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Fun At Nabeul Fair! - 3 May 2009

Emil And Ellis Just Want To Say.."Brits Ride Camels Better!"
Nabeul Fair - 3 May 2009

9th March 2009 - 12 Rabii al-Awal 1430
Today is a bank holiday in Tunisia
It is the Prophet Muhammad's birthday
When you hear talk of "Mouled," it can only mean one thing!
Traditional Tunisian Granny is sending round.............
"ZGOUGOU!"

The dish, Assida, which was said to have been give to the Prophet Muhammad's mother Amina, after she gave birth, can be made two ways,
based on semolina, olive oil and honey,
or with the more popular zgougou, which is made from pine nuts.
Loved all over Tunisia, it has an "acquired perfume-like taste," something not unlike the Palma Violet sweets that we all used to love or hate, as children!
As each year passes, I grow to like it just a little bit more......"Honest!"

If oranges on the trees are one of the signs of the Tunisian winter, then the gathering of the sweet smelling blossom from the orange trees to make the flower water, is one of the many signs that Spring has arrived over here.  In the country areas, no tree will be left untouched.  Blankets will be spread on the ground to collect the hundreds of little flowers painstakingly picked by hand.  Youngsters, pensioners, or even whole families will come knocking at your door, should you have just one tree, ripe for picking on your plot of land.

Bottled up rose, orange flower or geranium water will then be sold just about everywhere, from street stalls to fetes and fairs and even by the roadside, as you travel from one town to another.  The pungent scent of huge piles of pink roses, laid out for sale on Nabeul's pavements, this year, could only be described as intoxicating!

One such place, with many bottles on sale is Nabeul's Spring Fair, now in its 45th year.  This year's event in 2007 has proved to be just as entertaining as 2006. 

Crowds of people flock to shop and spend, at the wide variety of stalls, offering ceramics, artwork, chandeliers, china, brasswork, woodwork, carpets, in fact everything you need for the house, including fridge freezers and washing machines, pots and pans, curtains and bedding. 

The latest fashions, books and music, bags and shoes are on display for the stylish teenager, whilst icecreams, candyfloss, fairground rides and even a camel or two have little eyes shining in excitement!

La Foire de Nabeul can be found on Avenue Habib Bourguiba, just passed Monoprix.  It costs only 600 millimes for adults, 300 millimes for children and very small children go free. 

Fun and Shopping at Nabeul Fair
Click on any photograph to enlarge

Well worth a visit, with just a few days left, finishing on 6th May, take a stroll down there in the warm sunshine and pick up some goodies for your wardrobe or home!

Whilst the celebrations at primary school for finishing the end of term exams turned out to be nothing more than a damp squib, Dream Garden Nursery School in Beni Khiar went out with a bit of a bang!

'Fete des mamans' was the first event held at the nursery school.  The children performed singing and dancing and enjoyed a little tea party with their mums, before presenting them with a present for Mother's Day!  Very charming and very lovely!

All the hard work that the children had put in during the last few weeks of term, were displayed in a wonderful extravaganza at the town hall in Beni Khiar on Saturday night.  The children, all dressed in almost identical traditional, Tunisian outfits, and the girls wearing sparkling gold and silver shoes, glitter in their hair, earrings and makeup, looked stunning, as they excitedly rode to the performance in the decorative horse and carriages!

Getting Ready

To The Ball....Like Cinderella!

Proud mothers and fathers or grannies and grandads, in a packed hall, were entertained with singing and dancing, and children reading whole pieces of the Quran by heart! 

Stage Fright!

No Wonder....Facing All Of These People!

Dancing Begins

Parents were not left out!  Mums and dads were brought up onto the stage to give the children a laugh as they saw them perform such games as "Who could blow up the biggest balloon without it popping!"

Take A Bow, Everyone!

The children all had their photographs taken and were presented with gifts and went on their way to enjoy the long, sunny, summer holidays!