Mahdia Restaurants

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Erosion has not just been eating away at East Anglia...a small part of Mahdia has also fallen into the sea, and to reach the spectacularly situated Cafe Sidi Salem by the coast road, you now have to laugh in the face of warning signs and hurdle a barrier, before skirting the edge of a half-fallen-away road. If this was England, half the roads in Tunisia would probably be sectioned off due to health and safety, but thankfully this is Tunisia, so even the most perilous path attracts the masses...and I don't just mean thrillseeking teenagers...most of the people I saw ignoring danger signs were middle aged headscarved women.

Anyway, I digress...once you've danced with death or at least mild discomfort, perhaps a small coma, you can recuperate with a glass of mint tea and watch the fishing boats. An idyllic scene? Well, yes, it used to be...but since half the cliff fell away, Mahdia's gouvernement is attempting to build some sort of sea defence, and instead of fishing boats chugging out to sea, you are entertained with JCBs dumping boulders and rubble into the shape of an ugly breakwater. Still, the tea is good, and the views of the sea are still there.

if falling off a cliff doesn't appeal, and you can't be bothered to take the detour (a five minute walk, but most Tunisians can't be bothered either), then head to one of the outdoor cafes in Place du Caire, a shady square where locals and tourists gather to sip tea, smoke nargile, gossip, and ogle at each other.