Many Tunisian medinas (such as those of Tunis or Sousse) are built as true labyrinths with no apparent logic for first-time visitors, but this structure historically served to protect against heat and invaders, creating natural shade and passages difficult to navigate.
For me, this was perhaps the most "local" short trip I have ever taken.
I was hosted for a week by a friend I had met during the months I lived in Turkey. We hadn't seen each other for a year and we had decided to meet again in Tunisia. She welcomed me into the home she shared with her sister in Tunis, and from the very first moment I felt part of their everyday life.
It was a wonderful experience, lived fully as a true local. I was not just a passing traveller: I was inside everyday life, with its rhythms, its habits and its small routines.
The cuisine was one of the most memorable parts: everything was very flavourful and often spicy, rich in spices I had never experienced in such an intense way.
I tasted typical dishes such as Tunisian couscous, often prepared with vegetables and meat; the brik with egg, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside; lablabi, a spiced chickpea soup, intensely flavourful; and shakshuka, with eggs cooked in a sauce of tomatoes, peppers and spices. Every dish had a strong, decisive character, and the spice was almost always present.
During that week I lived Tunisian daily life through the most authentic alleyways of Tunis, where the city's chaos and vitality blend in a unique way. But we also explored the surroundings, including Sidi Bou Said, with its white and blue houses overlooking the sea, and the beautiful Djerba, with its more relaxed landscapes and almost timeless atmosphere.
Tunisia, as I experienced it, was not merely a destination to visit, but a place to inhabit even if only for a few days. A short trip, yes, but intense, authentic and profoundly human.