Tunisia - 25 September 2010 (2)

Our next stop was the very picturesque town of Sidi Bou Said, with white and blue buildings.  Not surprisingly, there were a lot of tourists and souvenir shops to tempt them. 

Kim & Barry in Restaurant in Sidi Bou Said

We walked up a very steep hill, making our way through the crowds, and went for lunch in a restaurant near the top.  We sat in the courtyard and were introduced to the “brik”.  This typical Tunisian starter comprises crispy fried pancakes filled with egg and whatever else you like.  I chose a cheese brik and chips.  I think I would have preferred it if the pancakes had not been fried as they were too greasy and I am a big fan of English-style pancakes.  Still it was a rare vegetarian option and we made a note.  We were all given a mint tea, but it came already made with far too much sugar for me.

After lunch, Caroline, Vic and Heuly decided to stay and explore Sidi Bou Said, but I was tired and went back with the others.  After all that walking and only a few hours sleep, I did my usual trick of falling asleep on the train going back.  Luckily, our stop was the end of the line and Anne and Robin were there to wake me up.  Anne and Robin would have had a good excuse for falling asleep too, because their room was at the back of the hotel – right next to the tram line, which kept them awake until late and then woke them up very early.

As we walked back down the Avenue Habib Bourguiba, we met Werner, the final member of our group.  He also came from Australia and was still recovering from the flight, so had not felt fit enough to join us on our long walk

After an afternoon of chores and a nap, we met up at 18.00 for the “admin meeting”.  We were asked to put $60 into the tip fund and Sue volunteered to look after the money.  I only had sterling and euros but contributed the equivalent – I hope.

Once we were all fully briefed and sorted, we went to a nearby restaurant for dinner.  I had vegetables and couscous, the only veggie option on most menus, and forced myself to drink a litre of water to avoid dehydration.  Werner told us about his experiences living in the former East Germany, especially after the war, and came near to tears at a couple of points.  I thought that he was a sweet old man.  Even though he had lived in Adelaide for many years, his German accent was still very strong.