May 2025
We stopped in El Jem (population: 21,000) on the way back to Tunis from the Sahara region. We found a good grill restaurant right across from the main entrance to the amphitheatre.
We didn’t find the town particularly charming in any way. But it has the biggest Roman amphitheatre outside of Italy. It used to hold 35,000 people, they say. Walking around the complex, I felt there were a lot of stories buried there.
So I asked Google what sort of stuff went on in these venues during Roman times.
Sorry I asked. No wonder I’ve never really been attracted to the amphitheatres.
I almost chose Kairouan as the lunch stop instead of El Jem. That would have been a completely different experience since Kairouan is all about the mosques. But it’s a much bigger city (population: 200,000+) and going in and out would have taken much longer.
We could have done both if we were willing to add a couple more hours to the trip. We admit we are lazy (or laid back?) travelers who don’t have to see/do everything, though.
Small Wide World 