We are staying just under the island of Djebra, which, at 514 km², is about twice the size of Malta and is the largest island in North Africa. It’s about a 40-minute drive from us, and there are several ways to get there. You can fly there; it has Tunisia’s second-largest airport. It can also be reached by small ferries that run between several destinations in the north. Finally, there is a narrow 7.5km Roman causeway, built in the second century, which links it to the mainland, and that’s the route we took. We got onto the island just after noon and decided to head north.

Our first stop was at the 14th-century Fadhloun Mosque, a curious-looking piece of architecture with its different-sized domes. As it sits on the high point in the small town, it was also used as a lookout and bastion in wars of the past. It’s even rumored to have given George Lucas inspiration for the Star Wars sets. From there, we took a quick glance at Houmt Souk, the capital, saving it for another time, as we wanted to visit El Ghriba, Africa’s oldest synagogue.

El Ghriba was founded at the time of the destruction of the First or Second Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, around 586 BCE, and it contains a stone from the temple. Today, the synagogue, which was rebuilt in the 19th century, has a colorful wooden interior that exudes a calming and serene atmosphere. To highlight its importance in the Jewish world, a pilgrimage takes place here every May.

Djebrahood is an open gallery of sorts, where artists from across the world were invited to contribute to a project adorning the entire small village with murals. It’s already a beautiful little village, filled with artisan shops, and the murals only enhance its charm. We spent a relaxed day in Djebra, with minimal driving, which I was happy about.

We couldn’t leave Djebra without stopping by Obi-Wan’s house, although not signposted, we found it isolated not far from the sea. Despite its slightly worn appearance, it still stood strong, and we couldn’t help but smile when we peeked inside to discover a lively mothers meeting in full swing!

We set off mid-morning for a journey from the east of the country across to the western side next to the desert border, to visit Tozeur and a few other sites we were excited about seeing. We picked up the main P1 highway, which took us up to Gabes, there we peeled off and headed west. We started the journey with the familiar olive trees neatly lined up either side, but the further west we drove, the olive trees were slowly replaced by huge swathes of date palms. The further we went the more the landscape changed, becoming more arid. I’m guessing that the desert winds had a lot to do with it.

At just over halfway into the journey we were joined by the wonderful Atlas Mountains that stretch across all of North Africa. The final 100km stretch linking Kebili to Tozeur took us along a thin strip of road through the middle of Chott el Djerid, a salt pan, which stretches some 250kms and is pretty stunning. After just over 400kms and nearly 5 hours in the car we arrived in Tozeur, an oasis, boasting over 400 thousand palms. We had tried to book a place to stay on route, but the 3G signal we had, we dedicated solely to google maps. So we decided over a late lunch that we would spend the night at the Dar Horchani, which sits on its own palm oasis, about a 20 minute drive out of town. When we arrived we were met by the owner, who warmly welcomed us proudly showing us around the place, emphasising that all of the materials used were local and ethically sourced. The lodges themselves were made from recycled palm trees. Despite there being 25 unique rooms, we were fortunate to be the only guests staying in our small, comfortable intimate suite that night. We enjoyed a delicious dinner of local dishes in an private setting and took a final stroll around the property before turning in for the night.

The following morning, after stretching and a quick breakfast, we hit the road again early. Our first stop was Chebika, Tunisia’s first oasis. It was formed by an earthquake that created a canyon with an extraordinary natural spring. We also found it intriguing to discover fossilized shells halfway up the gorge, suggesting the presence of a body of water in the past. The view across the mountains was awe-inspiring, reminding us of the beauty of our planet. Chebika provided a tranquil and serene atmosphere. Next stop was to the other side of Naftah, it’s about 100 kms from Chebika the gateway to the Sahara and next to the Algerian border. We sought to find “Lars Homestead,” the iconic building used as Luke Skywalker’s house in one of the very first scenes of the original “Star Wars” film, “A New Hope” (1977). As mentioned in an earlier post, although the film was shot extensively in southern Tunisia, most of the locations have long been abandoned, and directions to reach them are not readily available, which we agreed we were actually quite pleased about. The only recognizable landmark we had was a large ranch-style property, which we still managed to miss. After stopping by the road near the ranch, we learned that the homestead was 2.5 km off-road, across Chott el Djerid, and not visible from the road. With temperatures reaching around 35 degrees Celsius (regularly exceeding 50 degrees Celsius in the area), walking the distance would have meant a 5 km round trip, assuming we were heading in the right direction. There was no one else around, and the mobile signal was patchy at best, as I discovered on my way back from a quick scouting mission. However, I noticed some tire tracks that appeared to be dry and firm, indicating recent travel, but I had no idea of where and how far they went and stepping off it would have risked our car getting stuck in the greasy mud with no traction. Despite these challenges common sense had deserted us both, we decided to take the car along the track and see what fate had in store for us. Driving very slowly armed only with blind faith and some dogged determination we set off and after what seemed like ages, but was probably only 10 minutes or so, it began to appear in the distance like a mirage, we were like a couple of excited kids again seeking and touching this piece of iconic memorabilia. After taking some pics and gawping at it for a while longer, we carefully retraced our tracks and made it back to the road and the start of our 500km journey back to Zarzis. A fantastic trip!

It has been a month since our arrival in Mahdia, and it was time for us to move on. We had made arrangements with our new host for a car to pick us up and embark on the long journey south. Late Saturday morning, after packing all our luggage, shopping, and kitchen supplies (we’ve learned it’s best to stock up on essentials when we arrive in a new place), we set off on our Tunisian adventure with Omar, our getaway driver for this 400 km leg of the trip.

The first hour and a half was a white knuckle ride through backstreets, eventually leading us to the country’s main highway, which saw us race through the now familiar olive groves Strangely at pretty much the mid-point, the sky appeared to darken without any clouds in sight. By the time we reached the toll booth at Gabes, we found ourselves in the midst of a sandstorm. The biting winds from the west were carrying Sahara sands across our path, and this continued for the remainder of our four and a half journey until we reached Zarzis.

Zarzis is a smaller town than Mahdia and is located below the small island of Djebra, about 200 km from Tripoli. As I mentioned in an earlier post, we have been experiencing stormy weather with strong winds here in Tunisia and upon our arrival, we found the cleaning team at the villa re-cleaning due to the windows not being properly closed before the night before storm hit. After an early dinner at a restaurant, we returned to the villa to settle in. It is situated directly opposite the beach, offering spacious outdoor areas and a vibrant garden. I love the ornate doors around the property they’re very authentic. Additionally, all the doors and windows have an arched design, which may hold some significance. In Tunisia, the blue color of the doors and windows symbolizes peace and tranquility. The inside’s a bit eclectic though….it’s like moving through different periods in history!

The winter in North Africa was exceptionally dry, impacting not only the local population but also the European food chain, which heavily relies on North African produce during the winter months. The water shortage is a stark reality here, with the supply being turned off every evening at 8 pm and not restored until just after 6 am. While it was initially uncomfortable, it’s remarkable how quickly one adjusts and gains a deeper appreciation for the preciousness of water. Therefore, the rain we’ve experienced over the past 10 days or so, has been greatly welcomed.

During one of the dry weather windows, we decided to visit Sousse, located about 60 km from Mahdia, which took us roughly an hour and 45 minutes on the small tram. We arrived under threatening skies and made our way up through the 11th-century Kasbah to the Sousse Archeological Museum, a small yet wonderfully curated museum primarily showcasing Roman mosaics depicting gods and mythical creatures from the 2nd and 3rd centuries. We were particularly impressed by the Bekalta baptismal font of Byzantine origin. Afterward, we wandered down through the medina to the port and tried out a recommended restaurant, which unfortunately turned out to be a disappointment. However, such experiences are all part of the journey.

We made our way to the easternmost point of Africa, known as Cap D’Afrique. Here, we explored the remnants of a Roman port that later became the center and birthplace of the Fatimid dynasty. Overlooking the port on the hillside, we discovered an ancient cemetery where all the graves were uniformly white, with the same level of detail, symbolising the absence of distinction between rich and poor, there’s also a small basin on each, designed to collect rainwater for birds and small animals, which I thought was wonderful.

El Jem is located inland, to the west of us, and the only ways to get there are either as part of a tour or by taxi, as the amphitheater is located in an isolated small town. Since I preferred to see it through my own eyes rather than through a guide’s, we had to take our chances with a cab. We went into town to look for the safest and comfiest looking car we could find for the hour and fifteen-minute drive and got into the back of Habib’s bright yellow cab. All of the taxis here are yellow. The road out to El Jem was a stretch of tarmac that wound its way through the ochre landscape, passing through occasional hamlets.

Upon arriving, we caught our first glimpse of the sheer size of the colosseum: built in the early 3rd Century, the colosseum is the second-largest in the world (after Rome’s). It is 149m long by 124m wide, with three tiers of seating 30m high, with seating capacity for up to 35,000 people. Today, it’s used as a classical and jazz concert venue. Our driver had to drop us off away from the entrance, which meant that we had to walk around the outside of the structure to enter.

I’m always in complete awe of these incredible buildings that, after almost two millennia, are still standing and largely intact. As you walk into the coliseum and look around, you get a sense of how a gladiator might have felt as he waited to see what he had to defend himself against to save his life, all while the crowds were vying for his blood. This colosseum is unusual in that you can walk through many of the passageways that would have held beasts and prisoners alike before being led out to the arena. You can’t help but try to imagine what the noise and expectation of the 35,000 spectators whipped up into a frenzy would have sounded like.

We spent a couple of hours walking around this incredible place. We would have stayed longer if it weren’t for the fact that we had agreed with our getaway driver to meet him at a certain time for our harum-scarum trip back into Madia.

Rachel and I are constantly striving to live our best lives, and we’re feeling pretty good about things. Our daily routine begins early with yoga and meditation for me and high-intensity interval training (HIT) for Rach, followed by a bracing morning swim in the sea. But it’s not just about exercise and fitness for us; we take the time to appreciate the beauty around us during our daily beach walks. We feel truly blessed to be able to experience it all together.

Cabs can be a bit hit and miss here, so we decided to walk into town and take the tram in to Monastir. It’s about an hour and fifteen minutes north and carves through the parched ochre landscape, with nothing but those fantastic old olive trees, guiding the way. Upon arrival it should have been a short walk through the Medina to get to the Ribat, but due to a map-reading error on my part, we got off a couple of stops early and ended up taking a cab anyway.

We arrived at the impressive fortress built in the late 8th century, one of several scattered across the top of Africa, this one was used to accommodate fighters and religious students and serve as early warning systems from Morocco to Egypt, for would-be invader’s. Although we had seen a couple of impressive Ribat’s in Morocco, this one was particularly awe-inspiring. It’s situated right next to a stunning beach, an expansive cemetery, and it looks like a big sandcastle! As you enter, you find yourself in an open area that leads off to upper levels with what we assume were religious dwellings and a prayer rooms. You can also walk along the fortress walls, which provide fantastic views all around. Finally, there’s a watchtower and at the top of 100 very narrow steps up to the crow’s nest.

“The Life of Brian” was also shot between this fortress and the amphitheater at El Jem, which interestingly it’s still banned in certain countries around the world.

We have really enjoyed our time in Carthage and the boundless hospitality of our lovely host Hedia. However, it is time to move on and see what else Tunisia has to offer.

Our comfortable car arrived late Saturday morning for what was to be a 220km journey south. The main highway runs through the middle of the country, unfortunately not along the coastline but through endless olive groves. The older trees look like twisted, gnarled statues, neatly lined up like sentinels. About three hours later, we arrived in Mahdia, which is located on the most easterly peninsula of Tunisia. The crescent bay stretches some 240km up to Kelibia at the top, with a sandy coastline from one end to the other. From our terrace, we have an unobstructed view across the entire panorama, which is simply incredible.

After the holiday weekend (we arrived in the middle of the festival of Eid – post Ramadan), our host was kind enough to take us to the farmers’ and fish markets. Mahdia is known for its fish and both markets are about a 20-minute walk into town.

We have finally made it back into the water, and although it is still pretty cold at first, we soon warm up. The beach is just a 10-metre walk from our apartment and taking a long walk along the beach is the perfect way to start each day. We have not yet had a chance to fully explore the town, but from what we have seen so far, it looks like it is bursting with character.

We completed a tour of our final ancient ruin here in Carthage and wandered the medina and quieter streets of old Tunis, this week.

Our first stop was the Antonine baths, an interesting display of Roman architecture that was built between 145 and 162 A.D. It’s always thought provoking to see how advanced the technology was back then and the basement gave us an insight into the installation that would have run the baths. We continue to be amazed by the ingenuity of these folks.

After the visit to the Antonine baths, we decided to explore the old town of Tunis. We took a taxi directly to Parliament Square and were struck by the tranquil atmosphere, which was enhanced by the fact that the area was pedestrianised. We made our way through the backstreets to Tourbet el Bey, a Tunisian royal mausoleum that was opened in 1777. It was the last resting place of most of the Husainid dynasty rulers of Tunisia, and we were fascinated by the fact that the tombs pre-1921 were marked with a turban, as a headstone and post-1921 with a fez. The mausoleum was bigger than we had expected and had several chambers, which added to the intrigue.

From there, we ventured into the medina, a bustling market filled with artisans creating and selling their wears. It was a friendly place split between the traditional craftsmen and the modern-day stalls selling cheap products that the younger people seemed to be more interested in.

The ornate doors were a standout feature, with imaginative good luck designs, and it was interesting to learn that most of the doors had two or three door knockers, which denoted how many wives the master of the house had.

Sidi Bou Said has been around since the early 12th century when it began as a religious settlement. However, it didn’t become the bohemian paradise it is today until the Husainid dynasty arrived in the early 18th century, bringing and attracting the finest musicians and writers of the time. This laid the foundation for Sidi to be recognized as an international haunt for artists, more about that later.

Sidi Bou Said, like Byrsa, is set high up overlooking the Gulf of Tunis, which means you have to climb through the town to reach the main attraction, the “Palace Dar Nejma Ezzahra”. You enter through a set of large yellow arched doors decorated with typical Tunisian designs. From there, you wander under the shade of cypress trees laced with vibrant bougainvillea and catch glimpses of the sea before reaching a sprawling ranch-style building whitewashed with blue shutters, doors, and accents (all the buildings throughout the old town follow this theme).

The building was commissioned by Baron d’Erlanger, a wealthy French musicologist/artist who spent time there with his wife and son, working hard to cement Sidi’s status as a favorite haunt for international artists.

Upon entering the palace, you’re immediately drawn to the incredibly ornate carved ceilings fashioned by local Tunisian artists using locally sourced materials. There are quite a few themes running throughout, but it all seems to work. The palace also features a musical instrument museum showcasing both African and other instruments, which was impressive by today’s standards, but must have been incredible at the time. It was a really chilled place and very relaxing to mooch about.

After exploring the palace, we wound our way down through the beautiful little town which bares a striking resemblance to Santorini, before making our way down to the marina to sit and stare out across the Gulf, and watch the young sailors learning how to master their Opi’s (Optimus)….remembering when Seb and Christien first learnt to sail.

Welcome to Carthage, the archeological district of Tunisia. Although the Romans destroyed Carthage, it remains one of the most fascinating places to visit in Tunisia. After taking a short walk to Byrsa Hill through some lovely streets, we were treated to amazing views. As we walked around the ancient site, which was built during Hannibal’s time, we couldn’t help but use our imagination to envision what life was like. The Byrsa Quarter, built during the 2nd century, was burned to the ground in 146 BC. Fortunately, a layer of rubble prevented the quarter from being completely razed, allowing us a glimpse of what the quarter might have looked like. The backdrop to the site was just as impressive, with the Acropolium or St Louis Cathedral standing tall on top of the ruins of the temple of Eshmun, the Punic god of healing. The site was a recognized ecclesiastical house of worship until the early 90s and now plays host to classical concerts, etc. Despite dodging a few rain showers, it was an interesting way to spend a Sunday. On Saturday, we decided to explore Tunis by taking a tram into the city. However, the hustle and bustle of the city proved to be a bit overwhelming for us, and we soon realized that we weren’t in the mood for the crowds. We finally went to explore what fills our windows, the Îlot de l’Amirauté, the center of the port. This area housed the warships that terrorized would-be marauders and frustrated Rome during a century of Punic wars. It was interesting to see how such a small port played such a significant role in the history of Carthage.