After my father died last year, my drive to retrace his steps in Algeria and Tunisia during his time there as a young officer in 1950 was not the same as I was not going to be able to share our experiences with him. Added to this, the ferry crossing to Algeria was ridiculously expensive, so we briefly thought we’d revisit Morocco instead and got travel insurance for North Africa for 3 weeks. It just didn’t feel right though. Algeria was calling and so was Tunis. So after Algeria, we just had 5 days left for Tunisia.
My father had passed officer training with such high marks that he was able to chose his posting. In his own words, he wanted an adventure so picked the posting the furthest away: Algiers. After some time there, he asked for 10 days off. Unbeknownst to his superiors at the time, he planned to leave Algeria to visit an officer school friend of his who was stationed in Tunis, in charge of a “rest place for deserving military staff”!! My father was therefore treated as a deserving military superior! Is this where my sense of adventure comes from?
This trip to Algeria and then Tunis was to retrace some of his steps and possibly recreate some of his photographs.
Searching in French in Google and using Google maps and earth was helpful in finding the 3 places he photographed in Tunisia. We went to all 3 of course – only 1, in Gammarth, was a disappointment as they would not allow us in – it was where my father’s friend was posted and therefore my father stayed while in Tunis but was now a fancy 5 star hotel – when we arrived, they said it was forbidden to let us in as we were not staying there. There was no one we could talk to, to sway them. It was pretty gutting.
We went to another place which I knew from his journal he’d visited but was now a restaurant. Wrong – it was still an army base, definitely no restaurant – so absolutely no photographs. A military police sergeant even followed us for ages as we walked away to make sure we didn’t sneak a photo! Well I had done so before we got to the gate. I could sense my father’s pride and cheek.
My father would have walked from this army base to the Belvédère for a view of the city and refreshments.
This felt very special being there.
Onto Carthage, to the residence of the Bey (ruler) of Tunis. The beach must have been much wider at the time of my father’s visit, and maybe the pontoon still in place?
We got a taxi to take us to all those places and to visit the Roman ruins of Carthage which my father visited – thank goodness, as we would not have wanted to walk to the 5 main areas of Carthage ruins in our motorcycle gear. Hopping in and out of the taxi felt like luxury! I have to say that after Timgad, Carthage was disappointing, especially as the museum was closed until 2031 for restauration! We only found that out when I realised that the signs for the museum took us all around and past closed doors. Workers there told us when to come back! And the ruins were impossible to decifer what they were. Picky or spoilt?!
It has been a big day, emotionally and hot and we’re ready to be dropped back at our hotel. But not until after our driver has taken us somewhere for a view. No, we’re done we say. No no you must see this. We drive to this suburb where all the houses are white with deep blue shutters. Very picturesque BUT… The streets are narrow, blocked with traffic jams and all we see are parked coaches and throngs of tourists. No thank you, we are finished. No no, I’ll drop you off at the top and you can walk down, it will be easy. The taxi was not allowed to park anywhere at the top. We relented and got out. Yes, fabulous views but hundreds of tourists and stores all selling the same vivid painted earthenware. Here are some photos of Sidi Bou Said.
The taxi driver was great and when we gave him more than he asked for, he tried to hand the difference back.
Our entire stay in Tunisia was just 5 days. After an easy border crossing at Oum T’Boul, we first headed to a resort which I decided we deserved after all the hard riding we’d done. It was luxurious, we both had a massage and ate deliciously fresh seafood.
Tunis quickly reminded us that the world that has been affected by tourism is not always as honest as what we experienced throughout Algeria…. We had let our guard down a couple of times. Ask for a price before hand and if need be haggle. If not, too bad and pay up even if it’s extortion.
Leaving Tunisia for Sicily by ferry was straight forward, just don’t pack your passport away as you’ll be asked for it by any official that walks past while you wait for the queue to advance. We will be updating our Visas and Border section with details of the 3 border crossings.
Retracing some of my father’s steps has been very special and worthwhile. Yes it is a pity he is no longer with us to share our experiences with him, but he knew that retracing his steps had been our plan. No regrets.
– Anne
2slowspeeds 