Blogs from Mediterranean, Egypt, Africa - page 5

Alexandria is where I call home in Egypt. It’s where I spent my teenage years, graduated from High School and University and where my family still lives. There is a mysterious charm about the place and I can’t get enough of it. It has a unique mix of culture, you can still sense the European presence that once existed, the Mediterranean laid back attitude and the Egyptian hospitality. When I am in Cairo I long to be in Alexandria with my family and going for early Friday morning walks along the Corniche (sea road). It is an unspoken ritual/tradition that Fridays are family days and on that day we give our mothers a rest from laboring in the kitchen and go out to eat. My Dad loves food and I think I inherited his passion for ... read more

After a breakfast at the rooftop restaurant overlooking the sunny city, we headed off to explore the famous Biblioteca Alexandrine. It is believed that the new Alexandria library is on the site of the original ancient library (by the same name). It was the center of knowledge and learning of the ancient world and it housed a million papyrus scrolls with knowledge of the time. It was built in approximately 200BC (I need to check my dates on this) and only survived about 400 years when it burned down. Only one papyrus scroll survived the fire and is now housed in a museum in Vienna. The new library was built on the same site and finished in 2002. It's designed in the shape of a sun disk, representing the sun rising on the Mediterranean as the ... read more

My apologies for the dealy in publishing this. Here is an account of my weekend in Alexandria. Most of this was written on Saturday night, but this is the first chance I've had to get it out. -MG 5 June 2010 1927 (GMT +3) Alexandria, Egypt That’s right. I’ve ventured outside the confines of Cairo and am reporting to you now from a spot overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Alexandria is definitely a city with history, even more so than Cairo. As we all know, it was founded by Alexander the Great in 332 BC, during the Macedonian king’s campaign against the Persian Empire. (Cairo was not founded until the 10th Century AD.) In fact, the Persians at the time controlled Egypt, and their rule is considered the 31st and final Egyptian dynasty. (We did all know ... read more

Back on the road for a little pan-african trip of two weeks. This trip is actually a long serie of "side-trips". Main reason for it is the lower amount of flights available intra-africa...the fact that I'm still in the rat race for the proper miles and proper cards...as it is making such a huge difference when you travel....specially in the back of the plane. So first stop, Egypt. Well, let me tell you that first, this entry will certainly not attract the same attention as our last one...few days ago...for sure, Ma'ri is not on the trip. I'm also eagerly waiting for Leslie next school holidays...and to hit the road the best way...three of us together! Back to Egypt, as this is my third trip here. each trip add some new places, this time on the ... read more

Okay here are the photos - we had run out of time. Hey we would appreciate your comments too!!... read more