I’ve come here a thousand times and every time I see something new
A local showing us Sidi Bou Saïd
I wish I could bottle the sensation of standing on top of a Tunisian hill overlooking the Mediterranean Sea with the wind blowing perfectly in your face. It’s something you just have to experience yourself. The views, too. I’d show you pictures, but like a sunset, the pictures never do it justice.
When you hear someone mention the country Tunisia, your first thought is probably “Where is that?” or maybe even “What is that?” Then when you hear it’s a North African country, you picture the Africa and the Middle East you see on the news. Throw that image away entirely. Tunisia is a place like nowhere you’ve ever seen before, the unicorn of Africa: dazzling to behold, but never will a picture be representative of its beauty (or in a unicorn’s case, a picture at all). Tunis (the capital) is stylistically closer to Greece or Italy than the Middle East we are shown.
I’m only going to see Northern Tunisia, a relatively compact area, but it’s already awe-inspiring. I’m staying in a lovely area called Sidi Bou Saïd (as the graffiti you’ll see around town says, “Bisou à Sidi Bou Saïd”), a city constructed entirely with the colors blue and white. There’s literally a law that states houses can only use those two colors—and you thought the Home Owner’s Association could be strict. Of course, some people break the rules, but those occasional pops of yellow are just as striking. The one thing you need to know about Tunisia is their doors—one of the local guys who show us around told me “There are over 1,000 doors in Sidi Bou Saïd” to which I responded “And I’ll take a picture with every one.” …you think I’m joking? That’s why the door to Tunis is literally the doors. Every architectural feature here is stunning, however (I’m told that’s because the city has an amazing architecture school, but regardless). One kind lady let us into the garden foyer of her house that put Beverly Hills houses to shame—she also got bonus points because she had turtles roaming around AND they had eggs. Of course, she’s considered wealthy for Tunisia, but things are so cheap here that a middle class American could afford it—for real, a Chili’s meal here was only $7. Looking for exciting retirement plans? I’ve got you.
After Sidi Bou, we explored Carthage, the famous Roman ruins, and the Tunis Medina, a World Heritage site (the area we visited was a market similar to Venice’s—cramped, full of trinkets, and requiring your best bargaining skills). I also swam in the Mediterranean Sea for the first (and definitely not last) time—I’ve only seen water this blue in Switzerland.
I promise, we’re all definitely sleeping on Tunisia. It’s a place like no other.
Around the World with Jamie 