16th October – taxi ride to Carthage
Had a great breakfast at the hotel including fresh dates and pear. Spoke to a German lady from Bonn who is doing some media communication work on behalf of the EU in Tunisia.
My taxi driver to take me to the Carthage sites arrived late at 11 am. He was obliging in a sort of fed up way and his English was very poor. What an extensive number of sites to visit costing all of 10 Dinars, his rate was considerably more 45 Euros. But he did take me to the up market blue and white town of Sidi do Said which had some interesting shop stalls.
It was too late for lunch so I came back to the hotel to get some Dinars. I only managed 300 though I did manage 500 later, so many banknotes!. Bought a tuna and egg chipati and some nice looking fruit and custard tarts. Tomorrow it’s 9 am start for El Jem – I would have liked the train but there is no afternoon return service. The temperatures remained unseasonably warm,I just don’t want to get stuck somewhere in a 30 degrees heatwave
17th October – Colosseum at El Jem
Hassan the guide, is meeting me at the hotel for a visit to the colosseum at El Jem. Hassan’s booked a driver for the 2 hour journey, fortunately in an air conditioned car. He’s a slim man, I guess in his seventies and has worked freelance for 53 years. His enthusiasm for the country and its history is inspiring. He also booked ahead for lunch to ensure I get fish instead of the standard chicken.
At first sight the scale of this colosseum is breathtaking. Built by the Romans in the 2nd century it survived almost intact until the 17th century. Due to the intense heat there were few other visitors around. We had an excellent lunch opposite the colosseum and then drove the short distance to the museum.
The museum has an impressive collection of mosaics from the Roman period from nearby villas. These range from geometric designs to wild animals trying to kill each other to touching love scenes, almost a photographic record of the period. Hassan enthusiastically described the main ones.
Exquisite Roman Mosaic at El Jem museum
As he lives in Hammamet on the way back to Tunis, we dropped him off there, finally reaching Tunis at 5.30. I went back to a nearby cash machine to get out another 200 Dinars for the next 2 days as Tunisians prefer cash.
18th October – Tunis Medina
Another 9 o’clock start with Hassan visiting the Bardo museum and Medina.
A short walk out of the medina to hail a cab. Hassan seems to know all the drivers as they discuss politics we pass an anti Israel demonstration by the government buildings.
The Bardo building was once a palace in Ottoman times and was ruled by the Bey. It has been beautifully restored and houses some exceptional Roman mosaics all for the cost of 12 Dinars or £3. Hassan gave me the background and the context – could be the seasons, or a hunting party or animals in a fight to the death.
Then another taxi ride in the scorching heat back to the medina, again the anti Israel demonstration had closed off some roads so we had to walk a short distance. I should have seen it coming when he introduced me to the proprietor of the Rug shop who announced this was a full size rug I should be taking just like one he was posting to the States. He produced 2 cups of mint tea so it was getting serious! After much discussion I settled on a small traditional Berber handmade rug made from camel hair – I felt I’d been ground into submission! The payment by card failed for technical reasons so he went to the nearby Amen bank to find out why!
Anyway he gave me the package and went back to the shop and this time it was a success – he seemed very relieved. All the time Hassan observed this familiar ritual without comment.
Hassan bought me a Tunisian sandwich, a split French stick with tuna, cucumber and very spicy, but it was just right for lunch.
I spent the afternoon writing up my thoughts on this trip and reading some Alexander McCall Smith which always leaves me with a feel good factor.
The hotel hadn’t prepared a meal for me so I went back to the Dar el Medina. I chose octopus with Couscous – the couscous and vegetables were fine, the octopus was stringy – horrible.
19th October – Goodbye Tunis!
Got up at 6.30 as the German lady recommended to see the sunrise from the rooftop, it was very atmospheric
There was a group of 4 Chinese who kept to themselves but I spoke with a Hong Kong Chinese who was doing some scouting for a travel company until December 15th all over Europe.
I decided to take some photos of some tradespeople in the medina, this being much cooler than on the streets.
When I got back to the hotel, Youseff, I think one of the owners showed me a book on Ceramics in Tunisia, newly published in Tunisia – he clearly felt very passionately about this as it had only been previously published in Europe and the States.
A 20 Euro taxi ride took me to the port for 14.30, with hours to wait until 19,30 departure. Just as well as several police and customs checks took some time. As on the outward ferry a substantial number of passengers were laying out bedding on the floors, much to the frustration of the staff. Meal service was limited to chicken or burgers and chips not for me! I had a pasta salad, which I had along with omelette.
20th October
20th October – ferry to Palermo
Glad I had that shower last night as it was a 6.30 start by the staff to get us clear of the cabins. Mind you the cabin wasn’t very clean and the shower water took ages to drain away.
Breakfast was a desultory affair with an Espresso, croissant and a small water prepaid for 3 Euros. A good many of theTunisian men were still asleep on the floor at this time. Then the usual crush down to the car deck. Then the same long walk to the arrivals building, surly police and customs and passport check, then no clear indication how to get to the city.
Eventually Google found the route to the Terazzo Palace hotel, as usual on the upper floors of a city block. Comfortable enough though lacking a chair and table.
Palermo is unusually hot for this time of year, but I decided to walk down the main tourist street Via Maqueda stopping at a bar near the entrance to the university, had a fine ratatouille with french bread and orange juice.
I returned to the railway station which still had my sleeper cars on the platform! And I couldn’t find Mark Smith’s restaurant so I emailed him.
By mistake, I went in the opposite direction from which I’d come, I realised when I came to a a river crossing I didn’t recognise!
I returned to a Pizzaria on Via Maqueda which was good and the staff friendly.. Then I had a Sicilian ice cream with Cassata and lemon in a Brioche which was too filling.
21st October – The Normans before 1066 and all that!
I’d booked last night for admission to the Norman Palace chapel and Royal apartments. They were as sumptuous with gold leaf as described, a very historic survival some nearly 1000 years old. I should have had an audio guide as there were very few English descriptions.
Nearby, Al Normann’s trattoria was recommended b Tripadvisor, I had a good lunch of anchovy ravioli, green salad followed by Tiramisu. After that I needed a good lie down and catch up with my naps.
I went out later in the afternoon to try to find Mark Smith’s restaurant Trattorial Trapani near the station without success. Google definitely has it marked there so will try again tomorrow.
The plan tomorrow is to leave the luggage at the Left Luggage at the station and then travel for an hour to Cefalu, then retrieve my luggage before 8 pm when the office closes.
22nd October – Day trip Cefalu
What a scramble. I left it with barely 40 minutes to get to Centrale station, deposit the case in the left luggage, and get tickets from the machine. That left me with a minute to spare, fortunately the staff on the 10.15 Intercity to Cefalu were not in any hurry to leave so I had another 2 minutes, just enough to make it, Phew
Well, Cefalu is another idyllic upmarket seaside resort, a bit like Monterosso on the Cinque Terre. I came across a path, said to be easy, up to La Rocco high above Cefalu with wonderful views across the bay just like Taormina!
The path up was easy to start with but gradually got rockier and steeper. Fortunately I’d brought my walking stick, But just when I almost reached the castle at the top, it collapsed. I immediately saw the problem that I had extended the sticks too far. Fortunately, a French chap helped me down as I was in a steep and rocky part. As Shakespeare said discretion is the better part of valour so I retreated down.
I checked the Tripadvisor reviews for a lunch stop and picked the Triscele restaurant. They did a fine Anchovy spaghetti with side salad mainly baby tomatoes – it was delicious with a hazelnut pudding.
I had a walk down to the beach, more than hot enough for swimming, and then the Norman cathedral, I can’t get excited about them.
The train Palermo train was packed – no doubt day trippers attracted by a beautiful Autumnal Sunday.
I had a beer, an apple and some bars to while away the time the sleeper train It arrived just before 9 pm. I’ve really enjoyed Palermo, its got great character.
