Alexandria, Egypt Alexander was a master of city planning, siting his new city on the shores of the Mediterranean, and the delta of the Nile. He thus assured access from Egypt, Greece, Europe, India, and every market in the ancient world.
He also carefully blended Egyptian deities with Greek gods, marketing them as one and the same, just with different names, thus assuring cooperation and support from the locals. It all worked.
Today we toured some notable sites with a guide and a driver. Let’s get past the part where they showed up 40 minutes later than expected and move on to the Ras el-Tin Palace, last royally occupied by King Farouk, who knew how to live. Nasser’s army had him abdicate and move to Italy, leaving behind the palace and luxurious grounds, including a still-maintained greenhouse. It is all now public space, except for the palace. The King would sit on the couch in the greenhouse and listen to imported birds and his private orchestra. And, at his feet, the Mediterranean.
It was amusing to see that his precious imported plants were mostly what we have available as common houseplants in our part of the world.
Farouk also had a private train at his disposal. It was top of the line for the 40’s.
I found the next site the most stunning. Ancient Alexandria was known for its library, one of the wonders of the world. Though it was burned to the ground two thousand years ago, a new marvel has risen in its place. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is 25 years old, and is a gorgeous building filled with light, meaning and dedicated to the written word of all countries.
We went next to the Catacombs of Kom ash-Shuqqata, dating from the 2nd century AD. the largest Greco-Roman necropolis in Egypt. All the bodies and tombs are gone, but the shaft down which bodies were lowered three levels still remains. Mourning families would come and dine to pay respects, so it must have been quite the busy place. The steps winding around the main shaft were very dizzying and crowded. Everyone wants to see where the dead hung out.
We then did a drive-by of Pompey’s Pillar, all that remains of the temple to Serapis, built in the mid-3rd century BC.
Our lunch was on a rooftop of a hotel overlooking the Roman theatre currently being excavated. You can’t build anything in this town without hitting an antiquity.
Travel note: We return to Cairo tomorrow armed with wipes, and then fly to Luxor. Busy day!
Don’s Food Corner
Alexandria is supposedly famous for its fish restaurants. As part of the tour, we were given lunch at a fish restaurant, although I don’t think at one of the notable restaurants or mayben even one of the better ones. But we go with what we get.
The meal started with a few small dishes. Fava bean hummus. A little mixed salad. Baba ghanoush. And some pita bread. Jo really liked the fava bean hummus and cleaned up both servings. I thought it was a little strangely sweet and lacking in seasoning. But for Jo to be so enthusiastic about anything other than weiner schnitzel, it’s high praise that we don’t question.
We were asked if we wanted the fish fried or grilled. Jo chose fried; I went with grilled. The main event arrived without any indication of what breed of fish we were to eat. It’s hard to say except that it was some type of firm white fish. No complaints, but it too could have used some salt and other seasonings.
With it was a grain dish that I had a hard time identifying. I thought it was barley. But it turned out to be a regional specialty that is traditionally served with fish. It was short-grain Egyptian rice that had been prepared with carmelized onion and some spices (but not too much) and fish stock.
It appears that Egyptians are anti-spice. I mentioned to one Egyptian guy I spoke to that I had been to India. He reeled back in horror. Too much spice! I guess even though Egypt served as a trading conduit between India and Europe, they didn’t keep much of the goods for themselves as it traveled through. Their loss.