City Style and Living - Spring 2008 - (Page 52)

is page: A man rests outside of a mosque. Previous page , rst row: ancient columns recede into in nity; a typical nail studded door , two women return om the market; second row: a desert souk beckons customers ; a colourful boat rests on a Mediterranean beach; a vendor sells his wares to passersby; row three: bright cloth covers the entranceway to the medina; the contrast of daily life in Tunisia; traditional straw dwellings sca ered along the coast. There are few tourists here at Kerkouane and standing amidst ancient villas and baths with the breeze blowing toward the Mediterranean mere metres below, we are alone in thought. We have seen many ruins during the course of our trip but Kerkouane is different. A stillness and calm permeates, the only sound is of the black rocks being slapped continuously by bluish green water. There are places whose power resonates through the ages, where there is an instant visceral connection. Kerkouane, perhaps because it was never rebuilt by the Romans, possess that direct raw energy. It is as though its founders thought that beauty was enough of a reason to begin a settlement. ourism is one of the major sources of income and with the recent announcement of a fivebillion dollar tourism project advancement, Tunisia seems destined toward the ideals of bigger equating better. Almost as a preview of what is to come, we visit 52 | SPRING 2008 | citystyleandliving.com T To escape the frenzy of Sousse, we drive to the Great Mosque of Sidi Oqba in Kairouan, one of the most sacred sites in Islam after Mecca. After our tour, Yamen tells us that Kairouan is noted for makroud, a small round pastry. It is made with semolina and dates, rolled into the shape of a triangle and dipped in orange syrup. In shop after shop we search for makroud. We finally find the cherished treat in a shop dripping with sweets from ceiling to floor. Turkish delight, cookies and pastries literally fill the entirety of the space, the smell of fresh rose water and saccharine in the air. Instantly, a harmless greed overcomes us Sousse, south of Cape Bon. Sousse has a preppy yachtingcool vibe. There are people everywhere and foreign couples are strolling on the waterfront in droves. An eighteenhole golf course nearby, and a beachfront lined with hotel development and restaurants attract more than a million visitors every year. Its decidedly modern flair leaves no trace of the ancient, storied Tunisia that has so captured us in Cape Bon. If this is Tunisia to come, then, we wonder, what will happen to the Tunisia that was, the Tunisia that is always there, beneath the surface? In the magnanimous changes that are promised for Tunisia, ancient layers will be guided into the future. Perhaps, at last, this is Tunisia - a land where one layer gives way to another as it has for millennia, where ancient wisdom comes disguised in the trappings of a young man, where recently unearthed ruins have a startling immediacy, where friends are made in a few hours yet always beneath the stars. CSL he stars are hours away from making their appearance when, while walking on the beach, we meet Monsieur Mohammed. He is the resident potter at a nearby hotel. He welcomes us with the familiar greeting “Salaam wale kum”. He does not speak a word of English, so we begin to converse in French. A master of his art, having been a potter most of his life, Monsieur Mohammed is humble to say the least. As a man living through the development of his homeland, he has observed and learned much. In the course of our hour-long discussion about everything from human nature to sports and politics, Monsieur Mohammed begins to reveal his life’s philosophy. “You know there are people who live with huge means and a lot of money. Although they may go to bed with a full stomach, they do not taste their food. They do not know true happiness,” he offers. He has a wonderful philosophy of living from and with kindness and respect. “In opening up to people respecting them”, he tells us, “they become like your family and with them you feel comfortable to share your most personal stories.” all, and leads us to purchase more than a healthy dose of sugary delights. T http://citystyleandliving.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of City Style and Living - Spring 2008

City Style and Living - Spring 2008 Contents Editor's Note Behind the Cover The District Need It Want It Fusion Sweet Secret Restaurant Inspiration Eat Like a Locavore Covet Helen of Troy Prêt-à-Porter Anatomy Of Spring Fashion Trends Secret Garden Passport Bookcase Great Eats in Maui Tunisia Ombudsperson Horoscopes Final Thought

City Style and Living - Spring 2008

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