1855 km, 10 days, 9 nights - our Holidays in The South Day 1

Day one,

Packing, packing packing. The plan is set, the kids ready, travel cot packed, hundreds of bags, little bags, sun tan lotion etc - packed. Juice and Wetabeex - packed..so what do we need to do? Go to Victors Traditional Tunisian Dress Day at School and go to Lea's Birthday party - then collect Gillouz at work and go down from Tunis to Monastir where our first stop is and first night booked and hotel Monastir Beach.

1. Party number 1 - Tunisian Dress Day - oh my Gosh - all the kids hyped on chocolate and wearing traditional clothes, girls with make up - music blasting, parents taking photos (yes me too), stuffed camel and the well..- check for yourself!

2. Party no. 2 - Lea's birthday - more sweets! ok hyped like a chimp in the space ("SPACE") ready to go - time 17:00 - Gillouz still at work - Mama Ania furious!

3. Ready - steady go!

Finally we left - day - 19/03/2010 Friday - both kids sleeping in the back of the car - Kia Rio flying south. Around 21h arrived to Monastir - got lost of course and finally managed - thanks to Gillou - to find the beach and on that beach Monastri Beach hotel - Damn you Routard! Seeing Gillou's face coming back from the hotel said it all - we just did the runner - yes yes my wife in the car with the kids I will just get her - oh yea..off we went - what a strange place..not recommend it at all!

So there we were in Monastir with nowhere to stay, but still very lucky! we found Framissima Regency hotel right in the middle of Monastir - right in the centre on the beach (very smelly one - the beach that is)

Let me revert to my notes from that night..

Room is huge. Hotel located just next to Port de Plesaince with blue doors and blue furniture - we are in the round tower and can see Port de Plesance and swimming pool on the other side. Location - Medina and the Beach - downside - the beach stinks! The seaweed is just there as its not high season so they don't clean it. - price is great 110 DTN for all of us. Food delivered to the room - delish! (octopus, prawns, pasta for Victor, Tunisian pastry complementary, bottle of wine and water - 55 DTN. Service and people - extremely nice. We feel like at home.

Note: image to remember (which I managed to forget!) the cat sitting snugly in the revolving door of the hotel entrance - that comes back even if you try to shove him way with your leg (Gillou) - assumes the position and looks comfy as ever!

Tomorrow Monastir, Mahdia, Sfax and the Islands - but first we need to switch off the light and Victor has to sleep - its 1 am!