Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Monastir is a city on the east coast of Tunisia and our home for the next few months. The name originates from a monastery in the Byzantine era. Since arriving in Monastir, we have been busy preparing ZigZag for the winter.

Our first task, once we were safely tied up in the marina, was to check in to Tunisia. This was an experience unlike any we’ve ever had before. The Marinaros took us in their tender across the marina to the port police and customs office. We completed all of the necessary paperwork which was reasonably straightforward but then the next stage was for the immigration and customs officers to visit the boat. I wasn’t quite ready for four people to all clamber aboard, it was hard for the two of us to keep track of them as they were all over the boat looking into cupboards and drawers. We must have passed the inspection as they were soon happy to confirm that we could stay and left the boat.

As always, when living on a boat, there is a long list of jobs to prepare her for the winter. The weather was still hot and sunny with no wind so it was perfect for removing the sails. We also scrubbed the decks, washed and deflated the paddle board and dinghy, removed all of the salt crusted lines and gave them a good soak, and cleaned the sunshades.

Once everything was stowed away we started on inside jobs giving everything a good clean, Paul serviced the engine and the water maker needed flushing and pickling. We also had an eventful day dealing with a blocked toilet, I was very glad that Paul was at the open pipe end, while I was pumping fresh water through the toilet. Eventually there was a gurgling sound in the pipe and the blockage cleared with a huge gush blasting it’s way out. I didn’t hear Paul calling for me to stop pumping!

After that, it was definitely time to go and explore. From the marina, it is just a short walk to the town where there is plenty to see. We even came across our first camel.

Monastir was developed around its Ribat, a fort constructed in the 8th century to protect the community. The building was later expanded by the sultans of Tunis then again by the Ottomans, it now houses a museum. Close by is a decorative mausoleum with golden domes, it is that of Habib Bourguiba, born in Monastir and known as the father of Tunisian independence, Bourguiba profoundly affected modern Tunisia thanks to his policies of education, social development and female liberation. Both monuments are open for visitors but we’ll save that for the new year.

All around the town and marina, we can hear the regular ‘call for prayer’ coming from the Mosque.

Through archways in the old stone city walls are the cobbled streets of the medina with souks (shops) selling traditional goods including perfumed spices, leather bags, blankets, carpets and woven baskets.

There is also a busy indoor local market selling everything from household products to spices, beans and nuts to fresh meat, fish, fruit and vegetables. It is all grown locally so only fresh produce which is in season can be found here, currently there are plenty of pomegranates, dates and fennel.

The old fishing port of Monastir, Port de Pêche, is a couple of miles around the coast. Here there is another larger market so I went along with some friends to see. This one is mostly outdoor, very busy with cars frequently driving through, I almost got hit more than once as cars edge their way past. Although it was larger, it still sold much of the same seasonal fresh produce. There is also a large clothing section which looked like heaps of clothes had been dumped in piles, we didn’t venture into this part.

The walk back to the marina takes you along promenades lined with palm trees. The marina is surrounded on each side by sandy beaches and clear sea which is still warm and perfect for an afternoon swim or aqua aerobics.

With a capacity of just 300 boats, the marina is smaller than our previous winter moorings, however, all around the harbour, there are plenty of restaurants, cafes and a gym. Everyone is very friendly and there is a good ‘liveaboards’ community with regular exercise groups, Friday happy hour and a weekly Sunday barbecue, along with many other social events to meet up.

We have had a couple of weeks here now and already met lots of new people along with some old friends. 2023 has flown by and it’s hard to believe that we’re once again getting ready for Christmas and the winter. It is now time for us to return to the UK to spend the festive period with family and friends.

We locked up ZigZag and travelled to Tunis, the capital of Tunisia for a flight booked the following day. We had booked a hotel which was situated by the old town with great views of the entrance to the ancient medina which was first established in the 7th Century.

We had the afternoon to walk around the maze of medieval streets and alleyways full of souqs selling everything from shoes to shisha pipes, as well as small bustling cafes and residential areas.

The medina’s architecture is ideal for the local climate, with narrow streets that are cool in summer and warm in winter. As space within the medina’s original walls ran out, residents built upwards, constructing vaults and rooms above the streets. Vaults had to be built high enough to accommodate a loaded camel.

After walking around for a while we decided to stop for coffee, a roof top cafe was recommended to us. We had to walk through a shop (with a very enthusiastic salesman) and up several flights of stairs. The cafe was elaborately decorated with colourful tiles and great views over Tunis.

Opposite the medina entrance was a long tree lined avenue with some grand old colonial buildings and ‘Big Ben’ at the end.

We look forward to exploring Tunisia in the new year, but first we are excited to be back in the UK and catching up with family and friends. We would like to wish you all a fantastic Christmas and happy new year.

As always, thank you for continuing to read our blog and the lovely comments which I always look forward to hearing each week. We have not yet decided where we will travel to in 2024, we’ll wait to see which way the wind blows, and continue with our updates in the spring once we set sail again.