Monday, October 26, 2009

From Tunisia with love



Me and my husband celebrated our 10th anniversary on the ninth of October. And to crown the event we went on our second honeymoon to Tunisia. It was a wonderful journey and even more wonderful experience. We were truly enchanted by the surreal landscapes, the magnificent architecture, the delicious food and the beautiful music. During those two weeks we went on numerous excursions and trips around the country and we had a wonderful opportunity to really get to know the country and the people, their lifestyle, history, culture and tradition. Starting from today, there will several posts inspired by everything we experienced, enjoyed and learned.
We stayed at the African Queen Hotel in the city of Hammamet. The Mediterranean climate also makes this town desirable and visited all year round. Although being October, the weather was great - sunny and warm (about 25-30 degrees C). Great for traveling the country, sight-seeing and of course - the inevitable shopping.


The core of almost every city in Tunsia are the Medinas or the citadels where the old towns were located in the history and there are still people living in the Medinas.
The outside of the Medina is not as spectacular as it is inside. Inside there is a labyrinth of narrow alleys called souqs.


The inside walls of the medina are white (the walls are whitewashed) with characteristic blue windows framed with wrought iron lattices, 
 


tiled or wooden doorframes and heavily decorated doors.

The living quarters are in alleys intertwining with the ones with shops and although it sounds as if one might get lost - the Medina is quite easy for navigation.




The souqs are tourist-oriented and filled with many little shops selling souvenirs: from Berber fabric and ceramic dishes, to mosaics, typical souvenirs, leather bags and clothing and even spices. The shops are lively with vivid and vibrant colours attracting one's sight.

Haggling is also an inevitable part of conducting business in the Medina where the shops with fixed-price are almost non-existant.



We always ended our walks around Hammamet or the Medina in the Medina Cafe - which is a story for itself and I strongly believe that it deserves a post of its own.

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