'Did you know Sicily is actually on the African tectonic plate?" I swear that's what my friend in Palermo told me. It seemed a handy, reassuring thing to know, for it meant my long Africa trip had already begun.
With ticket in hand for the 10-hour Grimaldi Lines ferry from the Sicilian capital to Tunis, I was using Palermo as a springboard for an assault on Africa. Travelling overland wherever possible, I'll explore the continent high and low, not wedded to a fixed itinerary, living on a tight budget for four to six months.
On Africa's outer rim, Palermo is edgy, vivacious and seemingly crumbling. I confess to being smitten. Late one night, on a stoop outside a gloriously seedy watering hole in the old market district, I find myself sharing a drink with a Sicilian woman who rails against the local corruption and the garbage piled up around us - all signs that this place isn't entirely European.
"One thing that really concerns me is the big crack on the floor of my apartment," she tells me later. "If there's an earthquake, that's it."
The less shaky terrain of the African mainland beckons. I board the Tunis-bound boat at midday along with several hundred mainly Tunisian passengers, a Honduran bartender named George who complains about the Tunisians complaining too much, and a group of older, bridge-playing English and American travellers who seem to be tootling around North Africa in old-fashioned roadster-type touring cars. I wish I'd got a better look at these as they passed me on the street that night in La Goulette, the main port of Tunis.
Compared with Palermo, old Tunis is a ghost town the next day. "Where is everybody?" I ask the woman at reception at Dar el Medina, the poshest hotel in the medina. The maze of narrow streets in the medieval quarter is deserted - depressing, even.
"The medina is always quiet," she says. "That's why people like it here." Maybe so, but I'm already missing the non-stop sirens of Sicily.
Lacking the budget for Dar el Medina, I check into Tunis's only youth hostel, the unimaginatively named Auberge de Jeunesse. It's a run-down palace deep in the medina, with a columned courtyard of cracked marble and dusty chandeliers. Otherwise breathtaking, the facilities here give new depth to the euphemism "basic". Water flows from the tap, albeit slowly, and the toilets do flush, so I'm happy.
Just over 24 hours later, I wondered what on earth that woman at the hotel could have possibly meant. My first experience of the oldest part of Tunis had been on a Sunday, but it turns out much of Tunisia, including nearly every shop in the medina, is closed on Sunday. On Monday, the quarter springs to life. The hostel had rented out the courtyard for the opening feast of a local wedding, and well past midnight, the throaty male voices of an a capella singing troupe echo from the tiled walls, amplified to full volume. Sleep is not even to be thought of, let alone tried. You call this quiet?
That was last night. By now, I'm almost feeling at home. The old walled quarter of Tunis has little of the madness and hassle of its larger Moroccan cousin, the famous labyrinthine medina of Fes, which is riddled with donkeys, smelly butcher shops and pestering touts.
Plus, there's a bit of harmony here that I didn't notice initially: a quiet harmony, wedding singers notwithstanding, of whitewashed walls, tiled interiors, painted shutters and studded wooden doors. On lanes too narrow for cars, the cobbles slope inward to a central gutter to collect rainwater and whatever else is poured into it; stately granite columns with floral capitals support archways with voussoirs of alternating colours, typical of Moorish architecture. It's a classy place, in other words, and it doesn't seem likely to fall into the sea any time soon.
Thinking back to Palermo, I do some research of my own and learn that Sicily is not actually on the African plate, at least not according to most maps of the Earth's crust. Perhaps that's why it already seems a world away. It's difficult to describe what one geographer calls Sicily's "complex geological picture" without getting into horrible sounding things like gneisses and schists, but according to my layman's understanding of tectonics, the Earth's major plates are all a bit crumbly around the edges.
As are most things, I suppose. Where Europe ends and Africa starts is anybody's guess. I'm on more solid ground as a vagabond traveller than as a geologist or a social geographer, so for the next few months I'll be poking my head around, trying not to worry too much what might crumble around me.
Scott MacMillan is blogging about his journey on his website, www.wanderingsavage.com
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
SPECS
Mini John Cooper Works Clubman and Mini John Cooper Works Countryman
Engine: two-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 306hp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: JCW Clubman, Dh220,500; JCW Countryman, Dh225,500
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Top 10 most polluted cities
- Bhiwadi, India
- Ghaziabad, India
- Hotan, China
- Delhi, India
- Jaunpur, India
- Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Noida, India
- Bahawalpur, Pakistan
- Peshawar, Pakistan
- Bagpat, India
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
* JP Morgan Private Bank
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
DUNE%3A%20PART%20TWO
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Denis%20Villeneuve%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Timothee%20Chamalet%2C%20Zendaya%2C%20Austin%20Butler%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company profile
Date started: December 24, 2018
Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer
Based: Dubai Media City
Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)
Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech
Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year
Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Men’s singles
Group A: Son Wan-ho (Kor), Lee Chong Wei (Mas), Ng Long Angus (HK), Chen Long (Chn)
Group B: Kidambi Srikanth (Ind), Shi Yugi (Chn), Chou Tien Chen (Tpe), Viktor Axelsen (Den)
Women’s Singles
Group A: Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn), Pusarla Sindhu (Ind), Sayaka Sato (Jpn), He Bingjiao (Chn)
Group B: Tai Tzu Ying (Tpe), Sung Hi-hyun (Kor), Ratchanok Intanon (Tha), Chen Yufei (Chn)
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
