Sousse - Substance over style

When travelling, it's all nice and fine to go to some pretty place or awesome beach or ancient monument. But there are times you just need a city, not a capital, just a city. Perhaps a visit to a travel agent. Maybe a place to fix your broken shoes. And if that city has some touristy things up for offer, all the better. Tunisias' second largest city of Sousse is kinda like that. A fully functional city representing normal daily life of Tunisians, but also with it's touristy side. As with most cities in the region, Sousse centres around the old Medina (shopping district). These are typically walled off mini-cities, surrounding a central mosque. Sousse is a bit of an exception to this general layout. The mosque is not in the middle of the Medina, but at the front. And the other interesting thing about it is it doesn't have a minaret. Next to the mosque is a well preserved Ribat. It's a fort/religious school used by Muslims several hundred years ago. The one in Sousse is nice, but the one in nearby Monastir is better. Once past these two buildings, the Medina is a typical example of others you might see in Tunisia. For the first couple hundred metres, the shops are filled with gaudy tourist tat with shop keepers ready to pounce at the slight smell of interest. But once past the initial onslaught, the alleyway mellow out. And taking any side street reveals the living area with is without any hassle at all.

But the thing about Sousse is it's much more than a couple old building and a Medina. This is a city. Not a glitzed up like the capital Tunis. Not let to complete decay like Gabes. But a working 9 to 5, commuting on the bus, shopping in the evening city. A place where people wear the latest fashions and traditional clothing. Street side cafes pour into the sidewalks as they fill with locals and tourists. And don't get me wrong, there are tourist. PLENTY of them. Sousse is developing in to the largest tourist resort in the area. And with other nearby resorts at Monastir and Port El Kantaoui in the city on day trips, it can at times feel like there are more tourist than locals. But it's the element of being in a city, not a resort, that somehow absorbs the flood of pale legs.

But besides being a place with a few attractions to pass the time and a ok beach, Sousse is a great city to base yourself for day trip to many points of interest nearby. An hour west is the holy city of Kairouan. 45 minutes east is sea side resort of Monastir. An hour south is the colosseum at El Jem. And not too far down the coast is the more laid-back resort of Mehdia. Not to mention easy bus, train or louage connections to Tunis, Gabes or pretty much anywhere else in the country. All this makes Sousse a pretty good place to fully occupy yourself for about a week.