Catching up with holiday photos. The refectory, still in use, at the St Macarius Monastery.
A very early breakfast, warm and bright and just us on the rooftop terrace, our last morning in Alexandria. Again kept breakfast light, and Dave now seemed okay, E was better but Ian had started to suffer. Our minibus took us back to Cairo with a couple of stops. Good thing as it was a long drive and my backache which I thought had been improving, had worsened, probably because of the terribly soft mattress. Sitting down for any length of time was murder.
Stopped at the working Coptic Christian St Macarius Monastery - a collection of several buildings, highlights being beautiful old stone chapels with ancient domes, wall paintings and icons, relics, and psalm books in Coptic. A very pleasant and knowledgeable monk gave us a tour and read us the Lord's Prayer in Coptic.
Outside in the leafy courtyard, sparrows and martins were cheeping and hopping about and we saw a hoopoe plus the dove with a ruddy breast common to these parts. Bought apple cider vinegar from their produce shop and Arafa treated us to ice creams, all made in the monastery.
Drove on to a café-cum-supermarket for Egyptian pizzas or fiteer, huge pastry discs served with dips: honey, molasses, an odd butter, and feta cheese. Very hot, fatty and delicious.
Back in Cairo, the afternoon was spent in the wonderful Egyptian Museum, thankfully, as it was extremely hot now. Arafa gave us a tour of the highlights including the Tutankhamen mask - so amazing to see that, could have gazed on it for ages. Also interesting were the sculptures and reliefs of Akhenaten and his family (wife Nefertiti), the longest papyrus full of interesting detailed drawings, and the mummies of course. Returned to the Flamenco Cairo Hotel after, very tired and achy.
Packed and rested before dinner at the hotel restaurant with great views over the Nile and city. Lovely grilled salmon with veg and fries, but alas my tummy had a turn after.
King Khafre
https://365project.org/boxplayer/extras/2024-04-24
24 April 2024
Between Alexandria and Cairo, Egypt
Great shot.
Is the new museum open yet?
Ian