Camels On The Beach

This morning there was a farewell breakfast as many were departing today. But also quite a few, like me, are leaving tomorrow.

The agenda today was just relaxation time which started off with the private beach. Although private, there were still vendors and offers of camel rides which some took advantage of. Some photos below:



The walk to the beach:





One of the other wedding guest’s wife and son on a camel:



The hotel is in Gammarth which is known for expensive hotels. Originally, the couple had thought of the Four Seasons next door, but found the Residence Tunis to feel more local. A photo of the beautiful lobby:

I later transitioned to the pool where I ordered a Tunisian sandwich and a coffee. Many were also enjoying each other’s company at the pool restaurant and we all went to the hamam spa.

For dinner, many of us decided to go off-resort and we decided on Le Rocher de Gammarth which has continental fare. It did the trick because we were hungry, but the vibe and company exceeded the cuisine. Below, a view of the water from the restaurant:



We returned to the hotel in our coordinated cabs and said our farewells. I have an early flight (5:30 am) to Paris and then transfer to NY. What a wedding weekend of pure celebration and relaxation in Tunisia!

Mediterranean Wedding

Today was finally the day of the big wedding! Here is a photo from later in the evening when the bride and groom had their first dance:



In the morning, I was surprised by the number of people at breakfast as I heard many went out last night after returning to the hotel. I was up as I had planned to visit the Bardo Museum, the largest in Tunisia, 2nd largest in Africa, and very important for Mediterranean culture.

Several of us met our guide in the lobby and headed to the museum which is about 40 minutes away. It was a former Hafsid palace - they were of Berber descent and the region had been ruled by beys which is a Turkic chieftain:



Here’s the original palace entrance:



It’s most known for its extensive collection of mosaics. Here’s a display showing how they conserved and transferred the small stones:



Here’s a mosaic dedicated to the Christian story of Daniel among the lions:



The palace had a residential section, so we likened it to the east and west wing of the White House. We entered the residential part of the building which reminded me of the architecture I saw in southern Spain:







The tiles were also incredible and many of them paid homage to the Blue Mosque of Istanbul with 6 minarets:







The residential courtyard:





The bedroom of the bey:





In this room, there was an exhibit on the archaeological excavation of jars of coins which were laid out here:



A mosaic showing the days of the week and Zodiac and beautiful ceiling above it:





Here was the niche where the bey met with visitors and conducted official business, so they placed this mosaic here:



Here’s the great hall where they held gatherings and events:





A mosaic of Neptune and the four seasons:



A room dedicated to the Greek stories of Ulysses and the Odyssey - here, he is trying to avoid the sirens:



Upon return I immediately headed to the pool for a light lunch which included a Tunisian salad and virgin piña colada. It felt so good to be sunbathing and lying down as we couldn’t sit in the museum due to the lack of benches:





There was a strict schedule as we were reminded in the WhatsApp channel. So we all got ready mid-afternoon for the black-tie affair. Here’s a few pictures of the Georgetown ladies:





We were explicitly told not to take photos during the ceremony, but someone uploaded this one in the WhatsApp group. There were photographers, videographers, and a drone to capture the lovely ceremony:



After cocktails and a walk down the hall lined with us holding sparklers, we were in the ballroom. Here’s a photo of their first dance:



The obligatory Georgetown photo as various cliques and friend groups were called to be with the bride and groom:



A photo of our table - the right is mostly Georgetown folks and the left were the bride’s friends!



There was an incredible amount of dancing as the room was booked until 2 am. We even did the Jerusalema again! But it was mostly dark with strobing lights, but here’s one photo a friend took while we paused:



The mix of Afro-beats, Caribbean, and pop music was so much fun. At one point, there was a Nigerian versus All Other dance-off and it was amazing. I also kept knocking into the same videographer as we all danced up a storm and in my opinion, they were taking a lot of b-roll - like us listening to speeches and eating. I hope we all made it memorable and everything they wanted for the big day!

Carthage and Sidi Bou Said

The Georgetown folks had organized a private tour to the famous city of Carthage. So after breakfast, we headed over in a van which ended up being filled with other wedding guests - the ride took about 25 minutes. Carthage itself is not only famous for its history, but is the wealthiest area in Tunis and the president of Tunisia lives here. The villas were quite beautiful from the outside - an example below:



Here’s a map of the city which sits on the Gulf of Tunis and was an important training hub and the capital of Ancient and Roman Carthage:



Our first stop was to the sanctuary area where they committed sacrifices of animals and children. We saw many steles and an in-progress excavation. Our Italian friends were surprised how close we could get:











From the van, we observed the Punic Port which was circular in nature and included an island in the middle:





On the way to the famous baths, we saw another necropolis:





Here are the famous Antonin baths with a view of the sea:











I remember as a kid learning about different types of columns: ionic, Punic, Carthaginian, Hellenic, and Roman. It was fun walking around the ruins:



We then headed to Byrsa Hill, which had beautiful views:







Here is our obligatory group photo which included others from the wedding who were in a different car:



Also at Byrsa Hill, was the St. Louis Cathedral which is no longer operating as a Catholic Church and is used as a community and cultural center:







We then returned to the hotel for some relaxing. I rested in the room and enjoyed the thermal baths and the hammam spa.

Tonight on the eve of the wedding, is the “all white” party in Sidi Bou Said. The town is known for its blue and white and Jason described it as “the Santorini of Tunisia”. Apparently, the famous artist, Paul Klee used to live here which is a fun fact as Papa Kim loved Klee’s work.

The bus dropped us off and we walked up a steep hill. People kept asking us “what was the occasion?” As they were surprised by the group, all clad in white. At one point, we took a group photo, and a group of Chinese tourists took a picture of us as well. I thought it was pretty funny as people continue to ask me if I’m Chinese, which is common when I’m abroad, but we actually saw some Chinese tourists today!

We had fun taking photos as the light was absolutely beautiful as the sun was setting…

















The party was scheduled to be at Dar Zarrouk which had beautiful views and free-flowing passion fruit Mojitos and Moscow Mules:





The lovely couple:



With their parents:



And all of us:



After sometime outside on the patio, we moved inside to dance up a storm, do some electric slides, and watch some dance-offs. I also learned how to the Jerusalema which is a song and dance that had gone viral. The wedding DJ was absolutely amazing and now I understand why Jason invited her!

I didn’t take any photos while I noshed on appetizers, danced, and chatted with new friends and old classmates who just arrived today. Maybe a few will get uploaded later in the group album, but I did take a selfie with these lovely ladies while on a dance break!



After the party was over, we descended the hill and boarded the bus back to the hotel. What a “night before the wedding” party!