Northern Excursion

UPDATING MORE LATER... 

Yesterday I got back from a week-long excursion to the northern part of Tunisia.  I actually think I liked it better than the south.  The two areas are very different and it's kind of hard to explain but I am going to do my best.  Basically, the south is filled with desert and red mountains and most scenery is very dry.  The sights in the north are beautiful beaches or rolling green hills.  So I guess the south is very red and blue while the north is very green and blue.  That's one way to look at it.  I also liked the north because we stayed in areas that weren't as touristy which I really enjoyed, it's much more calm.  So I'll run through the trip... 

Monday (3/23) : Utica - Ghar el Melh - Bizerte

Utica- This was the first Phoenician city in North Africa.  It was used as a port.  The ruins were amazingly intact and we walked through a large mansion of someone who used to host parties back in the day.  It was really cool to imagine the large functions hosted in the house that we walked through in ruins.  We also walked through what used to be a graveyard.  

Shrine- We were lucky enough to walk along the coast of this beach and then up the hill to a shrine.  The beach along the way was gorgeous and completely empty.  You had to go through a rather long hike to get to the best parts of the beach so I wonder if it is really crowded in the summer.  Once we got to the shrine we met this old couple who hosted us for tea.  They were extremely welcoming and told us about the history of the shrine, the traditions behind it and their experience (all in Arabic which was translated by our academic director).  It was really awesome to see.  

Ghar el Melh- 

Tuesday (3/24) : Bizerte - Sejnene - Tabarka 

On the drive to Sejnene we passed the northern most tip of Africa- cooool!  

Sejnene- This is a tiny town on the way to Tabarka.  It was very beautiful and although it would never be practical for me to live there it was enjoyable for me to imagine it.  The hills are just so green and the mountains in the distance make it even better.  

What we specifically stopped for was to watch this woman make pottery.  It was incredible how quickly she made pots and turtles and bowls (she could probably do it with her eyes closed).  The clay she used was collected from the mountains and we learned about the process of making the clay.  The practice of making pottery has been passed down for generations of women within her family.  In this area of Tunisia it is a woman's job and a supplemental source of income.  We met her family and many different children.  It was really interesting to get this insight into their lives and they were so welcoming and enthusiastic.  It was great.   

Genoese Fort- This is an old fortress in Tabarka.  Tabarka has gorgeous beaches and up on a hill is the fort.  It was cool to see an old fortress and imagine pirates coming into the port and just try to picture what the whole town was like so long ago.  

Tabarka- d

Wednesday (3/25) : Tabarka - Chemtou - El Kef

Chemtou- 

El Kef- 

Thursday (3/26) : El Kef

Friday (3/27) : El Kef - Dougga - Hammamet

Dougga- 

Hammamet- 

Saturday (3/28) : Hammament - Nabeul - La Goulette - Tunis

Nabeul- 

La Goulette-