évasion
fly away
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لنتحـلق
voyage dans le temps I journey through time I
رحلـة عبـر الزمـن
time served as an accompaniment to fish or with
vegetables. Then, we reach the vegetable market, a
high structure surmounted by two glass domes
which are languorously penetrated by rays of
sunlight. A festival of colours is played before our
eyes : fresh seasonal vegetables are displayed on
large tables and get mixed sometimes. The
atmosphere is more calm and the crowd less dense
than at the fish market.
The old port : historical place
We continue the visit towards the old port. It is a place
of quite marvellous beauty. Its picturesque charm
makes it one of the most beautiful fishing ports in
Tunisia. With a rich history going back thousands of
years, this small port has successively known the
Phoenicians, the Carthaginians, the Romans, before
being occupied by the Arabs chased away in their turn
by the Ottomans and finally by the French.
Nowdays, the dock contains old colorful boats whereas
the quays welcome merchants and cafés filled with
men smoking “chicha”. A few years ago, there was a
café, the “Marabout”, dedicated to women and
managed by a woman. Better known as Azza, first
name of the manager, it definitively closed under
pressure from the islamists, right after the revolution.
The treasures of the medina
On the left shore of the old port stand the walls of the
kasbah. In the old days, the north side of the canal
was protected by this Spanish fortress dating from
the XVI century. The latter shelters the medina,
Bizerte’s oldest neighborhoods.
The maze of narrow streets leads us to the entrance
door of the Dar Africa. Immediately recognizable, an
iron arch with carved fishes welcomes the visitors
and protects them from the evil eye.
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La Gazelle 55 I
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This guest house, which has been held by a FrenchTunisian woman for almost ten years, has six
bedrooms on two floors. It is a calm and soberly
decorated house with a typical patio.
We leave the medina by the unique door of the
fortress. On our way, a sweet-smelling incense
tickles our nostrils and guides us to a Moorish steam
bath’s door. I dare a curious glance inside : a room
covered with blue and white ceramics, from which a
light of purity is released.
Bizerte specialties
The sun is at its zenith and the sea air makes hungry.
We decide to taste the Bizerte specialty when it
comes to eating snacks : le lablabi. Nothing to do
with the famous chickpea soup that we find
everywhere in Tunisia. If their unique common point
is the chickpea, Bizerte’s lablabi has the shape of a
sandwich with grilled sardines, potatoes and
chickpeas on a thick harissa layer. All of it for only
one dinar !
Once satisfied, we hit the road and head towards the
Corniche Palace Hotel where we can admire a very
large ceramic fresco made by the painter Hatem El
Mekki. He is one of the most famous artists in
Tunisia and yet, very few people know that he is the
creator of this colossal work. Looking at it, we feel
like the witness of an ancient secret.
A scenic coastline
What better place than the beach to enjoy the sun ?
The ledge of Bizerte is one of the longest coasts of
the Mediterranean dock and is full of caves.
Completely deserted during winter, only a very few
people living in Bizerte come to enjoy the freshness
of the water during summer. However, the ledge has
everything to seduce : numerous small creeks, a thin
sand and a calm and clear water.
Located at less than 5 minutes by car, the Cap Blanc
offers a beathtaking view on the ledge and the forest
of Bizerte. Its name comes from the white color of
the limestone covering it. It is also known as the
northernmost tip of Africa.
To end our visit of the city, we find a table at the
restaurant Le Petit Mousse in order to enjoy highly
tasty meals based on fresh products. During winter,
the dinner is set around the wood-burning fireplace,
so we can enjoy the meat and game specialties.
The restaurant is well-known, even beyond the city
borders.
As the day comes to an end, we hit the road back
to Tunis, our heads full of memories, leaving behind
a charming town. I