raising the age of marriage for women, making polygamy almost impossible and improving the rights of women in situations of divorce.

For weeks already, Morocco had been preparing for the birth of the royal baby. Streets were decorated with flags, lanterns, and flowers, and pavements were repaired in the capital Rabat.

Celebrations, starting Wednesday, are to include the slaughter of sheep, prayers, banquets and music over several days throughout the Alawite kingdom.

In the coming days, Moroccans also expect to see images of the newborn with her mother.

The nation never saw Mohammed's mother, but the king has modernized protocol, giving a discreet public role to his wife Lalla Salma, an attractive red-head engineer whom he married in 2002.

The palace has also sought to reduce the aura of secrecy surrounding royal life, immediately announcing the birth of Lalla Khadija to counter rumours that she had been born days earlier.

Despite the huge gap separating the elite from the poor masses in the kingdom hungry for change, King Mohammed has retained a certain popularity, and the birth of the new princess has been welcomed as a joyful event.

The palace was skilled at protecting the king from criticism by "blaming anything negative on the government," one observer quipped.

purchased


purchased, originally uploaded by Amsterdamned!.



Cataract.....no photoshopping yet....the photo can be easily improved.. his cataract too...the bright spot at the upper left is in my seeing acceptable....maybe in your vision not....I am looking forward to read your suggestions....but if the bright sunshine had been at his face he wouldnt had find a penny.

Teleshot streetphoto, taken near Marrakech, Morocco

A cataract eye disease is easy to cure...a cataract eye operation is an easy one and cheaper than for example Adobe Photoshop CS2...
In the Netherlands yearly 150.000 persons undergo policlinical cataract surgery.
Takes about 15-30 minutes to replace the troubled lenses by artificial ones.
See U.....

Thursday 1 March 2007

Invest in Tangier's city guide


Tangier city guide

With its souks, traditional Moroccan cuisine and loads of sights to see, its the perfect destination for your Moroccan holiday. Diverse in both flavour and culture, Tangian cuisine will satisfy your culinary cravings. A worthwhile visit on your Moroccan holiday. Tangier, also known as the White City, revolves around its brilliant import and export port, and assures you to see many millionaires' yachts where the Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean meets.

Many famous writers like Paul Bowles and William Burroughs visited Tangier and even called it their home. Tangier was also the world's first and famous gay resort - a role it maintains to a lesser degree today. Tangier is very popular to tourists and Moroccan holiday makers and it has beautiful beaches to entertain them. Tangier has three sources of wealth; the port, Cannabis and ferrying would-be immigrants. Tangier is energetic, very likeable, extremely individual with an enduring peculiarity.

Le Mirage Hotel...out of this world


Accommodation
Tangier has many hotels and pensions in either the Medina or the Ville Nouvelle. Tangier has two campsites, Camping Miramonte and Camping Tingis they are situated close to the city center and in walking distance of several beaches. They are safe and convenient.



Things to See & Do

The beaches are a big attraction in Tangier. With people enjoying themselves with camel rides , windsurfing , acrobatics and football . The beaches here have a number of beach bars open in summers only. Most of them offer showers, deck chairs, food and drink and cabarets at night. Click here for general information on the beaches in Morocco.


Place de France
Place de France is a small French-looking square right in the middle of the Ville Nouvelle with many friendly, inviting street cafè's.


The Grand Socco
Visit the Grand Socco market square with its good street cafe's and absorb the city life. The market sells everything from arts and crafts, fruit and vegetables and plain old junk.

The Mendoubia Gardens

Enjoy the inviting shade in the midsummer afternoons that surrounds the Grand Socco Square. This garden contains a fascinating banyan tree that's over 800 years old.


The Caves of Hercules
The caves of Hercules are situated 14km west of Tangier in the Cap Spartel area. It is a place of great beauty and archeological significance.


Cuisine & Nightlife
Tangier's nightlife is not really something to get excited about, although there are a few good bars and disco's and some of the cafè's in Grand Socco Square stays open all night. If you're looking for a basic inexpensive restaurant or cafe you'll be best off to go look for it at the Medina. If a fancy meal is what you're looking for, than Ville Nouvelle is the place to be. Click here for Tradional Moroccan Cuisine and Recipes .




Getting Around

Tangier, like most Moroccan cities consists of a Medina and a Ville Nouvelle that makes it very easy to move around. Grands taxis are allowed to carry up to six passengers; they are quick and efficient and are a good value for money. Petit taxis can be catched almost anywhere in town, and may not carry more than three passengers, and are metered. Petit and grands taxis increase their rates at fifty percent after 8pm at night. City buses are very useful; they operate between the airport, the train station, Grand Socco and the Caves of Hercules. Click here for further information on getting around in Morocco.
Thanks to the excellent web site morocco.com

THE VIEW FROM FEZ

The Truth WareHouse