Remembering Djerba... a thalassotherapy destination

If you want to enjoy thalassotherapy in a warm and scenic country, that is not too far away and not exorbitant, I would recommend delightful Djerba. It is a beautiful small island in the south of Tunisia, 2 hours from Geneva. Known as the Island of Dreams, it is a good place for people who are looking for calm and tranquillity. It has a nice beach and is heaven for thalassotherapy. Most of the residents are equally fluent in French and Arabic.

After seeing the pictures of my last vacation out there (a few years ago), my entourage fell in love with Djerba. I thought... hmmmm... maybe it's also going to please my dear readers.

The dream hotel where I have always stayed, the Radisson Blu Palace Resort & Thalasso Djerba, is simply splendid: beautiful architecture, right at the water’s edge, with a stunning lush garden and an interior patio, friendly staff and a great quality of service. It is half an hour away from the airport, with a minibus service to take you to and from the hotel.

This luxury and family-friendly hotel, with an All-Inclusive option, has a nice white sandy beach only a few steps away. The Athénée Thalasso & Spa is where you can indulge in pampering treatments, including cryotherapy, seaweed wraps, massages, passotherapy, etc…

The meals or, I should say, feasts were composed of dozens of dishes. We didn't know what to choose, there was so much and all the dishes were really succulent. They often organised an Arabic theme night which was a good opportunity to taste the famous national dish, couscous, prepared in hundreds of different ways from sweet to very hot.

During my stay, my routine was to swim lengths of the beach, I also used to go for long walks along the beach.... and I ended the afternoon in the 1,100-square-meter outdoor pool, with a bar area and great music.

Sometimes I went for a horse ride in the area (you can rent horses on the beach). I had thalasso treatments almost every day, each time a different one. I was advised by a Tunisian friend to use an excellent and affordable institute outside because I thought the hotel thalasso was a bit pricey...

On my last visit I occupied a Deluxe Sea View Room, a big bedroom of about 42 m2, decorated in warm colours with a gorgeous and spacious bathroom.

Sometimes I took a ride to the market in Midoun. A taxi took us for the 7 km trip for a modest amount.... Here the taxi drives wait for the customers for the return journey and they are very nice, like all the Tunisians I met. They are kind and warm people; this is the image I have kept of them. We saw many veiled women, with either traditional costumes or bright costumes with very pretty colours and patterns.

During my holidays I went on several excursions to give me an insight into the culture of the island of Djerba. Here are some places and villages on the island.

Djerba's small capital, Houmt Souk (9.5 km from Midoun) is the main town on the island. It is the largest city and one of the most beautiful places with an abundance of cafes and terraces and shops selling rugs, souvenirs and crafts. The Houmt Souq Harbour is well worth a visit.

Tunisian carpet weaving workshops in Houmt Souk... here you can watch the skill of the ladies as they weave silk carpets.

Guellala Pottery Museum & Village (28Km de Midoun).  A lovely museum housed in a fine example of Djerba architecture which traces the rich history of pottery making in this village which dates back to the Roman times.

There are said to be some 450 potters in this tiny village, the centre for exquisite handmade ceramics. I adored the visit to one of their workshops.

The El Ghriba Synagogue (10.9 km from Midoun) is the oldest one in the world. In the interior of the island amid run down colonial properties, there survives one of the last Jewish communities in North Africa, with its Synagogue El Ghriba, Erriadh.

Borj El K'bir Fort (15 km from Midoun) is a fort that was built for defence purposes during the 15th century. Once we had climbed to the top of the fort we were rewarded with panoramic views.

Finally, for a bit of a thrill, if you are fascinated by strange creatures, you can visit the Crocodiles Farm. It is constructed like a traditional village you would find on the Nile River and it is inhabited by crocodiles that, fully grown can be as long as 5 - 6 metres!  I didn't visit it because I'm terrified of these creatures.

I hope you enjoyed this suggested holiday destination.

Note: Make sure you verify the latest security information prior to reserving.

Radisson Blu Palace Resort & Thalasso Djerba Website: www.radissonblu.com/en/resort-djerba

Café De La Paix

On a recent Friday, sweetheart and I decided to test this brasserie, which had taken my eye some time ago.

It exceeded our expectations: we were literally conquered, as you will be when you finish reading this.

It is situated between the Bains and Jonction neighbourhoods, not far from the banking quarter. This is reflected in its clientele, made up of people from the nearby TV studios and university and bank executives. There is a great relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

We loved the decor: made from salvaged and recycled objects that have been rendered pretty and functional: very original. A few days later I went back to take more pictures of the decor, without disturbing the customers.

Upon our arrival we were placed at a table by the large glass windows overlooking the main street.

The menu is small and changes according the seasons and the creativity of the chef. We opted for the “Menu of the day” at a very reasonable CHF 34 for a starter, main course and dessert.

Menu

We ordered 5 dl of "Yo no puedo mas", a very pleasant red wine from Languedoc.

Starter: French toast with mushrooms and crayfish sauce.

Main dish: Roast beef hanger steak, fried potatoes, mustardy carrot purée.

Sweetheart’s dessert: Pear poached in red wine.

I chose an à la carte dessert: Runny dark chocolate fondant and white Toblerone, pear sorbet.

The dishes we tasted were worthy of a Michelin restaurant. My darling, who is accustomed to business lunches in prestigious restaurants, agreed on this point. The bill came to CHF 112,00 (5 dl of wine and coffee included).

If you visit Geneva, or live here, this is a fabulous venue for its service, dishes, atmosphere, price and neighbourhood.

Sculptures on the path by the river, near the restaurant.

Café de la Paix

Bd Carl Vogt 61

1205 Genève

Tel.: +41 22 301 11 88

The restaurant is open Monday to Friday for lunch and dinner.

The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman by Denis Thériault (2004)

Bilodo had been intercepting her letters for two years now, and whenever he spotted one while sorting his post, he always experienced the same shock, the same shiver of awe. He would quietly slip that letter inside his jacket and only allow himself to show any emotion once he was alone on the road, turning the envelope over and over, fingering the exciting promise.

Secretly steaming open envelopes and reading the letters inside, Bilodo has found an escape from his lonely and routine life as a postman. When one day he comes across a mysterious letter containing only a single haiku, he finds himself avidly caught up in the relationship between a long-distance couple, who write to each other using only beautiful poetry. He feasts on their words, vicariously living a life for which he longs. But it will only be a matter of time before his world comes crashing down around him…

Author: Denis Thériault is a writer born on August 24, 1959 on the north shore of the Gulf of St Lawrence, near Sept-Iles, Quebec. Denis Thériault has a degree in psychology and is an award-winning screenwriter who lives with his family in Montreal. Denis Thériaul’s first novel, L’iguagne (The Iguana), was published to great critical acclaim and won three major literary prizes. The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman is his second novel.

My thoughts: I read this book last June but restarted in February and read it in a couple of days. This is going to sound silly, but I’ve always been fascinated by letters and enjoy thinking about the bits of life and news they carry. I loved The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman, a beautiful, tragic and touching book. I found the characters delightful and Bilodo very touching. Although the book only has a hundred pages, it is not simple to read. It is brilliantly written, but requires concentration to immerse yourself in the text.
This is a story of obsession and love. The central character is Bilodo, a twenty-seven years old postman, a loner, who escapes from his monotonous life by creating a parallel reality. Bilodo has taken to stealing people's mail, steaming open the envelopes and reading the letters inside. Thus it is that he comes across Ségolène's letters. She is corresponding with Grandpré, a master poet, and each of their letters is composed of haikus. The simplicity and elegance of their poems move Bilodo and he begins to fall in love with Ségolène. By a stroke of fate, in the form of Grandpré’s death, Bilodo takes huge risks to stay in contact with Ségolène, a Guadeloupean teacher. He takes over her deceased correspondent’s apartment, immersing himself in Grandpré’s personality and learning the art of Japanese haiku poetry.

Philippe Pascoët - Swiss Master Chocolate Maker

As you know, I love celebrating every occasion and for Valentine's Day I added these chocolates to the other presents I offered to sweetheart, simply because chocolate is all about celebration.  It is to be tasted and savoured, rather than eaten.

I know that the majority of you are chocolate addicts. So, when you visit Geneva, you will now know where to buy exquisite Swiss chocolates to offer to your loved ones and friends. In matters of chocolate, nothing is better than Pascoët. They pride themselves on the extremely high quality of their chocolate truffles and ganache, their motto being "the alliance of exquisite and surprising flavours".

The Philippe Pascoët dark chocolates are the perfect alliance of exquisite and surprising ganache flavours: rosemary, sage, basil, mint: so delicate, unexpected, surprising and captivating. The marriage of flavours (dark chocolate truffles and original ganache) is subtle and yet daring. Their chocolate truffles will seduce you.

Passage des Lions (Geneva Centre)

Rue Saint-Joseph 12, 1227 Carouge