Alexandria

After our long day yesterday we had a late start. We awoke to clear skies but a noticeably cooler temperature. The high today is forecasted to be 29. Downright balmy after our 40+ degree days. We figured out how to use two very old elevators to get to the rooftop terrace for breakfast. Beautiful views!

Our first stop was the Catacombs or Kom El-Shoukafa. It was an interesting drive through downtown Alexandria, seeing lots of different shopping areas. One for fabrics, clothing and even one for just automobile parts where you could purchase 1/2 a car.

The catacombs are underground tunnels and reflect a mix of Egyptian, Greek and Roman designs on the walls and sarcophagus. The tombs do not have the ornate writings on the walls as they were built in the 1st century AD and by then people were writing on the equivalent of paper. We entered the tombs via a circular staircase. At the bottom of the staircase was a room that was considered a restaurant of sorts, where people would gather to spend time with their dead relatives. The original tombs were for wealthy people but soon the common people started building plain holes to bury their dead. There is a maze of corridors of hundreds of spaces where people were buried. By the time the Catacombs were discovered all the graves had been robbed of the bodies and treasures.

Our next stop was the Citadel, a beautiful fortress built on the harbour. It has been restored using part of the granite mosaics that were part of the Tower considered one of the Ancient wonders of the world. From the Citadel you get wonderful views of the City of Alexandria, home to 5 million people and the 2nd largest city in Egypt.

We had lunch at a wonderful fish restaurant overlooking the water.

We went next to visit the Roya Gardens where 3 beautiful palaces were built. Unfortunately, they are rarely used. The gardens contain a lot of palm trees that are all laid out in a pattern where they are in a straight line but also line up on an angle.

We drove back to our hotel along the beautiful waterfront roadway. Drinks and dinner were at the rooftop restaurant. We danced to the local singer and Ian entertained us with singing a tune. A fun night with enough drinking that we fell asleep despite the noise of the street.

An Egyptian weekend is Friday and Saturday. Add in the fact that

people are up all night during Ramadan and it makes for some pretty interesting and noisy evenings and less than busy days.