Tunis day 2

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I was unable to download the pictures from my camera, so the next two blog entries will be picture-less. I'm sorry about that, but am hopeful that I will get the connection back on track tomorrow.

Today was our first full tour day and we covered a lot to sights. Our first destination was a walk through the souk (traditional Arab market) located in the heart of the old part of Tunis. While some of our group shopped for souvenirs, I sat down to have a coffee. Our tour bus then took us to the other side of town to visit the Bardo Museum. It is famous for its huge collection of mosaics from the Roman world. North Africa was part of the Roman Empire and many of the floor and wall mosaics have survived from that time. Pre-Christian Rome was fascinated by Greek culture and one of the mosaics at the Bardo shows the scene where Ulysses has himself tied to the mast in order to hear the Sirens' song. Besides myself, other people in the group were interested in seeing the American Military Cemetery, so we made an unscheduled stop. My particular interest focuses on Maggie's father who was in North Africa during WWII in the First Armored Division under Patton. I am not sure exactly where in Tunisia he served - the First Armored Division was spread over the entire north half of the country - but he likely passed through Tunis at some point. The tour then went on to the see the ancient Carthage. Although tradition states that Rome razed the city of Carthage at the end of the Punic Wars, a few ruins remain. Nearby are the more substantial Roman ruins, including the Antonine Bath complex that overlooks the Bay of Tunis.

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