Tunisia-Med-Sahara Day 4

Day 10-05 - Thursday, March 19, 2009 - Cross Cap Bon/Explore Hammamet/Travel to Sousse

Today was a travel day so we had to have our bags out at 8:00. There were many smokers at breakfast this morning so the hostess helped us to find a non-smoking table.

It was chilly again today, the temperature was 53º and humidity was 78% when we went out to the bus at 8:30. We had to identify our luggage; a great security feature that Khamis has asked us to do. Better to check twice and be sure!

When we were a few blocks from the hotel, Margo remembered she has left her coat in the closet at the hotel. We turned around and went back to retrieve it. Back on the road at 8:54, we headed out of town through the industrial area of the city.

In route to Sousse, we went in a southeasterly direction. There was definitely a European influence in the architecture with the red tiled roofs.

Wine, table grapes, and oranges are the primary agricultural products. Fishing and tourism are the major sources of economic development.

After the French were forced to leave Tunisia in the 1960's, the new Tunisian government bought the land from the French government.

The French farmers were paid off and the Tunisian government ran the farms for about 5 years. After that socialistic failure, the cooperatives were abandoned and in the 1970 the government encouraged private enterprise.

We made a brief photo stop to take a picture of the city monument of the architecture and iron work decorations typical of this city of Dar Chaabane.

The first discovery of the morning was to stop at a large stone center to see the process of the masons. As soon as we got off the bus, the young men quickly asked our names and went right to work carving our names in the marble in both Arabic and in English. What enterprising salesmen - when you see your name carved in stone, you hand over the 5 dinars.

We had an opportunity to make a brief stop in the village square where we walked around to marvel at the beautiful blue tiles and carved stone work.

The next adventure was a walking tour of the small city of Nabeul. We began our trek with the old city market where all of the locals buy their daily needs. The stalls of spices were the highlight followed by the fresh fruits and vegetables.

We continued on to the vendors market and made a rest stop at a small café. While Khamis had a cup of coffee, we shared a Coke; some people shopped and continued looking for bargains.

I had an opportunity to sit and talk with the owner of the café who told me tourism was way down this year because of the economy. Even if there are people in the streets, they are buying very little.

At noon we met Riadh again and continued to follow the coast line another 10 kilometers until we reached Hammamet a stunning Mediterranean town. The homes were all white-washed inside the two story rubble walled city.

Our stroll through the medina gave us an opportunity to look around and take photos. We visited the Museum des Hammamet to see the gorgeous Tunisian costumes of the past centuries.

We climbed to the top of the building to get a fantastic view of the sea at the Gulf of Hammamet. The fort was used by the Turks, the Spanish, then the Turks again, and then by the French Foreign Legion.

We had a very nice lunch at Hammamet at the Dar Lella Restaurant. Our starter salad was chopped fennel, grated carrots, tomatoes and hot peppers, and cabbage with a light vinegar sauce.

The main course was two long thin green peppers stuffed with a chicken mixture in a tomato sauce followed by a deep fried cookie almost like a Fig Newton dipped in honey.

We left the restaurant at 2:45 and then Riadh took us on a short tour of the exclusive beach side hotels frequented by the rich and famous. Built in the style of an old medina, this modern resort calls the wealthy from all over the world.

At 3:30 we made a brief comfort break at a Truck Stop, Cafeteria, & Convenience Store. We are getting these stops down to a science, in and out, and get back in to the bus and be on our way.

Our next learning and discovery was a visit to the home of the Hamdi Family in the small town of Chott Merrim. We met Titanilla, the mother, and her two children Fatma and Mourad. Tilla came here 15 years ago as a tourist from Hungary and met her future husband.

She told us about her life, their marriage, the new home they just completed, and about the customs in the Muslim community from the view of an outsider. Fatma was shy but gave us a look into her life as a young person from two cultures.

We were able to ask a few questions and she was very gracious in answering in her perfect English. The children speak Arabic, English and French that they learn in school and also Hungarian that they learn from their mother.

We took a few photos and then thanked them for their hospitality. At almost 6:00pm we started for the nearby town of Sousse and our hotel.

As we drove into Sousse we saw the huge hotels and new construction. Very elegant hotels are located in this growing ocean resort community.

There was a lot of confusion as we tried to get our room assignments and finally found our room. The Internet is very expensive and limited so we will do the best we can with communication.

We met for our walk to dinner at 7:30 and had wonderful meal at La Caleche, just two blocks from our hotel. Gennie had a very nice steak and I had the red snapper. We ate with Ed from Indiana and Dan from New York and enjoyed our stimulating conversation.

While Gennie finished the journal, I battled the clogged sink and the broken shower. With all of the hotels in this beautiful seaside town, we were not impressed with the Sousse Palace.

Accommodations: Sousse Palace Hotel - - - Meals: B, L, D

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Day 13: Azores & Madeira: Portugal's Unspoiled Archipelagos

Island Beauties

Island Beauties

Island Beauties

Island Beauties

Island Beauties

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Day 13 - Saturday, April 22, 2022 - Depart for U.S.

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