Month: April 2025

We decided to spend our last day with Madeleine and Erin in Sousse at the Medina. Of course we first needed to start the day with a cup of coffee and a cuddle or two with the kittens.

We took the train up to Sousse, and on the way had the chance to see the flamingoes that live in the salt pans on the outskirts of Monastir.

We went back to the Museum of Archaeology to see all the mosaics, had a lovely rooftop lunch, and then wandered through the Medina.

We took them back to the shop that we had found last fall (and where we had then bought a rug) so the girls could buy mosaics to take home. The store owner remembered me and knew to pull out the rugs, especially the old tajira that I had admired before (a ruby colored bridal shawl with embroidered intricate patterns). Though I continuously walked away (I can’t buy a big rug for our small boat….), he kept pulling me back and dropping the price (….but we do have a house). His starting cost was 3,000 dinar ($1,000 USD), but I hesitated walking away when he got down to 600 dinar ($200). Trip pointed out that I had a birthday coming up (and I’m not the easiest to shop for), so I pulled out the credit card and we started planning for where in the house the rug will go.

We headed back to Monastir and decided to enjoy a final round of drinks on the terrace of the Regency Hotel. And then just like that, they were gone, flying back to the US. Why do these wonderful visits always pass so quickly?

We were lucky enough to book a trip into the desert by camel with a local company recommended by friends. Nasir met us in the main square and took us to his house, where we left our car and got ready for the adventure. An hour later we were saddling up for our first ever camel trek into the Sahara.

Nasir’s business is one run by the whole family, with an uncle along on the trek, and his parents and brother at the camp where we stayed for the night. Most treks go to permanent outposts with restaurants and proper rooms. Nasir’s family moves every season as the sands shift, and camp near the best dunes (lucky for us, though a bit of a climb). He told us what it was like to grow up in and near the desert, what it was like to try to procur camels, how to care for the animals, and what the future of the desert was (bleak, thanks to climate change). Madeleine was so enchanted she was ready to stay, and Nasir was ready to trade 3 camels and 5 sheep for Farmer Madeleine (it helped that she was insanely good at social media and he would have hired her for that alone).

We could have stayed in one of the troglodyte hotels in Matmata, but friends Chris and Christine had recommended a different place just down the road in Tamezret. Auberge de Tamezret is an unlikely posh little boutique hotel in the middle of a tiny village. It’s expensive by Tunisian standards, but the rooms are exquisitely decorated and the stay includes a gourmet dinner and breakfast in the original ‘cave’ part of the house.

It was blowing like crazy when we picked up the car and headed south into the dessert. At one point it started raining, but just a little, but enough to smear the Sahara sand onto the windshield (of course there was no windshield wiper fluid). We pulled over and poured a bottle of water over the windshield, only to wind up with the same situation 5 minutes later. We pulled into a gas station, where they charged us 2 dinar (20 cents) to toss a bucket of dirty water over the windshield (Tunisian car wash?) and 10 dinar ($3) to top off the windshield wiper fluid reservoir. We were back on the road headed to Matmata.

Matmata is famous for the Berber style houses, referred to as troglodytes, built directly into the earth. The design is perfect for keeping things warm in the winter and the brutal sun out in the summer. It’s also famous as it was here that George Lucas filmed Star Wars. The now Hotel Sidi Driss was a filming location for Luke Skywalker’s aunt and uncle’s home on Tatooine. It’s totally cheesy, but a must see for someone like myself who grew up on Star Wars.

We had the chance then to see another Berber troglodyte home that was turned into a museum. My French is limited, but it was good enough to understand the tour guide as she showed us each room.

Matmata was the site of bombing during World War I, and the museum has a collection of memorabilia from that time.

I’m always fascinated by all things food, and we got to see the circular stones that were used to grind semolina wheat, which is used to make couscous, one of the staples of Tunisian cuisine.

It was spring break in New Jersey so Madeleine and Erin were coming to visit and we couldn’t wait to show them Tunisia. So of course we started with a typical Tunisian breakfast with zero calories…(not).

The obvious places to visit right in town were the mausoleum of President Bourguiba and the Ribat.

While Trip did boat projects, the three of us hiked out to the end of the peninsula and explored the Roman ruins.

We had heard great things about the restaurant Le Roi de Cous Cous, and we weren’t disappointed. We sat out front enjoying the sunny day, Trip with a meat medley and myself with grilled fish over more Cous Cous than anyone could eat in a single sitting.

A beautiful mama and her seven kittens were curled up inside. I’m guessing she was the restaurant cat as that she looked really well fed and had no competition. I love how creative animals can be for finding place to raise their little ones.

Tunisians don’t celebrate Easter, but there was no harm in us doing so. I had learned the natural way of dying eggs in Montenegro last year, and decided to repeat it all for everyone. The plants weren’t as interesting for adding images, but I substituted herbs (fennel fronds and parsley were perfect), and it all worked out really well. Onion skins gave an orange tone, cabbage produced a blue tone, and beets gave a surprisingly muted red hue.

Boats were starting to leave for the season, but that didn’t stop our Sunday BBQ. Even when we lost our usual courtyard one day, we improvised and sat under one of the more beautiful murals at the marina.

As the seasons changed some of the grilling options changed as well. Cruisers got adventurous at the market and always turned up with something tasty to go on the grill.

And a group of local students began the latest mural at the marina. This one was being done in the style of a Roman mosaic, but via paint. It was fun to watch the mural grow over the weeks.