We left Kairouan and drove northwest the short distance to the coast. Our first stop was in Hammamet. Thanks to its location and beautiful beaches, it’s a popular destination for both tourists and locals. We visited a villa where Winston Churchill stayed when he visited north Africa during World War II. Our guide said that Sophia Loren lives here along with other famous and wealthy people.

We stopped in town on the Mediterranean Sea for a drink and some ice cream. Then we walked the medina. Our stay here was short but I thought it worth a post. After all, not all of Tunisia is desert.

People in this part of the world were first and foremost concerned about security. So what do you do when you are right on the coast and ships can pull right up to your town? You build a big, defensible wall around it, like you see in the first photo.

Vicky and two of our fellow travelers couldn’t resist dipping their toes in the Mediterranean.

The next three photos are behind the wall in their medina. It was not too different but a nice combination of white walls, blue highlights, art on the walls, and many other decorative touches.

Some streets were so narrow that I could touch both side buildings with my elbows. The twists and turns in the narrow streets made it very difficult for invaders to find their way through the medina in an attack, helping the defenders.

Doors were a real highlight here, as well as most of north Africa.