Day 1: Tangier
On the first day of this circuit of El tiempo entre costuras we will arrive to the city of Tangier. And we will do it, if possible, the way Sira Quiroga did it: by ferry, from Tarifa or Algeciras, two ports located in southern Spain and are widely used to cross the Strait of Gibraltar. This was the case at the time in which the story is set, when Tangier was considered a free port. This led to the arrival of businessmen and the development of a cosmopolitan atmosphere that the dressmaker who is the protagonist of the novel knew… and that we will also notice during the route.
On this day tour of Tangier we will discover many places of interest and many of them appear in the book and especially in the television series. For example, in the kasbah of the city we will know the palaces of Dar El Makhzen and Dar Chorfa: they are historical monuments dating back to the time of Sultan Moulay Ismail, but in the series served to set the police station in Tetouan.
The American Legation, which is now an important museum, will also be part of the tour: here Sira Quiroga and Alan Hillgarth meet to discuss an important ‘business’. We will also walk along Sidi Kacen beach, where exterior scenes were filmed, and the Avenue of Spain, today called Boulevard de Mohamed VI, where the city’s port and the Continental Hotel are located. This accommodation is one of the most famous in the city and in its spectacular rooms some of the scenes of the series were filmed.
The Continental is not the only hotel you will know in this circuit for El tiempo entre costuras. Another is the Hotel El Minzah, next to the Plaza de Francia, was also frequented by Sira Quiroga in the story, especially its cafeteria. In fact, it is one of the favorite places of the writer María Dueñas, as she has revealed in different interviews, and we will know it in depth because it will be your place of accommodation on this day.
In addition to the Continental and ‘our’ El Minzah, we will also know the Hotel Villa Josefine, where scenes of the series were filmed, as well as the Palace of Muley Hafid (Palace of Italian Institutions), where the residence of Rosalinda Fox, friend of Sira Quiroga, was located.
And although the central places of the novel and the series are the main protagonists of this first day of the circuit of El tiempo entre costuras, we will also take the opportunity to visit other tourist places full of charm. Here is a list of options that can be included in the program:
The medina and its picturesque souk, one of the liveliest in northern Morocco.
Mendub Palace, with its gardens
Literary and elegant cafes, where meetings of intellectuals were held. This is the case of Café Paris and Café Hafa.
Special mention deserves the excursion to Cape Espartel, located on the outskirts of the city, where the famous Caves of Hercules are located. It will take place in the afternoon to enjoy this natural landscape at the ideal time. On the way back, dinner and overnight at the Hotel El Minzah.
Day 2: Tangier – Tetouan
The second day of our “Time in Between Seams” tour takes us to Tetouan. We will leave on our way to this city after breakfast at the Hotel El Minzah. And we will enter Tetouan by the road that once crossed the international border of the Borg… and that Sira Quiroga crossed in a somewhat accidental way, being forced to be admitted to the hospital for a hemorrhage.
In Tetuan very important events in history take place, and many of the places where they occur can be known today. For example, the Sania Ramel Civil Hospital, where the protagonist recovers from her wounds. On the other hand, the Ceuta-Tetuan railway line, out of operation today, had here one of its terminals. For this reason, the old station, now a modern art center, served as a setting for the filming of scenes, as we will see on this day.
There are many streets and neighborhoods that fans of the series will recognize immediately. This is the case of Luneta Street, Luneta Gate and its surroundings. Here was the first lodging of Sira Quiroga in the novel, known as Candelaria pension. In the area there is also the Cagigas Park and the station, related to arms smuggling in the series.
Near the Puerta de la Reina is the art school where Sira Quiroga, a dressmaker by profession, goes in search of draftsmen for the realization of patterns. In the current Cervantes Institute, the protagonist sets up her sewing workshop. And from its balcony and rooftop some of the most suggestive scenes of the series were filmed.
The Ensanche neighborhood also has space in the series and shows the Spanish influence in the urban planning of the city. Other avenues, squares and streets that travelers will recognize in this circuit through El tiempo entre costuras are the Avenida de la República (today called Mohamed V), the Plaza de José Antonio (today Al-Yala), the Fénix building, Tarrafin street with its characteristic wooden lattices, the Plaza de España in El Feddan or the Puerta del Viento (Bab Ruah).
In addition, we will take advantage of the day to visit other places of interest in Tetouan, because in fact its historic center is declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco thanks to its beauty and uniqueness. Therefore, the visit can take you through:
The mosque of Muley Abdelkader.
The church of the Virgin of the Victory, neo-Romanesque style.
The Jewish mellah, place of residence and work of an important Jewish community, where the Bengualid synagogue is also located.
The Malaga neighborhood
The accommodation of this second day will be the riad El Reducto: it was not filmed scenes of the series, but it is closely linked to the television series, since the actress Adriana Ugarte (who plays Sira Quiroga) stayed here while filming her scenes in this city. Dinner will also be served in this hotel.
Day 3: Tetouan – Ceuta
After breakfast at the riad El Reducto, we will head for the ferry that will make you cross the Strait of Gibraltar again, back to the Iberian Peninsula. This time we will do it from the Autonomous City of Ceuta. It is just 40 kilometers by road, which also have their place in history, although in this case by rail. Therefore, during the tour we will see the stations of Dar Riffien, Negrón, Miramar and Malalien, the latter of great importance for the fate of Sira Quiroga and her activity as a spy.
Our driver will drop you off at the port of Ceuta and there will conclude our services in the circuit of El tiempo entre costuras. But the farewell will have a ‘see you soon’ vocation, with the desire to meet again in other tours in Morocco, some of them with a similar cinematographic theme.
TOURIST PACKAGE INCLUDED
- Pick up and drop off at the airport
- Comfortable private transportation with air conditioning
- English speaking driver / tour guide
- Sandboarding in the desert
- Camel ride
TOURIST PACKAGE EXCLUSIONS
- Plane tickets
- Drinks
- Lunches
- Tickets
