Wednesday February 25 and February 26. Melbourne to Tunis, Tunisia.
Today we are off to Tunisia, for the start of our next adventure.
We are flying with Etihad, with a short stop over in Abu Dhabi.
It’s been a hectic few weeks leading up to today, culminating with a short trip to Castlemaine for Ronan’s 2nd birthday.
I had a Stone and Wood Pacific Ale at the airport and wondered how long it would be before my next good brew.
This trip is broken into a number of parts.
Firstly Tunisia and then Morocco in North Africa.
We then head to Granada, Spain and spend about a month with the Spanish family.
Then it’s a few days with our friends Denis and Martine from Switzerland.
Our plan is to travel to Salamanca, a place none of us have visited.
And after that, about a week in Spain’s north west, travelling to the ‘End of the Earth’
More about that later.
On the second leg of our flight from Abu Dhabi to Tunis we decided to watch the old classic movie, Casablanca.
Made in 1942, staring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, it’s set in the city of Casablanca, Morocco, during the Second World War.
It seemed appropriate to watch it as we will be visiting the city when we travel around Morocco.
Casablanca is our first stop there.
We arrived very early in Tunis and went straight to our hotel, the Belvedere Fourati.
After a refreshing shower and a light breakfast we headed out for a walk, as we had the rest of the day free.
Our first stop was the Belvedere Gardens.
This was a great opportunity for me to muck around with my old OM-D Olympus camera.
I had decided to grab it back from Ev and use it again, figuring there would be so much to shoot on a trip like this.
It weighs about 8 kilograms and gets a bit heavy by the end of a long tourist day. The Olympus comes with 3 lenses, which gives it the bulk.
Opposite the gardens and next to the Zoo entrance was the Belvedere Park.
Unfortunately the Belvedere Gardens and Park were looking a little worse for wear. So was the Belvedere Zoo, from what we could see through the fence.
All of these places needed money spent on them.
That night we opted to get a drink and early dinner at the hotel as it had been a long day and night.
Our pre dinner drink was at the hotel’s Point Bar and at 18.00 hrs, it was empty.
I don’t think there are many guests yet at the hotel.
I had a Larger from Celtia, a local Tunisian brewery that was started in 1951. Thea also had a local white wine, a Muscat from Tunisia.
It’s Ramadan at the moment and even if we had wanted to eat out, most of the restaurants were closed until dusk.
Therefore nothing is open during daylight hours.
Unfortunately it will be Ramadan for our entire stay in Tunisia, which will make our trip a bit restricted.
Bardo Museum
Friday February 27. Tunis in Tunisia.
Even at breakfast the place was empty.
It could be Ramadan or maybe the tourist season just hasn’t started yet.
This will be our first full day of touring with our driver and guide.
The Bardo Museum was our first stop and the visit took about two and a half hours but it was certainly worth it.
Our guide, Nidhal Kacem, studied history and certainly knew his stuff.
Within the museum were some of the best mosaics that I have seen. It’s no wonder, as it houses one of the largest collections of Roman mosaics in the world.
The Bardo Museum was first proposed in the 1860s and opened in 1888. It is the second largest museum in Africa, after the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
It is set within a 15th Century Hafsid palace, located in the suburbs of Tunis.
As we drove towards our lunch spot, after the museum visit, we noticed that most of the local restaurants were closed.
I guess we’ll be eating at the hotel again tonight.
Lunch was at Al Majlis, under the Victoria Hotel, which used to be the British Embassy.
The restaurant was a tourist spot, so open but no alcohol was being served.
We then toured around the various Medinas, or market streets in Tunis and then Nidhal left us to entertain ourselves for the rest of the afternoon.
After a bit more touring the Medinas we came back to the square where we had had lunch.
It was in the area of the Bab al-Bhar Gate. This historic city gate was originally constructed in the 10th Century but demolished in 1848 and then rebuilt in 1860.
Once in the square we just sat and watch people go by.
After that it was a slow walk back into the main town area to get our ride back to the hotel.
At the end of all this tourist adventuring we were exhausted. We had done over 6 kilometres of tramping around Tunis.
It was almost time for a pre dinner beverage.
Even though we looked around our local restaurant, nothing was either open or looked worth visiting, so, as predicted, we were back at our hotel again.
The slip water into the port
Saturday February 28. Tunis to Carthage then to Side Bou Said and back to Tunis.
Another 9:30 start to the day, so not too stressful.
There will be a lot more driving today as we are heading east to Carthage, on the coast.
This is a Punic city, once ruled by Hannibal, and destroyed by the Roman general Scipio in 149 BC, at the end of the third Punic war.
The day was very hazy, which made everything monochromatic, except for the yellow taxis and there were many of them.
We first visited Carthage Archeological Park and then Cathedral Saint Louis de Carthage, which was built between 1884 and 1890.
After that we went to The Park of the Antoninian Baths and then the Punic Ports of Carthage.
Then it was into La Galette, a fishing village, for lunch at Restaurant La Victorie.
The food was great, however the four course meal was a bit too much for us.
Achraf, our driver, has more work to do today but even more once we leave Tunis.
Our original schedule had us doing Carthage second however it got turned around.
As Nidhal felt that the sites there might be closed due to Ramadan.
So our second adventure of the day was Side Bou Said, a well preserved coastal town.
It is named after the 13th Century holy figure Sidi Bou Said. He was a Muslim saint who is still celebrated today with an annual festival held in his honour.
When we first arrived, we drove to the top of the town, which is on a hillside, then we walked down.
I could have sworn we were in Greece, as all the houses are painted white with blue doors and trimmings.
The blue doors were fascinating, so I grabbed a number of shots.
However, not all the doors were blue, some were red, some were green and some of them were yellow.
This went back to the past, where doors of different colours represented where the people who lived in those houses came from.
Blue doors were for Israeli’s, yellow doors were for Turks and green doors were for Muslims.
During our travels we visited several viewpoints and, despite the haze, managed to get some great views.
One of the last stop offs for the day was at Le Beys family house. This was the residence of a powerful noble family who were in power from 1705 till 1957.
Then it was one more viewpoint and then the drive back to Tunis.
That evening we ate, yet again, at the hotel.
After our huge lunch we really didn’t need much.
The hotel has been good, however there have been frustrations.
The lift issue was a pain, as we had to change lifts to get to our floor but the most annoying issue was that the staff were over attentive. This came from the fact that there were more staff than guests and they needed to keep busy.
Tomorrow we start our travels around Tunisia. The schedule is tight and we are constantly on the move.
The Capitolium (166-168 AD)
Sunday March 01. Tunis to Testour and then Dougga and Kairouan.
We drove south towards our first stop at Tesdour, though very fertile farmland. There were olive groves, wheat crops and grazing animals along the way.
Prickly pear is everywhere and considering its origins, in South America, it’s come a long way to be here now.
Tesdour was a very colourful town with a mosque tower that had a clock that was back to front. This was designed as a symbolic gesture, to turn back time and express nostalgia for a lost homeland in Andalusia.
There is a very strong Andalusian influence in the mosque’s architecture and design.
An interesting stop was at the house of Habiba Msika.
She was a performing artist during the 1920s who managed to con a local money lender into building and decorating a house for her.
This was on the condition that she would marry him when it was completed. However the more he did for her the more she wanted.
They never married and in the end, out of frustration, he killed her and then ended his own life.
Lunch was at the Hotel Thugga and again we were offered a three course meal.
I have never been one to leave food on the plate but now that’s different.
I just can’t eat it all.
Next was the Roman ruins at Dougga, our first UNESCO World Heritage Site.
They were amazing and in very good condition.
Dougga can trace its history back to the Berber and Punic times, pre-dating the Romans.
We then had a two hour drive to Kairouan, where we will stay the night.
As we drive through the country roads I had the feeling of being in Spain, as there were olive groves everywhere.
However the countryside changed as we headed south to Kairouan and became much drier.
There certainly wasn’t the same amount of agriculture here.
Kairouan is the 4th holiest city after Mecca and another UNESCO World Heritage site. It was founded by the Umayyads in the 7th century and went on to become an important centre for Sunni and Quranic learning.
Tunisia seems to be a bit of a Police State, with cops on every road in the country area, and even in the tourist car parks.
However, the roads aren’t bad and there is lots of excellent signage everywhere.
Particularly dangerous corners are well illuminated with solar lighting.
After a long drive we reached Kairouan and settled into our room at the Kasbah Hotel.
The hotel was in an old building, probably a citadel or fortress. This reminded us of staying in the Spanish Paradores or Posadas in Portugal.
It was very posh, with waiters in bow ties and very classical rooms.
However there were issues with the service especially of the booze.
The wine and beer was on a sideboard waiting for you to choose what you wanted. However that’s where it came from when you had made your choice, the sideboard, not the fridge.
Another thing that reminded us of Spain, in particular Granada, was the tiles, they were everywhere.
The Kasbah Hotel
Monday March 02. Kairouan to Tozeur.
With all the news about the US, Iran conflict, we have suddenly realised how lucky we are to have got away.
The big question now is, will we be able to get home?
In the morning, when we left the hotel, the streets were full of school kids heading towards another day of learning.
They were yelling, laughing and I felt that a lot of the comments were aimed at us.
However I have no idea what they were saying.
Today we have a rather long drive, of nearly five hours, to Tozeur.
Lots of sight seeing from the car I think.
But before we hit the road, we have a couple of side trips.
First to the Berber Mausoleum, also known as the Mausoleum of Sidi Sahbi and then the Great Mosque.
The mosque is regarded as one of the world’s largest but it really wasn’t that impressive.
The best attraction was the array of rugs inside.
We were relatively quick getting through the first two stops so Nidhal decided to add a third.
This was a government operated rug shop, called the Okba Musee.
It was also an ‘Opportunity to Buy’
At a different stage of our lives we probably would have made some purchases and had them shipped them home.
As we weren’t purchasing we got to lunch early. This was probably a good thing as we had a long drive this afternoon.
Lunch was at El Brija Restaurant and as the weather was rather pleasant, we ate on the roof.
It was another multi course meal and I had to leave at least half of it.
However, I did order an espresso at the end of the meal and found that their machine was broken, so I got a Turkish coffee instead.
It was excellent.
Then it was off to Tozeur.
Roadside stalls were ever present on our route south, selling everything from Camel skins to carpets, bananas to pyjamas and even car parts.
In parts, used blue plastic bags are everywhere, scattered across the countryside.
On the way to Tozeur, we stopped at Oasis Park. This was for a toilet break and a chance for our driver to pray.
The Muslin faith takes a big toll on your life. What with starving for Ramadan and having to pray five times a day.
There is also the business side, where many restaurants just don’t open at lunchtime during Ramadan.
But worst of all for us, was not being able to get booze.
For a lot of the trip there were gumtrees lining both sides of the road. It was a lot like being back home.
There was also a lot of construction and many uninhabited houses.
As I have indicated, the road system in Tunisia is in many respects better than what we have at home.
On long sections of road, the intersections are roundabouts, instead of crossroads. This would certainly decrease the amount of accidents that happen.
They should do this at home.
We finally arrived in Tozeur and checked into the Ksar Rouge Hotel.
This is another hotel built in an elegant old building.
It’s a four star hotel but the management are cheap.
There was no bottled water in our room and when you can’t drink the local water, they were obliged to give you bottled water.
The guy at reception said it wasn’t possible and we had to buy it from the bar.
We kicked up a stink and insisted he talk to a manager.
We then stormed off and went for a wander around the place.
Then we discovered the bar and figured we had better buy some water as we would need it.
No sooner had we done that, than the guy from reception turned up and instructed the barman to give us some water.
Sometimes it pays to be a grumpy old bugger.
Dinner was included in our booking but again, we really didn’t feel like much.
The staff were rather obliging and only served us what we wanted.
And, unlike the previous night, the beer and white wine came from the fridge, not the sideboard.
The weirdest part of the entire evening was the fact that we were almost alone in the hotel.
I think that I only counted about half a dozen other guests.
Dogs at the date palm plantation
Tuesday March 03. Tozeur to Chebika, Tamerza, Mides and back to Tozeur.
The hotel we are staying is empty and that certainly shows in the way we are being treated.
The breakfast and dinner, which were included in our accommodation, are minimal and you have to go searching to find staff.
Our previous hotels have had more guests and the choice we had was far better, as was the service.
More driving today as we head south into the countryside.
But first we are going to the market to buy food for our lunch. Then it was onto a horse and cart to visit a three level Date plantation.
Ground level for vegetables and grapes, middle level for fruit trees, like fig and lemon and the top level for the dates.
It was then back into the horse and cart and off to Eden Palm, a museum plantation.
This is where we will have lunch, that’s combined with a cooking class, using the products from the market from the start of the day.
And we were doing the cooking.
Yes, we were cooking our own meal today.
Before lunch we wandered around the museum and learnt a lot more about dates.
The date palm is not a tree but a giant grass, that can grow up to 20 metres tall. There are at least 150 varieties of date, ranging from translucent to black.
The date palm is very significant and has been represented in both art and religion. Its history goes back the early Egyptian periods and is very closely linked to oasis cultivation.
The tree not only provides dates but timber from the tree can be used in furniture and the leaves in basket weaving and even fencing.
The Tunisian economy relies of the farming of dates, with 10% of the population benefiting from them for their livelihood.
Then we had lunch and it turned out to be another huge meal.
Vegetables, a salad and even a ‘Brick’, this is a deep fried pastry that’s filled with egg and vegetable.
This is a very traditional Tunisian dish that we have been served a number of times.
And we still hadn’t got to the main course of chicken, we helped to cook.
I do feel a little guilty with all the food we’re eating, especially when we are surrounded by people who can’t eat at all.
As mentioned, all of the ingredients for lunch were purchased at the market that we first visited.
Our guide through all of this culinary adventure was Nabil Chokmani.
We finished the meal with a tasting of conserves made from dates.
After lunch we headed off into the countryside, a scene that reminded us very much of what we saw in Egypt in 2012.
The sky was hazy and the ground was desert, which was made even more obvious by the sighting of camels outside our window.
This part of the journey was in a four-wheel-drive, which was understandable, considering the state of the road.
Our drive was to the beautiful mountainside oasis village of Chebika, that was once a Roman outpost but later became a mountain refuge for the Berber people.
Then we continue on to a waterfall near Tamerza.
We were on the road to Tazeur, when we suddenly turned off and started to drive across the desert.
This was very rough driving and the LandCruiser handed it well, as did our driver.
It was about as rough as we’ve ever experienced, even in the Kimberley or the Birdsville Track.
After about half an hour driving, we came across another desert camp, known as the Camel’s Head.
Next was Star Wars set in Tataouine.
This was the location for the movie Phantom Menace, shot in 1999.
Again blue plastic bags were everywhere but here, they were being used as markers on the desert track.
We then drove back to our hotel in Tozeur.
By that time we needed a drink and a small dinner.
Getting the drink proved to be an issue as we couldn’t locate the barman anywhere – eventually he did turn up.
Dinner was a buffet, which meant we could have as much or as little as we liked.
Locals at the market
Wednesday March 04. Tozeur to Chott El Jerid then to Douz.
It was a late start to the day and after a rather boring breakfast, where we were the only ones eating.
Our first stop was the Tozeur Medina or the old town area.
Before we did that we went in search for a good rooftop viewpoint, to overlook the town. We went to 2 places, both restaurants, but they were closed.
Another product of Ramadan.
We wandered through a maze of alleyways, all done in a unique cream brick.
I get the feeling the our guide wasn’t sure where to go and what to do next.
We ended up at our lunch spot but it was far too early to eat, so we had a coffee there first and then went for a walk.
We walked back down to the market and just wandered around for an hour and took some snaps.
We did discover that camels aren’t just for riding, you can eat them as well.
Lunch was at Dar Tozeur, a restaurant within a hotel.
What was on offer was another multi course meal – this one was three.
We were given yet another brick, they seem to be a staple of every main meal, be it lunch or dinner.
Olives and dates were also in the meal – again.
And again, we were the only people eating.
There is certainly little chance of us going hungry on this trip, with three meals a day on offer.
After lunch we were back in the van and heading to Douz, driving over the salt lake, Chott El Jerid.
This lake is the largest in the Saharan salt flats, which was once a part of the Mediterranean Sea.
It was a two hour drive to Douz, so time to sit back, relax and let the lunch digest.
At Douz we will be camping in the desert.
I’m afraid our guide, Nidhal, isn’t the greatest of companions to the driver Achraf, as he constantly falls asleep on long drives.
In fact more and more, I’m finding him to be not as good as he thinks.
Yes, he is bright and has a great memory for the history but this is overwritten by his self opinionated arrogance and selfishness.
Once we passed over the salt lake, we came into a more fertile area, where Date Palms were again growing in abundance.
They are so important to many communities that they even erect monuments in their honour.
Such was the case in the town of Kous Kebili.
We finally got to our accommodation for the night, the Dunes Insolites Desert Camp, which is on the edge of the Sahara Desert.
However it was more glamping than camping.
We were in a tent but we also had electricity, a toilet, a shower and a plug to charge our phones.
What more do you need?
Well booze would have been nice but there was none of that, this was a dry camp.
Which is strange, considering this is supposed to be an ‘international tourist’ destination and we have had booze everywhere we have stayed, so far.
Before dinner, we went for a walk around the campsite, in the hope of seeing a sunset.
However, there was none of that, it was just a sun fade.
We did get to see some of the local camels and managed to get some photos of them as well.
We were offered camel rides and also rides on the Dune Buggies, but having done all that before, so decided against it.
Dinner and the lead up to it, was an interesting affair.
First a band, then horse riding and acrobatics, a Sand Bread baking demonstration and finally the meal.
The band played to us and then lead us to the other events.
The horse and riders were amazing. The horse just ran round in a circle while two riders performed tricks of mounting and dismounting. Sometimes the horse just ran around on his own.
The horse was the star of the show.
After that the band played on and we followed them again, this time to the other side of the camp.
There was a guy with a large fire of palm fronds pounding flat bread.
He then cleared the coals off the fire and placed the flat bread into the sand, then covered it with coals.
Ten minutes or so later the bread was baked and served up to the spectators.
It was very much like Damper.
We were then led again, this time to the restaurant, where we were served dinner.
More soup, another Brick and then a stew.
I’m not certain what was in the stew but I’m a bit wary now that I’ve seen Camel meat for sale in the market.
A camel
Thursday March 05. Douz to Matmata then to Chenini.
After a week in the northern hemisphere my body has finally decided to acclimatise.
We had an early night last night and I slept like a log. At one point, in a rare waking moment, I heard wind and then rain. But this morning it’s fine, except for the haze. However the sand is everywhere, blown in with the wind. It was even in our room having blown through the closed windows.
Well we are in the desert and should expect sand.
Breakfast was very minimal. I had Flat Bread and cheese, which was all that took my fancy.
Today we are off to Matmata and then to Chenini, our stop for the night.
This is the most southerly city we visit in Tunisia.
On our drive to Matmata we passed acres after acres of Date Palm plantations, all of them had large areas of solar panels. This was to power their irrigation systems.
And it was then back out into the desert and along the way we discovered a herd of camels by the side of the road. Then further down the road there were small mobs of sheep and goats.
We stopped at Portail De Sahara Cafe for a coffee ‘On the edge of the Sahara’.
The coffee wasn’t too bad and it was interesting, but not surprising, that the Barista spoke, Arabic, French, Spanish and English.
Well it was a popular tourist coffee spot.
We arrived in Matmata where the locals have lived in underground troglodyte homes for centuries.
Suddenly we encountered tourist, there were bus loads of them.
It had been trying to rain all day and then suddenly it started, but it was only a drizzle.
We visited the Star Wars Museum and Restaurant, where there were lots of old memories of the Star Wars series.
Star Wars certainly has a history in Tunisia.
As mentioned in Google, George Lucas felt that Tunisia was ideal as a Star Wars location.
“George Lucas chose Tunisia to film Star Wars (1977) because its dramatic, sun-scorched, and alien-like landscapes perfectly represented the desert planet Tatooine. Locations like Matmata and Tozeur provided ready-made, unique, and otherworldly architecture. Additionally, it offered a budget-friendly, accessible, and exotic location.”
Several Star Wars films used Tunisia as the primary filming location for the desert planet Tatooine, including A New Hope (1977), The Phantom Menace (1999), and Attack of the Clones (2002). Key locations, such as the Lars Homestead in Matmata and the Mos Espa set near Tozeur, were also used for scenes in Revenge of the Sith (2005).
We continued on the road and it was very very rocky, everywhere you looked.
Along the way we stopped at the Aïn Anba Viewpoint, the scenery was spectacular.
Lunch was at the Hotel Ksar Hedada, located in the town of the same name.
This was yet another Star Wars location and also features in the 1999 production of the Phantom Menace.
The lunch was typical of what we have been having. We started with soup, followed by another Brick and then a main dish of Couscous and vegetables.
We were meant to start the day at about seven this morning, however we didn’t start until nine.
Not our choice but that of Nidhal.
As we are now having lunch and it’s nearly three o’clock, I get the feeling we should’ve started earlier.
Again there were plenty of tourists about. One particular group had some very loud Italians.
Naturally they got served first as they made more noise.
After lunch we were off to Chenini, where we will be spending the night.
It was only about a thirty minute drive, so not long.
We were staying at the Maison Azul Guesthouse. Which is obviously not a hotel, but what it is I have no idea.
But apparently they don’t serve alcohol, so it looks like another ‘dry’ night.
Our local guide in Old Chenini was Masoud Msaoui, who was a local. He was very enthusiastic and had rather good English.
We were out with him for over 90 minutes and he took us on an extensive tour of the old town.
We climb up and down the steep stairways and went in and out of many old buildings.
The entire adventure was done to the background sound of the Mosque’s Imam calling people to prayer. As it is Ramadan, the last calling to pray, before dusk, was very long.
Masoud was 21 and studying Economics at the Tataouine University.
Maison Azul Guesthouse, where we were staying, is free standing but the rooms make you feel like you are in a cave.
In fact many of the buildings we explored were caves and built into the mountain side.
Dinner at the guesthouse is at 7:30 and when I asked where are we having it, I was shown a large table with just two cups and two serviettes.
I get the feeling we are back to eating alone.
Even though there are more tourists around than we are used to, they are not staying here.
Dinner was almost a repeat of lunch.
More soup and another Brick and then a huge plate of roasted meat and vegetables.
We didn’t even finish the lunch spread, so the dinner was also left with half full plates.
Also, everything was cold, except for the main dish.
Again we had an early night and I slept well again.
Street art in Djerba
Friday March 06. Chenini to Djerba.
It was a strange start to the day.
To begin with we had no idea what time it was, as there were no windows in our room.
When we went outside the sun was shining and I got a better look at the guesthouse. It was free standing at the front part but built into the rock face at the rear of the house and that’s where we were.
Our ‘host’ to put it nicely, was a grumpy old bugger and I got the feeling that he didn’t want to be here, preparing our breakfast.
It was minimal.
A boiled egg, bread and some preserves. There was a thermos of black coffee and it wasn’t that bad.
And, as expected, there were dates.
Come 8:30am we were on the road to Djerba, which is on the coast.
The plan for the day’s activities was different to what our itinerary had indicated.
Nidhal was doing what suited him, not us.
Within 29 minutes of leaving Chenini, he was asleep.
The sun was shining and the sky was clear. It was a beautiful day, our best so far. This would be excellent for visiting the coast.
As we were driving through the villages. the streets seem rather quiet. Well it was a Friday, which is the Muslim day of rest.
Unlike the Christian faith, Muslims are allowed to work on their day of rest, yet many choose to take it off.
The road to Djerba passed through some very dry country. There were many villages on the way, many of them with quite luxurious houses.
There must be some wealth in the area.
Olive groves were on both side of the road, but due to the very dry soil, they were spaced well apart. There was no irrigation, so the trees were relying on natural rainfall.
Unfortunately our driver, Achraf, likes Duf Duf music, so that was our soundtrack to Djerba.
Djerba is an island off the mainland and sitting in the Gulf of Gabes.
The island is famous as a resort and also for its pottery and a very vibrant Jewish community.
Our first stop was a pottery workshop. We were shown how they spin the pottery wheel, make the pots and where they glaze them.
But first we were shown where the earth comes from and how they dig it from the ground, crush it and get it ready to make the clay.
Next we visited the Synagogue of Ghriba.
Ghriba or ‘The Stanger’ is the oldest one in North Africa and built by Solomon in 586 BC.
The original Synagogue was destroyed and has been rebuilt over the centuries that followed.
We had a quick visit to a perfumery but as we weren’t buying we moved on. It was the same story at the olive oil factory.
We didn’t last too long at either place.
Over time, many of our tour guides have offered us what’s called ‘An opportunity to buy’. They take you to merchants, they know will always reward them, if you buy something.
It’s just another way to make an extra dollar or two.
Lunch was at El Hamout, a fish restaurant in the centre of town.
Even though there was an extensive menu on offer, our offering was preordained.
We started with, you guessed it, soup. That was followed by a Spring Roll, not a Brick.
The main course was fish, as we were told to expect.
It was all very good but again a huge serve.
One thing we have noticed in the cooking of Tunisian food is the use of spices, they are in everything and they are fantastic.
Cats are everywhere in Tunisia, especially in the cities and towns. They are very evident in restaurants and are always on the scrounge.
After lunch we went walking in the market area and then down to the Turkish quarter.
We were then give half an hour free time, which really meant that Nidhal had something he needed to do.
We finally found a coffee at Cafe Zarah.
We had been told that you couldn’t get a coffee during the day because of Ramadan. However that wasn’t the case, that’s if you are obviously a tourist and manage to find a cafe that was open.
It was then into the car again for a short drive to the Old Jewish Quarter.
This is where the Jews first settled in Djerba and it is really only a tourist attraction, however the head Rabbi still lives in the area.
The biggest attraction here was the street art, which was great and everywhere.
The New Jewish Quarter is closer to the centre of town. It’s a walled compound that’s supposed to keep the Jews safe but probably more to keep them in check.
We then did the final drive of the day to our accommodation for two nights, the Iberostar Selection Eolia Hotel.
This is a five star, luxury resort, right on the southern Mediterranean coast.
What a contrast from our last couple of nights, in a tent and then in a cave.
Still that’s travel, one amazing experience after another.
When we checked in we were given a bracelet to wear. This, apparently, indicated to the staff what level of guest you are.
We were turquoise, whatever that was.
We went down to the very large foyer area and found the bar and got a drink – the first in a couple of nights.
Thea had a rather large glass of white wine and I had a Larger from Celtia.
This was the same beer that I first had in Tunis, however this was a draught.
The hotel foyer was the gathering place for the guests and there were some rather strange looking ones at that.
I think they may have been left over after the filming of the Star Wars series, as they looked rather alien. That wasn’t just their looks but their wardrobe as well.
Come 7:45 and the whole area filled up with more aliens. I think another spaceship must have just landed.
Dinner was a buffet in the largest eating area I have ever seen.
There was a huge choice and the service was great.
Strangely I had to pay for my beer and red wine, while Thea was never charged for her white.
However, the prices aren’t high, in fact they are very low. For a glass of wine and a beer we only paid A$7.50.
But also what is really good, is that the beer and the wine is all from Tunisia.
We are having a day off tomorrow and it will be rather good to get a bit of time to ourselves.
It’s also fortuitous, as I have work to do for Bravo Tango Bravo.
The biggest challenge tomorrow is getting our washing done. It’s been well over a week since we washed our clothes and we need to get them clean.
Some aliens
Saturday March 07. Djerba.
Today we get a day off and what better place to spend it, than a seaside resort hotel.
However, when I got outside, I realised that it really wasn’t warm at all. In fact it was only 18°C.
That certainly didn’t deter the pool goers, they were all stripped down and trying to get as much sun as they possibly could.
I guess there is no point spending a lot of money on a holiday like this, without going back home with a good tan.
We went for a walk along the beach and found that our hotel was certainly the busiest and the largest.
Most of the tourists had come from Europe and were trying to get away from the last of the winter.
The dress code at the Hotel was shorts and T-shirts and no one was wearing anything other than that – apart from bathers around the pool.
This is very different to what is worn out in the streets, where everyone is covered up.
Most of that can be attributed to modesty, especially, during Ramadan.
Last night‘s dinner and breakfast today were all buffets, which is really good, as you get choose what you want.
At one point I was approached by the hotel photographer, who seemed very impressed by my wide angle lens. He grabbed the camera from me, opened it up and tried to get it working.
Then he wanted to know the price – strange!
In the middle of the afternoon I got a coffee in the lobby and the aliens were out again. There were a few more humanoids but still a lot from other planets.
The hotel is certainly set up for kids and there are a lot of them around, both humanoid and alien.
Even the hotel grounds are full of Date Palms, like most of Tunisia.
After a very relaxed day, we are looking forward to pre dinner drink and then a selection from the ‘Grande Buffet’.
When I ordered our drinks and went to put them on our tab, the barman told me that there was no charge.
He then told me I had to go to reception and get our bracelets changed from turquoise to red.
Apparently, today we’ve been upgraded from half board to full board.
I have no idea why.
Free booze tonight, I had better be careful.
It was 6:30pm when we were in the bar and the aliens were gathering, in large numbers, outside the restaurant.
Strange, as it didn’t open until 7:00pm.
Around the Iberostar Selection Dar El Andalous Hotel
Sunday March 08. Djerba to El Djem then to Sousse.
Our hotel is huge, so we asked reception how many guests did they have? We were told there are currently 538 guests in the hotel, which has a maximum of 600.
Today we are heading north, partly on the coast road, back towards Tunis.
It will be a long day in the Peugeot.
Our trip north took us along a multi lane freeway, the A1, that was in very good condition. We were travelling through quite a sandy environment, that was peppered with olive groves along the way.
To add a bit of drama to our drive, we were pulled over by a group of heavily armed coppers for a license check.
We arrived in El Djem right on 1pm.
Time for lunch at the Julius Hotel.
It was a long drive, as we left about 8:30am and only had a couple of short breaks along the way.
The meal was huge and we were back again, eating on our own.
We felt like a coffee so ordered one from the hotel. It seemed to take forever to come and then we discovered that the coffee machine hadn’t been turned on. It would take a while before it actually did, as it needed to warm up.
Then we realised, Muslims don’t drink coffee during Ramadan, therefore the machine wasn’t on at all.
Our first stop, after lunch, was to the magnificent Colosseum, which is world’s 3rd largest and whose only rival is the one in Rome.
Then to the archaeological museum, which is another World Heritage Site.
Again we had the pleasure of viewing countless beautifully preserved mosaics.
El Djem has one of the finest collections of Roman ruins anywhere in the world and another UNESCO World Heritage Site.
El Djem is the largest colosseum in North Africa, with a huge amphitheatre that could hold up to 35,000 spectators.
After our Roman adventure it was a relatively short drive (45 minutes) to Sousse, our stop for the night.
But before we checked into the hotel we had a short walk around the Sousse Medina.
Our hotel was another Iberostar. This one the Iberostar Selection Dar El Andalous Hotel.
In many ways it was similar to last night’s hotel. However it was older and not as spacious.
Also the clientele wasn’t as Alien and the Poms were the dominant species.
Damm it, we got the turquoise wrist bands, not the red, so we are paying for our drinks.
Once we went to the restaurant for dinner, I realised just how wrong I was about the Aliens.
They were everywhere.
The whole tourist experience here is so different to anything we’ve ever seen. Whether it be Bali, Vanuatu or Fiji, this is nothing like it.
Even though we didn’t have the red wrist tags, the waiters kept on filling our glasses up.
There seemed to be no choice of wines, just red or white, or if you wanted, a beer, just what was there.
Apparently any drinks we had over dinner, weren’t charge to our room, we just got them free, well not free, just part of our package.
The Mausoleum of Sousse
Monday March 09. Sousse to Monastir then to Hammamet.
Today will be our last day with Nidhal and Achraf as they will leave us in Hammamet tonight.
We will then be on our own, apart from another driver to take us to Tunis and then to the airport on Thursday.
But first we will do some sightseeing in Sousse.
Unfortunately it was overcast and there was heavy grey cloud everywhere – not favourable to good photography.
As we drove back into the centre of town, I realised that many of the people in Sousse must be quite well off, judging by the number of luxury car showrooms along the way.
Our first stop was the historic Ribat of Monastir, a fortress overlooking the sea.
It was originally founded in 796AD and then expanded in 966AD. More was added between the 11th and 19th Centuries.
Next was the Mausoleum of Sousse, home to the body of the first President,
Habib Bourguiba (1903 – 2000). He was Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tunisia from 1956 to 1957 and then the first President from 1957 till 1987.
Apart from the president, his entire family are also buried here.
I get the feeling that our guide Nidhal will appear in a lot of our photographs, as he has the annoying habit of striding ahead of us and is always in the frame of the shot we want to take.
Now we are off, heading north to Hammamet.
Our first stop was to visit the International Cultural Centre of Hammamet.
Within the grounds was Villa Sebastian, home of George Sebastian.
George Sebastian was a Rumanian Architect and his wife, Flora, was an American artist.
He was described as a Dandy, which is evident by the number of images of him around the villa, which he designed.
Frank Lloyd Wright is said to have claimed that the Dar Sebastian was the most beautiful house he had ever seen.
Apart from Wright, other dignitaries visited Dar Sebastian, such as Winston Churchill and Dwight Eisenhower.
We then went to the outdoor Amphitheatre, that was built in 1964.
It’s a public venue but built on land donated by the Sebastian Estate, which is now owned by the government.
From there we drove to the centre of Hammamat and walked around the Medina.
It was a labyrinth of small alleyways.
I purchased a Tee for me and one for Ronan but our guide wasn’t happy.
I thought he felt that we were paying too much for the Tees, but then we discovered later that it was probably because he wasn’t getting a kick back.
The reason I suspected this is because we kept on walking round and round the Medina and finally came back to the store where we bought the Tees. He went inside and had a chat and I got a feeling he did get his kick back then.
Nidhal couldn’t find us a place to have lunch so we decided to abandon it and just go back to the hotel.
Apparently it had become increasingly difficult to get lunch in town during the day. This was because the President, Kais Saied, had decided that too many restaurants were open outdoors and this was upsetting the locals during Ramadan.
We then drove to our hotel the Royal Azur and checked in.
We said goodbye to Nidhal and Achraf and gave them a parting ‘gift’.
At the hotel we were again ‘branded’ with a wristband and again it was turquoise. This indicated that we were half board and therefore had to pay for our drinks.
It didn’t work very well last night, as all the drinks we had in the restaurant were free.
Well, we didn’t pay for them.
The only ones we paid for were in the bar, before dinner.
It was only 3:00pm, so time to have a relaxing afternoon.
Our room had a wonderful view overlooking the pool and the sea beyond. However the room did have a rather interesting approach to the bathroom. There was a window from the bathroom into the main bedroom.
In the hotel last night, there was a similar arrangement, but it was frosted glass and you couldn’t really see people bathing while you were in the bedroom. Our bedroom here is very different. The glass is clear, so everything is on view.
Any personal privacy has literally, gone out the window, so to speak.
I get the feeling that our sightseeing in Sousse this morning was cut a bit short as there seems to be a few things on our original agenda that we haven’t seen.
This makes sense as Nidhal’s family live in Sousse and I’m sure he wanted to get back to them early this afternoon.
However we did get to see a few sites that weren’t on our agenda. So maybe I’m wrong and everything was above board.
We will never know.
Nidhal was good in one respect, as he was always looking to get me a coffee.
We hit the bar at 6:00 to have a pre dinner drink.
I had a local draught Larger from Celtia. Whereas the previous night I was drinking Heineken.
Thea, as usual, had a white.
Dinner would be in the buffet, which was great as we could eat as little or as much as we wanted.
Olives are served with everything, which isn’t surprising considering the number of olive groves we have seen on our travels.
There were a few Aliens at dinner but not as many as we have seen in previous nights.
I think this was because our hotel wasn’t right on the beach and the weather was rather cool.
Dinner was much the same as the previous nights, however the food wasn’t as good.
Strangely, we had to pay for booze at the bar but it was gratis in the restaurant.
Also, the beer came in a very small glass while Thea’s white wine was in a rather large glass?
Why is that?
This was the same as last night.
Also, what was similar, was that the hotel had an entertainer. Tonight was a guy on an electronic organ, last night was a girl on a Saxophone.
The performer tonight was just like the crooner, Sam, played by Arthur “Dooley” Wilson (1886 – 1953) from Rick‘s café in the movie Casablanca.
He was fantastic.
Around the Royal Azur Hotel
Tuesday March 10. Hammamet.
We have another day off today, which is great because it’ll give us time to prepare for our next big adventure to Morocco.
As there really isn’t much to do, I think we’ll just hang around the hotel and chill out.
We had a late breakfast and much the same as last night, none of the food was really up to the standard of our previous hotel.
After breakfast, we had a wander around the hotel, just to get a feeling of what it was really like. What we did discover was there are in fact five swimming pools, including one on the beach that also has a spa.
The beach pool and spa actually uses seawater that’s pumped in, how fantastic.
Then I discovered another pool, this one was for kids.
That makes six pools in total.
There is also an indoor pool just in case you don’t want to go outside.
There were a number of people outside, all stripped down trying to attract the sun that wasn’t there.
We felt rather overdressed in our jumpers and long pants, while everyone else didn’t have many clothes on at all.
The kids pool was about the only sign that they actually welcome children here. This is in real contrast to the hotel we were at in Sousse, which had all sorts of facilities, including a well fitted out playground.
This is very evident when you look around the hotel and see that there are very few children at all.
A mystery solved.
We wondered why, that on the first day in our hotel in Sousse we had turquoise wristbands but then on our second day were given red ones.
This is because on the second day we were upgraded from half board to full board.
The same thing happened here today, we were suddenly given new wristbands and found that we were now full board, so everything is included.
The reason for our upgrade is that our bookings were for two separate nights.
We arrived late on our first night and therefore couldn’t make use of the facilities. Whereas on the second day we were there all day, for breakfast, lunch and dinner and had everything at our disposal.
This was an economic decision made by our tour operators.
Quite smart really.
The bold red flag of Tunisia is everywhere. The design is so striking, I thought that it must be quite contemporary.
I was wrong, as the original design was created in 1831 and on 1 June 1959, it was proclaimed the state flag of the Republic of Tunisia. This was just three years after they gained independence in 1956.
We had a very light lunch at the hotel then headed back to our room to sort a few things out.
Cam and Fran, the son and his wife of my mate Rob, have suddenly found that they needed some emergency digs and asked if they could use our apartment.
Their house renovations have been brought forward, so they need to move out.
This needs a bit of organising, as we really didn’t leave our apartment ready for guests.
No matter, it was relatively easy.
I went for another walk late in the day and, would you believe it, I found two more heated pools and a spa. These ones were in a separate building.
Thats eight pools in total.
This hotel would certainly be no good if you didn’t like swimming.
I didn’t take my camera with me on this last walk, so no snaps of the extra pools.
Tomorrow we are completing our tour of Tunisia and heading back to Tunis.
It has been a great and varied adventure covering culture, history and experiences.
The drinks mystery continues.
We had a pre-dinner drink at the bar and then went in to have dinner at the restaurant. We were then chases by one of the barmen who said; “Oh you have to pay”. We thought our new wristbands would give us free drinks at the bar, but apparently not.
We only get them in the restaurant, which is what happened last night.
So nothing is really changed, apart from the fact that we could have had lunch, which we really didn’t want.
We did finish off the meal with dates. They are fantastic and they’re everywhere and you never have a problem getting them with a meal.
I guess the country does rely on them.
At the end of the night, we did learn how to beat the system. If we ordered a drink in the restaurant, it was free and then we could take it to the bar and we didn’t have to pay for it.
Sculpture on the Marsa waterfront
Wednesday March 11. Hammamet to Tunis.
This is our last full day in Tunisia, as we head to Morocco tomorrow.
It will be a quiet morning, as we don’t get picked up from the hotel until noon.
We will then drive back to Tunis for our last night.
I’ve been using my Olympus camera most of the time on this trip. It’s better quality and has a variety of lenses.
This meant that my small Sony camera hasn’t been used much at all.
I took it out last night, to take a few photos around the foyer of the hotel. But when I went into the bag, I realise the battery was missing.
I panicked.
We figured that there was about 100% chance of not getting it back.
However, after breakfast, I did go to reception and asked if anyone had handed it in.
To my surprise, the receptionist smiled, and said yes and then went and found it – how amazing.
Tonight we will be staying at the Dar El Kif Boutique Hotel.
We have only paid for breakfast tomorrow, so I guess we will need to seek out somewhere for dinner tonight.
Tunisia, both as a country and a society has been a real eye-opener.
Their government is a liberal democracy and seems to be open to all.
They produced so much here that I was really surprised. Apart from the wine and the beer, so many other things are also manufactured in this country.
Apart from vehicles, I didn’t see a ‘Made in the PRC’ anywhere.
Then theres their road system. Certain parts were not too great but a lot of the time, especially on the highways, it was excellent.
We could learn a lot from how they do it in Australia.
We arrived at our lodgings at just after 1:00pm and checked into the Dar El Kif Boutique Hotel.
Our hotel was once a rather grand house owned by the Bey family.
The Beys family ruled Tunisia from 1613, when the Corsican-origin Muradid dynasty came to power, until independence in 1957.
This is in a seaside town, in Marsa, that’s north, east of Tunis.
There was time for a walk, so we headed into the centre of town.
First stop was the market. It was rather small compared to some we have visited but the produce looked great.
We then had a great coffee at Grignotine and got chatting to a couple of the locals. They were delightful guys who really wanted to have a talk and wanted to know about Australia.
One was the medical student and the other a professor of veterinary science.
We had our coffee inside, because they can’t serve it outside during Ramadan.
No wonder the cafe was crowded.
Inside and out, cats were everywhere.
Street cats seem to have a special place in Tunisia, much the same as they do In Istanbul in Turkey.
People don’t mind them and even encourage them.
We discovered the similarity with Turkey in a BBC article entitled; ‘Catstanbul: Inside the city where cats rule the streets.’
We then found a place for dinner and booked a table. This is a resort hotel so should serve booze.
Our hotel is more a guesthouse house and no dinner was available.
Then we walked down to the beach area where we came across the Koubet El Haoua (The Dome of the air) this was once was a royal summer residence.
Unfortunately it is now just a ruin.
This was built by the same Bey family that built the house our hotel is in.
We also visited a Bey family home in Side Bou Said, back at the start of our journey.
It was starting to get a little fresh so we returned to hotel and planned how to get back to the Spa Hotel for dinner.
Dinner was great and we decided to go à la carte, as the fixed menus was only offering things we had done before.
We have had enough Soup, Bricks and oversized main courses.
Thea went for the Lamb and I chose the Seafood Spaghetti, as we were very close to the sea and the market seafood looked great.
This turned out to be one of our most expensive meals.
At $130 it almost matched what we pay at the pub at Brighton Beach.
Thursday March 12. Tunis, to Casablanca, Morocco.
Our room in this quaint old home was pleasant enough, however some things just didn’t work well.
The bathroom, containing a toilet, wash basin and shower that was smaller than many toilets areas that we have had.
This tiny area was all behind a largish door that could barely open because the room was overcrowded.
Then there was the hot water this morning. It didn’t work, so no shower today.
We are off to Morocco today, so Part 1 of our North African adventure is just about over.
Morocco will be another blog, Part 2.
However there was still one last hurdle to overcome.
A driver, organised by the travel agent, was meant to pick us up from the hotel and take us to the airport.
However he didn’t show, so we got a cab.
The upside was that it only cost A$9, so it didn’t break the bank.
This first part of our African adventure had been over 30 hours of driving, with more than 2,000km travelled.
