4 November

Today was the day in Alexandria, so I was awake at 0545, finally up at 0600 and, after the usual preparations, I was down for breakfast by 0630. After a very leisurely breakfast I was back up at 0745 to finish preparations and be down for the bus at 0755. We finally left at 0810 and headed off – to the right for a kilometre past the palace to do a U-turn and go back past the hotel. We drove through the city and did a tour before arriving at the catacombs, where there were no photos allowed. We went down into one burial area, currently believed to be that of one family and then had a look at another tomb which had been moved there, before we headed off through back streets with a banana to eat until we arrived at Pompey’s pillar (the tale here proved the pillar needed to get a head to be famous). After the story of that, we looked around the site of the temple, medical area and library. We then progressed to the Fort of Qait, where we heard about the lighthouse(s) and the fort consequently constructed here. The waterfront was lined with souvenir sellers who can best be described as treating each other with animosity. I got a few things to give out when I got home (so I can’t say what they were or cost, in case a reader gets one). We left and had lunch at a seafood restaurant. While waiting we had a persistent carpet salesman who refused to give in despite nonsensical queries from some people and eventually sold two carpets to one of our number. There was also a good view of the fishing fleet, at anchor during the day.
After the lunch, Hesham got a call and we soon learned that Bob’s luggage had been found and should be at the hotel tonight.
Pur next stop was the Alexandria library, where we had a tour and look around. I succumbed to temptation at the library shop and bought a book about the Cairo Museum, which we had only had a cursory look around despite the interesting material there. It’s quite heavy, so I’ll have to carry it as reading material on the flight home.
It was then a quick drive back to the hotel and more bananas were distributed along the way.
At the hotel I went up to my room to get rid of superfluous material, then went for a walk with Sue and Lynn along the beachfront. Along the way we ran into Fifi and Joelle, and we all went to the supermarket to look around. I got some stuff there, then had a coffee with Sue and chips after Lynn had bought some (she made me have them). Then, after dark and with a good breeze, we went back to the hotel. I went to my room, processed the day’s photos and partially wrote my blogs, then went to sleep (some of the washing was not yet dry).