This morning we visited Monastir, which is just south of Sousse. The town has a fine ribat (fort) built by the Muslims to defend against the potential Christian invaders in the 10th century. It has been extensively restored & was used in "The Life of Brian" as a set. The major attraction apart from beaches is the Bourguiba mausoleum that he had built for himself during his long presidency. It houses the tombs of his family also & is quite impressive. He seems to be almost venerated by the people & his times are seen as a kind of golden age. We wandered in the medina with narrow passages between the houses & enjoyed seeing the range of products available.

After lunch, back in Sousse, we went to the ribat to see the recently re-opened museum of 2nd century AD mosaics & artefacts taken from villas in the area, in its courtyard. These were truly stunning, in size, quality & preservation. The tessera (stones) were tiny & the detail in them was amazing comparable with anything we have ever seen. The craftsmen & artists of the area were famous throughout the Roman Empire. Apparently only the Bardo museum in Tunis has as good works. Our guide then led us through the old quarter back to our hotel in Sousse. Still no sense re the AC so we slept with the balcony door open & were visited by the mosquitoes much to Dick's disgust.