While autumn is on our way, you can still enjoy a wonderful beach holiday in North Africa
The warm desert wind sweeps over the breakfast terrace, the sun conjures a thousand small lights on the turquoise sea. It's like someone has put in a paint film.
Photo: Tourist Office Tunisia
For while it is already gray and cool in Germany, temperatures in the country between the Mediterranean and the Sahara are still around 30 degrees. The first week of our summer vacation we spend a bit outside of Mahdia, right on the white sandy beach. During the day we enjoy the still 24 degrees warm sea and relax on the lounger.
But towards evening we are curious and embark on a discovery tour to the 50, 000-inhabitant town of Mahdia with its more than 1, 000-year-old walls. There is a regular market in the center of the old town. We feel like visiting in 1, 001 Nights. Mountains of colorful spices and fruits are offered. Just like plates, pots and carvings. We want to buy a bowl and while I'm sipping extremely sweet peppermint tea, I haggle until I've traded the seller from 10 to 5 euros. And he assures me I ruined him forever. However, I hear later that that would have been still too much and 2 euros appropriate.
After five wonderful beach days we drive for two days with an organized tour (about 100 euros) in the Sahara. Our first stop is Douz. From here we ride at dawn on a camel in the desert. Some riders now know why they speak of "desert ships". On the swaying camelback you can get seasick. But I really enjoy this trip. In this world of extremes - where it gets cold up to 0 degrees Celsius at night and temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius during the day - one is especially intoxicated by the silence. And from the distance. It's beautiful as the sun dips the endless dunes and valleys in ocher light early in the morning. And I've never seen such a blue sky ...
