Tunisia travel blog
G’day all and welcome to the Midlife Crisis Odyssey Podcast, where not all who wander are lost, but some of us definitely are. I was keen to head south from Bizerte to El Djem, but I have to admit the thought of driving in Tunisia made me nervous. Jump in and join me for the ride. If you would like to see the post for this podcast, you can find it here
After a very interesting couple of weeks, it’s time to be leaving Tunisia. This morning the Skipper and I headed over to the police station and customs office here in Tabarka to get the necessary paperwork done to leave the country. Some technical issues and general bureaucratic dramas meant the whole business took about two hours. On top of that, the customs check of the boat was very thorough. I suppose it is a little unusual for a private boat…
Gods, Grapes and Drunks After another enormous breakfast in the empty restaurent of the hotel, I set off for the El Djem Archaeological Museum. Holding a trove of Roman-era mosaics and artefacts, the museum is the second major tourist attraction in the town. I have been trying to improve my French for the past 12 months, knowing that my travels would take me to places where French colonial history had left the language behind. Striding up to the ticket office…
Bread and Circuses I had been told the El Djem Colosseum was spectacular so I thought I’d make the three and a half hour trip down from Bizerte to have a look. After surviving the drive, I checked in to a hotel just a short walk away from the famous ruins. Next morning I sat alone in the hotel restaurant (I was the only tourist staying in the hotel…come to think of it I was probably the only tourist staying…
The good news came by text that our Covid-19 quarantine period had been revised, and we were to be released a day early. We were itching to get off the boat and back on terra firma – the Skipper to catch up with a friend and me to head down to El Djem for some exploring. The morning of our release we walked down to the police station, which was attached to the marina complex, to retrieve out passports. The…
It had been a bit of a stressful night. As we neared the north African coast the amount of heavy shipping increased, and frequent wind changes meant ongoing sail and course adjustments. It was with relief that I watched the sun rise, and terror an hour later when I glanced up to see a long line of floats across our path. I switched off the auto pilot and wrenched on the helm, dragging the boat to port and bringing us…