Tunisia
Tunisia is simply beautiful! Tunis was a real surprise. I didn't expect the european look of Avenue Habib Bourguiba. Looks like walking on the Champs Elysèe in Paris. Nice streetcafès, trees to give you shade and the buildings look very french, too! And then just at one end of it you walk in the medina and find yourself in the middle of the souk. Narrow little streets, lots of vendors and definitely no Europe feeling anymore. Kind of sad that it's so touristy, I would love to see a traditional souk that's not trying to cater to tourists.
I love going to the supermarket here! Olive oil from tab, the fish counter is much bigger than the meat one, the whole area displaying spices is great! They don't come in little containers, you can buy as much as you want and simply pay by weight. It looks beautiful! All those colors!!!
It's hot, walking in the sun during the day is just no good idea, but the evenings are beautiful and as soon as the first cool breeze comes in the streets fill with people enjoying the fresh air.
Lots of ancient roman and punic sites, the colloseum in El Jem is almost as impressive as the one in Rome, just less people there. I should have come a week later when they have concerts in it. Must be at least as nice as listening to an opera in the colloseum in Verona.
Makes you forget the little annoyances like the heat, the constantly being stared at, the way you're treated walking on the streets as a foreign woman, all the garbage everywhere, etc... As all places Tunisia has it's ups and downs.
But just remembering the view from Restaurant Neptune in Carthage sitting in the shade on their wonderful terrace right at the ocean brings a big smile in my face! Don't want to leave so soon, but Thursday I'll sit in a plain to Cairo and I'm sure I'll love Cairo, too!
