Tangiers

We arrived Saturday night to Tangiers for one week. For M, this is work (hopefully with some time off at the end), installing an exhibition in connection with the Salon du Livre Tanger. I have been taking in the sights and smells of this town in a slow and delightful way, aided by generous friends who live here or are here for the salon and know the ins and outs of this city.
With an arabic keyboard and no USB chord to download photos this is a brief entry with more to follow...and lots of photos: Tangier seems endlessly photogenic. I cant stop making simple comparisons between Tangier and some mid sized Mexican city. There is some real connection, aesthetically and fundamentally. Would love to know if some study had been made on this.
Highlights so far include Cinematheque Tangier: the incredible restoration project undertaken by the photographer Yto Barrada and her husband, writer and actor Sean Gillete is absolutely stunning. With precise attention to detail inside and out, this art deco building in central Tangier has been brought back to life with a cafe and two film theaters which present excellent films that range from arab to european to american to avant garde artists. Chek out their website, listed on my suggested sites.
Just next door is the Darna workshop, a womens weaving cooperative with restaurant and boutique, profits of which go to support the women and organization..obviously I went a bit shopping crazy there.
The Salon du Livre is a once a year event; this year organized by the writer and translator Omar Berrada. Lectures; roundtables and readings on a variety of subjects willl take place beginning tomorrow. Lastly, The Food: amazing... like Mexican food, spice filled, flavorful and combinations of sweet and salty...cannot stop taking pictures of the spice baskets filled skyhigh with paprika, saffron and cumin. Enough said. sorry for typos/