Time Off: STAR RATING; Ewan Ross finds the force - and the rain is with him on a sci-fi trip to Tunisia.(Features) From: Liverpool Echo (Liverpool, England) | Date: May 17, 2005 | COPYRIGHT 2005 MGN Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

Byline: Ewan Ross

IT RAINED the day I visited Matmarta - a surprising little town in Tunisia.

But hey, this was the first time in eight years that this cluster of houses bordering the Sahara desert had seen the wet stuff.

Splendid. A sci-fi fan, I was on a trip taking in the sets of the Star Wars films in anticipation of the new movie which open this week at cinemas around the country.

So a few much-needed raindrops were hardly going to ...