Tunisia

How has it been 3weeks already since I got back from Tunisia?! I went with my family to the 5star Amir Palace Hotel for a week from 5-12 June.

I say 5 star, only I have certainly stayed in better 5 star hotels. Upon arrival we had no porter to help us with our luggage to go to our rooms, I guess this saved us money on a tip! We had 2 rooms as usual and we walked into one to find a wardrobe door hanging off and the other was not made up. So a complaint was made and we were upgraded to rooms with a sea view. I had to giggle to myself inside when the guy who changed our room for us strode over to open the balcony door and asked if I agreed with him about the view being beautiful! I’m sure it was, so nodded enthusiastically and declared ‘wow yes its lovely’!

As with any hotel, you do find that the food gets repetitive. Breakfast was ok most of the time, I love the various pastries you get on holiday and the turkey sausages became a firm favourite. Apparently a firm favourite with most of the guests, as it was a battle against the Russians every meal time for food! I think only the British queue. This would have gotten you nowhere in Amir Palace, as if you didn’t grab the food first, it was often found that they didn’t replenish it. Meat in sauce with rice was the meal of choice or rather lack of choice every lunchtime and evening! I went wild on some days and swapped rice for pasta! One positive aspect about the food was the good quality chocolate ice-cream available in the evenings, although again, you had to be quick to get it. I found it quite strange that they gave you a square spoon to eat the ice-cream, funnily enough, eating it was a challenge! I really don’t know what use a square spoon could have in any situation! Oh and once you had the food on your table, if you blinked for a second, a waiter may have swiped it from under your nose assuming you were finished despite your plate being full! It was crazy the amount of times this happened to guests!

One thing I can’t complain about was the weather. It was hot everyday. You couldn’t really feel the heat either so didn’t have to sit in a pool of sweat as there was a constant breeze, well gale force wind at times, but mostly just a light wind! My family and I got into a bit of a routine. Each morning was spent with my parents playing tennis on the cracked hard court, stopping now and then to fix the net that kept collapsing if the ball hit it too forcefully. Whilst they were busy with that, I did a circuits session on the side of the court, convinced I could tease my six pack into showing its face (I have been trying to get a six pack for months), only my stomach still refuses to show any definition. My brother was content with sunbathing. The afternoons were spent by the pool or the beach where I listened/read my audio/Braille books. It was absolute bliss. We did venture out of the hotel twice to the neighbouring towns. Nothing was really bought though, as we were bombarded by the locals to ‘looky looky’ ‘no hassle’ (only we are clearly hassling you) and being told they had ‘Asda price’.

Despite the flaws of the hotel, which just added entertainment to the trip more than anything, I had a really nice break. It is a shame that we are not having much of a summer here, as I long to just sit in the garden and relax since I currently have no uni stress. Thankfully, it is not long until I’m away again though, as I am going to Egypt on a Nile cruise with Victa at the beginning of October. Bring on the sunshine!