PARIS

I can't believe I am here. I just can't believe it.

Once I arrived at the hotel, I couldn't wait to get out into the streets and after only two street corners I saw this glittering monument... a xmas tree perhaps? As the fog cleared, I realised it was, well... see for yourself.

So after a day of virtually no food, I sat in a restaurant in the presence of the Eiffel Tower. Look at that. And it is here that began to realise the true value of the Euro. I had a great french dish of stewed beef and vegetables just like the one Richard Ayoade and Mel Giedroyc in Travel Man. This simple meal cost 40 Euro. Crikey!

This is the location of my hotel:

I chose this location so as to be walking distance to the galleries. What I was not aware of, is it's inclusion in the Triangle d'Or (Golden Triangle). After some walking about the highly decorated and xmas-lit streets looking for a chemist I realised the only stores in the area are haute-couture, high fashion stores (Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton etc.). The Dior buildings are amazing.

But, my focus was on cake.

"Where's the fucking cake?" I thought, then I found Laduree.

I couldn't wait to take a photo of the cake so here's a shot of the evidence where cake had been. It was nice, rose petal cream, raspberries, choux pastry. Yep. Cake satisfaction!

I went to bed early and unpacked because I had left the hotel in Cairo at 6am and only just arrived at my Paris hotel around 5pm and all that sitting was exhausting.

Day 1: Friday 22 December.

After the breakfasts at the Grand Nile, my hotel breakfast was "meh" so at 9am I set off into the rainy streets.

I walked through the rain to the Louvre Museum. The streets are so confusing, have the French never heard of a right angle?

I walked through the park which was ... well, it's winter and dreary. But I arrived at the Louvre to see the pyramid and my heart just pounded. I'm here! After all these years. I can't remember a time in my life when I did not want to visit the Louvre.

Life long dream! BAM!

Well, of course I thought I was prepared. I read my books and looked online and took a year's worth of French lessons. Nope.

I had hoped on relying on my phone for translations apps and my Louvre apps... but... no WiFi. I didn't get a SIM. Hmmm... "Nah" I said to myself, "I won't need an audio guide". Wrong again.

Of course I head to Oriental Antiquities first and it takes me a while to be able to read the ALL FRENCH labels. Oh My God.... OK. calm down...

I didn't calm down. I was too excited.

My first photo

OK, so this is a diplomatic document from the King of Byblos (Now Lebanon) to the Egyption Pharaoh 1300+ year BC. I realised I was totally unprepared for the number of early examples of writing which sparked a minor panic attack. It was not enough to be able to read the dates, but I needed to be able to know the chronological and geographical locations of the writing too.... I took many photos of examples of early writing... but I needed Zeitnab!

It wasn't until I got back to my hotel, that I realised I don't have to be an expert in everything... but it's nice to know more about what I'm looking at. Clearly I have to return to the Louvre.

Now this jaunty fellow is 9000 years old - found in Jordan. 900 years. Just look at him!

And it is at this point where my focus on the exhibits leads to me to being lost in the Oriental Antiquities wing for near 4 hours.

Drawings:

I didn't take a lot of photos, but this girl did. So in the ongoing commitment to photographing Chinese tourists in their natural habitat - doing odd things overseas - here is "Photography Girl".
She didn't look at anything other than her phone and her camera - literally - she didn't look where she was going, or at the displays unless through a camera lens. She took dozens of shots at each display like she was recording every item.

Here she is checking her phone.

I will finish this post when I get back tonight. Till then.... the Louvre awaits!

Under the dust of two deserts.

I ran out of steam over the last two days in Egypt and didn't write a post to cover the est of the adventure, so here is my summary.

First, let's ponder the phrase "Egypt, it's just normal."(see previous posts). You can have a look at the slide show of street scenes and make up your own mind. I wasn't able to capture th3e flock of sheep being herded down main streets of Cairo in the traffic... but you'll see how Egypt is far from "normal".

Add to the fact that the entire country is bristling with antiquities and the capital is surrounded by massive pyramids. It's amazing to see the very distinct divide between the Nile delta and the desert.

Despite the travel warnings, the country being in a "state of emergency" after the recent bombings there are still plenty of tourists, especially from China. They are a special people, the Chinese. After trying to photograph a sculpture in Singapore and trying to avoid including the Chinese tourist doing some exercise/stretches, I thought I might develop a collection of funny Chinese tourist shots.

While at the Sphinx, one lady tried to push past Zeinab where there was no room... you have to laugh. This lady just slowly appeared in my shot.

This sculpture is amazing, overlooking Singapore, but this lady was doing her exercises. I thought the look on the sculpture's face is hilarious.

We went to visit the oldest pyramids in Saqqara: world's oldest substantial monumental structure to be built of dressed stone  

The little brown hut to the left is...

So I call this shot:

The remains of those on the throne are buried behind those who bury their remains on the throne.

To be honest anything I write at this stage would not do the history justice, so I'll just post some brief highlights.

Seeing the distinct line between desert and delta is astonishing.

I was taken to a carpet making school and was shown many beautiful rugs I could not afford. I however buy a small rug for a wall hanging.

I wonder why the girl is not in school, the man told me she is finished all her exams - but, I don't know.

I was taken to a Christian Coptic church, a Synagogue and the Mosque. The christian church identies the location where Mary and Joseph fled with Jesus to Egypt during the rein of Herod.

And this is the holy handkerchief.

 Old Cairo. Full of cats and picturesque-ness.

I was stopped by a couple of girls who wanted selfies with me. We ran into each other again, so I asked them for selfies too... with pink hair you are a celebrity everywhere you go!

The Great Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha or Alabaster Mosque is huge and situated on a hill over looking the city and the pyramids.

Zeinab told me about an American tourist she was taking around the mosque who got upset and asked her "Do you celebrate 9/11?" Zeinab perplexed, told her, "of course not, what are you talking about?", to which the tourist pointed at this:

Unbelievable. (They're Arabic characters for those who are confused, not 911)

Anyway we had lunch at a restaurant amid the markets and I was send back to the hotel with a bounty of two rugs, three cat figurines and various other object d'art.

The two wonderful ladies who guided my visit to Egypt will remain lifelong friends - I had a brilliant time and lots of laughs. Amira gave me Basboussa and Malban (turkish delight) as a farewell gift which I ate as I watched the sun go down for the lat time from my balcony.

It was amazing!