The scene gets more exotic in Sousse

I love Sousse. I had been searching for Tunisian tilework to decorate my garden since my arrival, and had seen nothing but mass-produced stuff. Finally, in Sousse, a proper tile shop.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start at the beginning of the day, in the spa. From the impressive domed space where we made our reservations, a long hall leads to the main spa areas. Fountains of arab design cascade water down the walls and all the floors are of highly polished white marble. At the end of the hall you come to a big square atrium with a pavilion in the middle where a girl is brewing tea. There are atrium gardens on each side and song birds in cages. Upstairs, massage rooms radiate in two half circles from the atrium lobby.

Fortunately Hillary had prepared me for the possibility of a masseur rather than a messeuse, so I wasn't as horrified as I might have been when the wiry Tunisian lad came in and helped me off with my bathrobe. Perhaps not surprising, then, that this was the most vigorous massage I've ever had, really digging down into knots and stretching things out. Suitably relaxed, I joined the girls at the pool for a few hours before our afternoon excursion.

Sousse is the third largest city in Tunisia and just 15 minutes by taxi from the hotel. The feel of the old town, however, is totally different from Tunis. In the capital, the souks wind away from a square of 19th century French colonial buildings. In Sousse, the 1000-year old crenelated walls are intact and the entry square is bordered by the mosque dating from 900 ad and the ribat, a defensive castle cum monastery built for a Muslim equivalent of the Knights Templar. The sand coloured walls and round topped towers make you feel that you've dropped into the set of one of those French foreign legion films from the '50s.

The souks here sell much of the same stuff as in Tunis but with far fewer crowds. This means that there's also a lot more hard sell, as people invite you in for coffee or literally tug on your sleeve. If you do wish to buy something, this can actually turn into quite a pleasant experience as you sit down and are given the special treatment. The biggest difference from Tunis, topographically, is that the old city of Sousse runs up a hill, making the streets even more picturesque.

I would be hard pressed to find the tile shop again. All I know is that after much wandering I finally came upon a shop that did nothing but hand painted tiles in a variety of patterns and configurations. Exactly what I wanted for the garden. After some moderate bargaining, and allowing the young shop keeper to stroke my hair, which for some reason fascinated him, we struck a deal that satisfied us both. I got a central mural made up of 8 standard-sized tiles and two single side tiles approx 8 inches by 12 inches, for 50 dinars. Which is about £18. It will cost me more to pay my handyman to install them than it cost me to buy them.

After more shopping and a late lunch in the picturesque cafe de casbah, we set off in search of the Dar Essid museum. We narrowly averted a rather monumental mistake when a local man blocked our way and turned us around as we tried to go through a gate that was "as the crow flies" in the direction of the building. We later discovered that it was the red light district. Not a tourist version like Amsterdam's, but a state-sanctioned, entirely enclosed area with just one entry and exit, the gate we'd almost passed through.

We followed the wall of the district and finally came to our objective: a rich merchant's house, foundations 1000 years old, rooms and furnishings laid on over the centuries. There's amazing tile work throughout. Wife no. 1 and no. 2 had bedroom complexes across from each other. In the room of no. 1 you can see an ancient Roman lamp which, legend has it, was there as a guide to the man. He was to make love to his wife as long as the lamp burned and couldn't stop 'til it burned out. A rare piece of girl power in this country. But clearly the care and concern for the female didn't last long. You can see the much smaller bed across the room that the woman was supposed to move to to sleep once love making was concluded.

Upstairs at Dar Essid you can see kitchens and another drawing room, and climb up the tower that's the second highest point in Sousse. You can also have a coffee in a cafe with expansive views. That includes a look directly down into the aforementioned red light district. We were fascinated to watch the men coming and going at a furious pace. And this on Friday afternoon, the Muslim holy day.

Leaving the old town we plunged into the 4 story, fixed price shopping bazzar next to the main entry to the old town and realised this is where we should have started. It gives you benchmark prices, many of which are lower than you'd get haggling in the souks. My tiles still turned out to be a good deal, but I bought small gifts for others here. And if I were to buy a carpet, I'd do it here. Quality, range and price were great.

We had originally thought to eat dinner in Sousse, but found the hotel and restaurant district here to be package tour hell. In comparison, Port al Kantaoui is quiet, refined and sophisticated. So we returned "home" and tried our third place on the marina: the Restaurant des Emirs. Ironically, this wasn't in the guidebooks but we felt it was better food, and better value, than the two that were.

Thus almost a whole week falls behind us. Just one more day of adventure and sun left.