Come rain, come shine, the Tunisians were smiling. It was wonderful to see so many Tunisian families enjoying themselves, especially at the hotel Sahara Douz on the edge of the desert, where they arrived by the coach load, intent on having a lovely, happy time. This hotel is popular with Japanese visitors too, no doubt making a whistle-stop tour of the whole country.

Then, would you ever believe, we met a Belgian hunting party in the hotel bar – they visit southern Tunisia in search of wild boar. I had no idea these animals even existed over here. The ones that get culled are fed to the carnivorous felines at the local zoo – bacon for breakfast for the lucky lions and tigers.

The weather in March is variable. Last year, boiling hot, punctuated by sandstorms. This year, some days hot, some cold, some windy, and then there was the rain – for the tourists, not ideal, but for the locals, especially the Saharan Bedouin, a benediction, which I was able to witness first hand from atop my ship of the desert, Zeydoun. He wasted no time in hoovering up the tender green grasses, plants and herbs springing from the damp ground, some of which only last for three or four months, others that provide sustenance for the goats, sheep, and camels all year round, provided that is, that the heavens look down upon them favourably.

Spring is a time of celebration the world over, but never more so than in the Tunisian Sahara, when the Bedouin abandon their settled village houses for their traditional nomadic way of life, pitching their handwoven tents amongst the delicately scented bushes where children mingle happily with donkeys, horses, mules, hens and rabbits. Whether two legged or four, it’s holiday time!

Back on the Isle of Djerba, we treated ourselves to a weekend at the delightful boutique hotel Dar Dhiafa, an oasis of calm and charm in the farming/countryside village of Erriadh which has pretty houses and intriguing shops, one of which belongs to an artist who upcycles unwanted objects and materials into colourful objets d’art – his pieces are unique. We spent the rest of our stay in the hotel Dar Salem, overlooking the Mediterranean – we already know several of the staff working there, and look upon them as friends; a terrific addition to the team is a new recruit by the name of Mahdi, who works on reception. This young man’s bubbling enthusiasm never fails to lift one’s spirits. I believe he will go far within the hospitality industry, though I have already earmarked him as a budding film star!

Since our last visit to Djerba in October 2016, a huge effort has been made everywhere on the island to clear the rubbish. The hotel Dar Faiza where I have stayed for the past ten years has done the same – not one single item of litter spoiling the enchanting garden – what an improvement; the building itself is undergoing a massive refurbishment, hopefully re-opening in September, an exciting prospect.

All in all, this was an upbeat visit. Just one person missing though – Monir, the handsome cameleer on the beach whose mysterious face, once seen, never forgotten (click on Gallery 2 on my website) will no longer tread the white Djerbian sands, his dromedaries padding silently behind him. If I understood correctly from his colleague Khalifa, who looks after the riding horses on the beach, Monir has opted for a wife and a new life in the white snows of Switzerland. I wish him well, come rain, come shine.