FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE - Holidays in Sousse (Tunisia)

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

1.



To recover from our roundtrip through Tunisia, we stayed at the Riadh Palms hotel in Sousse for 4 days, not too far from the airport. We had chosen this Hotel because it looked nice for a good rest. What we didn't know was, that it was a real tourist factory. The swimming pool was wonderful, refreshing and each time we felt too hot we swam in there, because the sea wasn't too clean, at least it seemed so to me.

2. The paintings and ceiling decorations were beautiful and I wandered around in the evening to take some pictures before we went for supper.



We usually stayed in an almost quiet corner although the music was still very loud and enjoyed the sunshine, chatted and read our books.

3.



All over the huge beach were these statues which in fact were the showers ! First I didn't realize that they were not only decorations.

4.



It was impossible to stay in the sunshine so we were always in the shade. From my beachbed I had this view. The net was there to protect us from the Volley ball players.

5. Besides reading, swimming we didn't do anything else. Each morning I went to reception hall to write my little diary about our trip, because internet was only there.



The restaurant was very huge and looked like a station. We also had to go to "food station" 1, 2 or 3 for the different buffets. The name was really perfect.



One evening we had our supper in a beautiful restaurant, but ate outside with a beautiful view over the sea. All guests could eat there once during their stay if they had taken "All Inclusive" which was our case.
Dominique and Nicole enjoyed the good meal and wine !




and then the holidays ended and we were taken to the newly built Enfidha – Hammamet International Airport. Nicole managed to put on her lipstick dispite the bumps on the road ! I had kept 20 Dinars which are 10 € to buy a drink or something to eat and had to learn that Dinars were not accepted in the airport only Euros and they didn't take any Dinars back !  So be careful if ever you go there, in this airport is nothing to buy but parfums, cigarettes and alcohol there is no restaurant either !

Now I am at home and have to get used to the daily routine again !

FOUR STAR HOTEL FOR FAKIRS

more participants at Jenny Matlock's Alphabet Thursday

Imagine you arrive in a beautiful 4* hotel Hotel Royale Jinene à Sousse and a royal suite is proposed to you because there was no single room anymore for our friend Nicole. This happened when we arrived in the first Hotel in Tunisia, where we stayed two nights to start our round trip through. The hotel says about itself : Our hotel is a luxurious 4-star property in Sousse. Which is true, but they should have added that it is a 4 stars for Fakirs ! No nail bed, but broken lath. What a luxury !




The suite was very beautiful, looked very elegant and spacious, there were twin beds in a huge living room and a separated bedroom, perfect for the three of us. Of course we accepted immediately when the suite was shown to us.



After supper I wanted to go to bed and what happened, as soon as I had removed the covers and sat on the bed it cracked and I found myself half sitting on the floor ! As it was very late, we tried to repair my Fakir bed ourselves and put two thick woolen blankets underneath the broken laths. At least the mattress was straight. Unfortunately each time I moved a little bit, it cracked like an old tree in a storm. Poor Dominique who shared the room with me ! First thing in the morning was to ask for repair or a new bed. Of course they said they would do the necessary immediately. At noon it still hadn't been repaired and I was told they would do it right away ! I don't know what "right away" means but still in the evening I had this view !



Indeed the roommaid had found the solution. Her order was to make beds and she bravely made my bed, she even decorated it with a big butterfly folded out of the bath towel ! I found this very kind. Only the bed was still in the same state and it was again late and I just wanted to lay down and sleep. There was only one way :  we put my mattress on the floor besides the bed, and I slept very well and without the cracking of my bed. It was a new experience,  I never camped in a 4* hotel.

I sincerely consider to take Fakir courses to be able to sleep on nails, stones, or broken laths that would be very helpful next time I travel ! You never know.

We left early morning and I told the reception that the bed was still broken and that I wish a very good night to the next guests !

ROUND TRIP THROUGH TUNISIA DAY ONE

Finally the day of our departure had arrived and we left a cold and rainy Brussels at 12 am to arrive at  Enfidha-Hammamet International Airport in Tunesia at around 2 pm in beautiful hot weather



The bus drivers were waiting for the tourists to drive them into their hotels. Between waiting for the others of or group which would come with us on the same round trip and the chatting between the drivers and other confusions, we spent 2 h in or outside the bus at the airport.



The airport is very new, was only built in 2007 and opened in 2009.

Finally we arrived at our hotel and immediately had a problem. Dominique and I had booked one room together and Nicole our friend a single room. As there was no single room they proposed us the "Royal Suite" ! When we saw this enormous appartment, with a separate bedroom and twin beds we of course agreed.

At the first glance it really looked very nice. At a closer look, we saw that the towel holders were broken, the toilet separated from the bathroom was overflowed with water each time you took a shower.



Doesn't it look beautiful ?



When I went to bed there was suddenly a loud noise and a big "crack" and the bed broke ! We put two thick blankets under the mattress to keep it straight and fortunately I was so tired that I slept very well.

Of course first thing in the morning was to tell them that the bed needed to be repaired or replaced, which they promised to do right away.

So far so good and the whole group went to the nearby town Sousse to walk through the city and souks and also the habor of Port El Kantaoui.



It was not so interesting as we had seen already similar things in Morocco and Turkey and the souk wasn't very colorful neither. The people are all very friendly and full of humor. We laughed a lot and had a great time. At noon we were driven back to the hotel.

Entering our room we stated with quiet some surprise that the bed was made nicely even with a little decoration, but it was still broken !



Our royal suite was really a royal joke. We three burst out in laughter ! I decided not to complain anymore it wouldn't have changed anything, we put my mattress on the floor and I would camp royally on the floor. Anyway tomorrow at 7 am we leave for the biggest part of the whole round trip 450 km !

After lunch we enjoyed the sun at the swimming pool, where some beds were broken, no bath towels available and everything looked a little neglected. As it is a 4* hotel, I wonder how a 3* one looks like !



Anyway we made the best out of what we got and had a great time at the swimming pool. I also wore for the first time the beautiful scarf which Jo from Tanzania had brought me when we met for the first time in London. It's very useful !

These were the first 2 days of our roundtrip, which will really start tomorrow.

Maybe everything breaks down in the Hotel Hotel Royal Jinene, but internet connection was very good !