4.12.2010

Tunisian Holiday

As promised, here is the full coverage of our Tunisian adventures. :D

The Beach Bum
Tunisia is a very typical beach holiday spot for Europeans. Only 2 hours fly away, it promises all-year sun and exotic Arab-African adventures. (Don't let geography fool you though... we had 3 sunny days the rest was unfortunately cloudy and windy)
{Here I was still fooled by the weather :)}
{The newest addition to my Happy Feet around the world collection :)}
{The beach was OK, a bit too touristy and windy  for my taste with monstruous hotel complexes and water sport centers on top of each other ( I tried kite surfng and catamaran sailing, but the water was too cold to enjoy it :) Seems lots of fun though! :) }

The Culture Seeker
To be completely honest we didn't get quite so much culture in our program as I previously hoped (we were too far from the Sahara and the oasis' of the South). We did visit the nearby Sousse (2nd biggest city of Tunisia) several times, where I was blown away by Arabic design and architecture. There is something about doors.... each was prettier than the other and I fell in love with all things blue and white.


{Me and my giant boyfriend AC :)}

The Shopaholic
I really looked forward to visit the local bazaar (souk). While the smell and atmosphere was amazing, it was way too loaded with fake, made in China merchandise, which was a biiiig disappointment. I found the merchants too agressive (at one point they started to throw things at us when after a long negotiation we decided not to buy :) and the starting prices were borderline offensive. (I need to approve my negotiation skills, even though I did bring the prices down I still think I paid too much for some things). I do not want to scare anyone away as I did like the experience very much and we did find some great, authentic souvenirs to bring home. :) Leather, silver and ceramics are the most typical Tunisian goodies to splurge on!

Souvenirs:
1. Boho brown cross body leather bag - I love that it's new but has a vintage feel
(and my mum had one just like this in the 80's :)
2. Real pretty black leather bag with Tunisian motives
(Camels, Dunes and Fatima's hand for luck) 
3. Silver jewelry: my name in Arabic and a gorgeus gorgeous ring
4. Blue&white ceramic server, perfect for small dinner parties
5.. Jewelry box made of crushed seashells

Overall it was a very relaxing holiday. I finished two books and I did get a nice tan too. We tried new sports and enjoyed immersing in a new culure. While there are other places I'd recommend more for a vacation, Tunisia has certainly a lot to offer for beach bums, culture seekers and shopaholics alike.






P.S: No, I did not do a camel shoot.... I felt it's only authentic if you do it in the desert... but, will certainly make up for that in Egypt in July! :)

27 comments:

vicky h. said...

love the ring ms. shopaholic got! :)
sorry to hear about the weather not being super nice, still looks like a lovely vacation!

xox
Bikinis & Passports

Nicole Marie said...

so beautiful!! i want to go!!

Karisa Tells All said...

You trip looks really nice! I like how you arranged all the pictures in collages--how do you do that with the colored borders? Also, I really like your dress in the first pic :)

Gabby / Gypsy*Diaries said...

Thanks Karisa! I made the collages with Picasa, it's real easy to choose the colored borders there!
That dress is from H&M... :)
XXX

Denisa L said...

love the brown bag:)

Kate said...

That is so beautiful! Can't stop looking at the photos! :)

http://leinamorata.blogspot.com

Traveling Distances said...

Your trip looks amazing and I love all the souvenirs you bought! Too bad the merchants were agressive... nothing more annoying than that, but you got great stuff nonetheless.

Chicago Chic said...

Sounds amazing, you look incredibly chic in that 1st photo! What a beach hottie ;) I so agree with places that are touristy and windy, 2 negatives but still looks so beautiful there. I love all that blue and white and what an adorable photo of you and your boyfriend! You are beautiful! :)

xxxx
Rachel

Patrick and Katrina Foster said...

fantastic photo collages! looks like such fun!

Bridget said...

i have got to travel... NOW!

Anna @ IHOD said...

looks like heaven! Loved looking at these images.
So glad you stopped by my blog. Yours is fabulous!
:) Anna

Lila said...

Your ring is FAB!

It looks like you had yourself another amazing adventure.

Elisa said...

Fabulous, I love how you put your photos together! I agree with you I love taking photos of doors. Love the silver ring.. That is 4 loves in 4 sentences!! :)))

Pinecone Camp said...

Thanks for the peek at Tunisia! Looks stunning. Sigh. Wish I could go there right now! LOVE your blog. I want to be a gypsy!

The Jodi(e)s said...

this sounds so much like Bali!
the beaches are so crowded and touristy, the markets are just full of knock offs and pirated goods, it's EXHAUSTING to walk through one becauase of all the agressive merchants, and it just seems so commercial.
BUT it's so nice to hear that you had a realxing time and got a good tan.
no matter where in the world you are, there is nothing like a good sandy beach!
and the architecture! oh my.

love&light!

leila brewster photography said...

so im definitely adding tunisia to my list of places! i also love doors and i love your collection here :)

Chloe said...

I'm in love with the first and last photos! The striped dress with the red belt is perfect for a beach day...(sorry the weather was so bad!) And the last photo's collection of souvineers are amazing! That leather and silver are beautiful. Can't wait to add Tunisia to my travel list!!

chloe ** http://flowerponychloe.blogspot.com

Bumpkin on a Swing said...

Love the blue and white server. Score. Everyone is always so entranced with the white in the tropical places, but not like you and I, I think they miss the blue. The blues in your photos are amazing.....

Anonymous said...

To: The Beach Bum - So sorry to hear the weather wasn't on its best behavior :( I totally sympathize with your beach frustration (not too crazy about extra touristy locations, either), but I guess that's to be expected when visiting a highly popular holiday spot...

To: The Culture Seaker - Sounds and looks quite like a photo enthusiast's paradise. I wish I could snap my fingers (or click my heels 3 times) and transport myself over there, right now. You lucky girl, you!
Tip: If you are still fascinated by Blue and White by summer, you should visit the Greek Cyclades.

To: The Shopaholic - I simply adore the black, leather bag! It's such an authentic piece...And the ring is beyond fabulous ;)

Lindsay With An "A" said...

Love all the pics you took on this trip!! And what great finds - love the silver jewelry & black bag! :)

http://lindsaylovesitall.blogspot.com

D e g a i n e said...

OMG Gabby, what a beautiful trip, I will definitely have to go should I be living a euro life in the near future. Get in touch with me before your off to Egypt so i can lead you to all the hidden gems

xo


D e g a i n e

http://www.fashiondegaine.com

Livi said...

this made me remember my trip to tunisia a few years ago!! i also did a door montage.


strumblings = samandlivi.blogspot.com

Silver Jewelry said...

Love the blog!
I write a jewelry blog as well, and your articles are so informative.
Thanks for great writing and great photos.

fashion jewellery and accessories said...

Keep it up and I’ll be back to read more soon mate.

sterling silver necklace said...

You are definitely a dreamer.

Airport Limo Service said...

I look forward to visiting your blog again. Thank you for sharing with us!

Ivan Hollis said...

Keep it up and I’ll be back to read more soon mate.

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