For visitors and Tunisians alike Hammamet is another word for vacations and its ritual of sun bathing on spotless beaches, the gasp of cool water on bronzed skin, dinner on the patio of a beachfront hotel , midnight swims, discos and watching the sun rise in the mirror of the sea. Hammamet, the "Tunisian Saint Tropez", is all this and more. Its a way of life, taking the time to relax , meet old friends and make new ones.It's fishermen in brightly painted boats setting out at dawn, the medina surrounded by its ramparts and crowned by an ancient fort overlooking the sea, fashionable boutiques where resplendent traditional tunics and caftans rival the shimmering sun.