Archaeology, Luxor Style!

While idly chatting to some of the neighbours in Adam's coffee shop this morning, I learned that the excavators on the Kabesh Road (just across from the Emilio Hotel ) had brought up a large box! One chap had actually seen it being lifted out, and reported that it was about a metre square. Of course, to hear them rabbiting on, it was full of gold! But eventually he said that it was taken away unopened.
They are working at full pelt, as the Dear Leader is coming soon to open the Kabesh Road. He's reported to be bringing with him a dozen or so "World Leaders", so they had better get their skates on!

And, they are!!!!

None of your namby-pamby pointing trowel and paint brushes, like the foreigners, for Zahi's men. Get the big hats and the big buckets, it's time for the men to play, real men, Egyptian men!

If you click twice on the first picture, you should be able to pick out the same procedure going on in the distance, between the two tipper trucks.

As a measure of the size of the bucket on the machine: it took six of them to fill this tipper. The machine operator is quite a hand , I stood and watched him deftly work around that two inch cable without damaging it. Very clever. It's a pity he didn't see what was coming next though!

Yes, you got it in one, a water main. A water main of about six inches in diameter, I would judge.

As you will see if you click on the video, the hole in the ground was filling up a lot quicker than it was dug out. I was quite taken aback by the sight of the gaffers, watching the water flow and scratching their heads (and of course, being Egyptian, other parts as well!). No-one seemed to be in the slightest bit bothered!

I kid you not!!!!!

You know when you're glad you picked up your camera before you left the house? Well, that was me today.
Freda had found two lamps which took her fancy in a shop called City Styel, (that's what's on his business card) on Television Street. We went for them today, and while the shopkeeper was seeing to two other customers, I was nosing around at his rather comprehensive stock, from toys to clocks, from lamps to ornaments, from train sets to cosmetics. He really does have quite an array!
But then I found something that I had really NEVER expected to find anywhere, but, this is Luxor. CARRY ON DOWN THE PAGE!





























Yes Dear Reader, it's the real, the genuine, never to be found again so buy it while you can! It's even 4 in 1 !!!!!! What more could the ladies ask for?
I wonder if he'll be "run out of town" like they did in the Wild West?

More Stick Dancing in Luxor.

We usually only get to see proper Stick Dancing during the Moulid of Abu El Haggag, but I know that there is some sort of famous Stick Dancing event held here in Luxor other than that. Maybe this is it? I'll ask someone who might know, tomorrow. Meanwhile, enjoy the show! (Double click on the vid to view it full screen)



I got another clip from the other side. I couldn't work from the front because of the lights, they would have blinded the lens. (I don't suppose that's real photographic terminology, but it'll have to do.)

Clever Clogs, with her perfect hearing, first heard the music as we were walking from the Corniche, up the side of the Temple. "I told you there was something going on", crows She! (Is it my fault I'm going deaf at this tender age?) There it was, behind the Temple, where the Squash Court had been the other week. No tiered seating this time, just rows of chairs and a man with a video camera getting in everyone's way.

I don't think it could be described as a "fetish", but I do notice people's feet and footwear, it rather takes the shine off a traditional dance when you see that the dancers are wearing trainers, don't you think? I cannot quite envisage the famous Earsdon Sword Dancers hoisting their intertwined rapper swords while poncing about in trainers, like Jessies, somehow!

Down our Street.

We went to the Etap this evening, before 6pm so we would get the free cake with our tea and coffee. (I know, you don't need to tell me that we're skinflints!) Got to the bottom of Youseff Hassan Street, and was confronted by the "new road" slicing though the spare ground where the Savoy Hotel used to be.
I did notice something going on there a few days ago, but wasn't really taking any notice, just daydreaming as usual! If you look to the left of the road, you can see all the new lamp posts as well. After our visit to the Etap, we walked along the Corniche, to have our usual gaze of envy at the steamship Sudan, and saw that these street lights were actually lit.



Also, across the junction of Youseff Hassan Street and Karnak Street, there are lines of powder spread across the road. On closer inspection it's obvious that they are delineating the lines for the ongoing Kabesh Road excavations. Looking to the right as we crossed the junction, I noticed that they have also marked out the positions (or expected positions) of the next Sphinxes to be uncovered. These markings are in exact alignment with the Easternmost row of Sphinxes, or should I say Sphinkes, like the Egyptians)

I was reading somewhere that the Minister of Culture (or someone important) was coming to see the Sphinx Avenue 'opened' in March this year. I think they had better get their fingers out!

Wedding Anniversary at the Winter Palace!

Yes, it has been our wedding anniversary today, the 8th of January. How I wonder what some of the guests back then would think, to know that we celebrated our 39th by having "High Tea" at the Old Winter Palace in Luxor Egypt? I'm thinking about people like Freda's Mam and Dad, or little Jackie Buckley, who took the photographs, or John Graham the coalman, who lent his car to transport the bride! I think they would be flabbergasted! But, sadly, they're all gone now, so we'll not find out.
If you've not had the High Tea at the OWP then you won't know what we had, will you? Well, it's in the Victoria Lounge (so that's a good start) there's tea, of course, and plenty of it. Then the waiter brings a nice three tier cake stand, laden with sandwiches (sans crusts, of course) on the bottom tier, smoked salmon, egg, chicken and tuna. The next tier has individual English cakes, in the shape of small loaves and with cherries inside, and generous sized buns plus two glasses containing jam and cold custard. The final tier is crowded with small cakes and things, ten in total. Believe it or not, we had to leave a couple of the small bits and pieces, else I might have burst, just like Mr Creosote in the Monty Python sketch! Sorry there are no pics, but the Boss forbade it as being in bad taste in such surroundings. She was probably right, as usual.


On the way there, I got a couple of pics of the foundation work for the new building.

That's a quite big machine down that hole! It's at the back of the Pavilion wing, I hope it's not too noisy in there at the moment.

This one is more to the side of the Pavilion, similar machine loading by stretching the bucket down as far as it will go into the vast hole out of shot, to the right of the picture.

They are certainly getting on with the job. I could say that they were "knocking doors out of windows" or that they were "cooking on gas", both of which terms you would no doubt understand. But I have in my mind a term used by one of my old old customers from many years ago, but in similar circumstances, which was "breaking eggs with sticks". Does anyone else know that expression? Or can anyone shed any light onto its origin?

The Death of the Small Trader!

We were walking up Medina Street last night, when I noticed this shop on a side street. I was dismayed to see it, and to think that a multinational organisation should be muscling in on the Luxor shoe trade.



I think that those of you who are on Facebook should protest, and that is why I'm bringing it to your attention!

Anthony the Stone Man.

Just for you, Dear Reader, I got off the arabeya at the railway station so that I could make sure that the statues were indeed Anthony's. It's only a five minute walk home from there, so it wasn't actually a huge sacrifice!

The first picture, I took with the camera on "Auto", but it seemed rather dark, and covered in spots again.

I cleaned the lens with the cleanest of my two hankies, and tried again on the night time setting. The result was better colour, but blurred with the longer exposure and my unsteady hands! Sorry, but it seems that I just cannot get this photography thing right!!!!!!



Anyway, I had a word with Anthony while I was there, and it seems that he didn't really mind the move and was sure that business would be OK. Let's all hope so.

Catering Wars in the Town Centre.

Eateries are always a matter of personal preference, I know that! So I'm not actually making recommendations here, OK?
This is a shot of the brand new "New Oum Hashim Restaurant" which is just up from the Duty Free shop in town.

It's actually diagonally across the road from the "old" Oum Hashim Restaurant, that's right next to the bakery: the one where you couldn't breath as you walked past! Funny thing is, it was recommended in several guide books!

Never mind, they seem to be going to run them like a two prison sentences: concurrently!

Before this new development they were a respectable distance from Chez Omar (from whence I have been buying take-away kofta for the past 5 years or so), but now they are practically on their doorstep.

As well as being in a more prominent place than their old one, they have also geared up to vastly increase their take-away trade, the targeted opposition here has to be El Zaeem 200 mtrs away on Yousef Hassan Street. El Zaeem (the take-away bit, at least) is always busy, and they've just spent a great deal of money doing the place out after only a couple of years.

I just hope that there's enough business for them all.

By Popular Demand.

Hi all,
I went back to the Etap (El Luxor) corner today and got these snaps. They've certainly made short work of the old shops. Do you remember the one on the corner, with the lovely old carved wood surrounds? It used to be just between the pedestrian and the lamp post, on the picture.

Here's a view from across the corner, and looking along the Corniche past the front of the Etap. There's quite a lot changed, I'm sure you'll agree.

Interesting to look behind where the shops once stood. If this isn't going to be the new entrance to the Etap, I'll eat one of my many hats!!!

Lets hope that Sandra and Mick don't think they're lost when they return, lol.

The Relentless March of Progress!

After the whirlwind the other night, I snapped this picture of the rather dramatic looking Western sky. At the time, I thought it had an "ominous" look about it!

Did I say "ominous"? It certainly seems to have been for the shopkeepers at the Northern side of the Etap, opposite the pharmacy. Along with the demolition crew, there were two small trucks (like the ones which empty the street dumpsters), a 16 ton tipper and a rather large Police contingent. I waited for quite a while before taking this photo, as I became aware that one of the policemen was staring straight at me as soon as I produced my camera! As I didn't fancy a night in the cells, I quickly put it back in my pocket, only producing it again after he was called away. As per usual, I forgot to wipe the camera lens, hence the spots before your eyes (no, it's not the DT's after all).

It seems to me that the fact that this demolition work was being carried out at night, and with a heavy police presence, tells us that there is something not quite right going on in Luxor just now!

On arriving home in Luxor.

Well, yes we got back home to Luxor without too much trouble, Hamdulillah! But many places are hardly recognisable. The front of the friendly old Etap (El Luxor Hotel) is covered in snow…………

The old premises of the Oasis Café which, you’ll remember, moved up to St Joseph Street next to Tuttie Frutti, has been turned into a new restaurant cunningly called the “Oasis Palace” which I think is a bit of a cheek!

Mind you, they have certainly spent some cash on the place, it's just a pity that they are trying to cash-in on someone else's good reputation!


We also called at the NP (Steigenberger Nile Palace, do keep up!) where they had a wonderful poinsettia Christmas tree. It was made up of individual plants in pots, most ingenious, and very effective. The funniest thing about their Christmas decorations, is that their Santa Clauses always have saxophones!!!!!!!!! What's all that about, then? Even some of the Egyptian Christmas cards have him with a sax!


We arrived back at the apartment to find a generous covering of dust, well, it was better than finding a generous covering of snow, wasn't it?

The good old Karcher vacuum made sharp work of that!

Who knows Ruby Tuesday?

No, not the one of Rolling Stones fame! Ruby Tuesday from Luxor, whose blog is
http://orangesbythenile.blogspot.com/ . The blog posts seem to have disappeared, and I'm unable to email her.
Anyone have an email address, or; are you reading this Ruby Tuesday? If anyone can answer yes, then please let me know.
Happy new year everyone.

Busy Bees.

Here we are again, still in Windy Nook!
A couple of weeks ago, I had an unexpected email from a lady whom I hadn't seen for a very long time, in fact she was just a daft girl when we last met! Diane was the daughter of one of my customers, and lived just a hundred yards or so from the garage where I had my business repairing (mainly) heavy goods vehicles. After exchanging a few emails between us and another long-time pal (Eric) we arranged a get-together of some of the old gang from all those years ago.

The business had been my father's and I was taken into partnership at the tender age of 18, sadly, he died when I was 19 but I was able to carry the business on. We worked from 08.30 till 10 or 11 in the evening. I took a partner who had been a school friend, and we had several helpers, one of whom came to us as a boy Scout looking for a Bob-a-Job task! We never let him go, and inculcated into him our love of repairing trucks and things, which he has put to good use, and 40 years later has a really good business still doing what he loves best.

Here he is, sitting behind Diane. He is "Little" Eddie, a name which will be explained in a minute or two. The next picture (l to r) is of Dennis the welder (who, in his younger days, was a dead
ringer for the famous Roy Wood of "The Move"), Potter, Ian Miller (affectionately known as "Mudguard") and, of course (being the "Belle of the Ball") Diane. Ian was always
a regular visitor, sometime helper (and sometime hinderer!). He is now is a very successful car dealer, he very kindly lent us a car to get around during our present holiday.
Potter is, in fact, Edd Potter who was a friend who became a business partner in our haulage business a couple of years later. Seeing as I was Edward, Potter was Edd and Little Eddie was another Edward: those two adopted the names which just evolved, so that we weren't spending all day getting mixed up! Mind you, I think Little Eddie is a bit sick of his after 40 years!
Dennis was a factory welder, with Potter (and several other assorted lunatics which were to impact on our lives in different ways during this and the slightly later period), who was a visitor and sometime helper.
Other notable worthies turned up, but (as usual) yours truly hadn't checked the camera, and the batteries ran out after half a dozen pictures!!!!!!!
It was a very good night, spoilt only by the loud music in the pub which I struggled to contend with, with my partial deafness. We have promised to arrange another meet-up in the summer, but at a quieter venue!

OUR LITTLE ANGEL

Our youngest granddaughter started school in September, even though she is still only a baby! Fortunately, the school she attends hasn't wholly sucumbed to the political correctness which was instrumental in us deciding to escape to Luxor, and they still have a nativity play! Isabella is too young to have a major part, but she made a beautiful angel. (Yes, I know I'm biased!)There she is, right in the middle of the first picture, and posing nicely in the second.

A NIGHT OUT

I also went to the brilliant "Sage" at Gateshead to see Maddy Prior (of Steeleye Span fame) and the Carnival Band perform their annual concert of Christmas songs. The tickets are our usual Christmas gifts from my lovely sister, she gets one for me, one for son Benjamin and another for Alice, our youngest daughter. It was a super concert, but photography isn't allowed, sorry!

A NIGHT OF GREAT FUN!

On Sunday 19th December (last night) Benjamin and I accompanied sister Susan and her husband Roy to their folk music club at South Shields, that's where Christine (the owner of the Tuttie Fruttie Cafe in Luxor) comes from. We used to sing together regularly in our younger years, but now rarely have the opportunity. However, last night we did! We first gave them three verses of "While Sheperds Watched" to the tune "Up and Doon", which we sing every year while out Carol Singing. Our Benjamin got up and helped us out, even though he sang with his eyes closed, so that he could pretend that he wasn't in front of a crowd of people.

A few of the Windy Nook Girls Brigade Band were there, and gave the gathered folkies a medley of Christmas Carol tunes, they were pretty good and went down well!

After the first half, we were presented with a goodly spread of food consisting of pies, sausage rolls, roast potatoes, mince (spoilt by the addition of chillies), cheeses and pickled onions, crisps, cheese flans and Cadburys Chocolate Fingers!!!! It was just as well, as we hadn't had time for any tea.

The band started the second half off with some more carols, and we sang "Bright Morning Star Arising" with Christmas words written by our Susan's friend Maddy Prior. It felt good while singing it and it seemed to go down very well. We had a great night, it's just a pity that Freda doesn't enjoy that sort of thing.

Well, that's all the news for now, but I'll be back!!!!

Merry Christmas!

Yes, the time is again drawing nigh! Too much to buy, with not enough time or money to get what we would really like to. It's always the same for most of us.
Our son, eldest granddaughter and youngest grandson put up and decorated the tree for our house. I think it looks ok.



For us, it would be unthinkable to be away from our family at this special time of year when we remember the birth of Jesus, and all that it means for mankind in general and for us as individuals. It saddens me immensely when I think of all the folks I know who don't have a share in that tremendous sense of love and security which, particularly around this time, abounds in Christian circles.
Anyway, I hope all of our readers have a lovely time celebrating this mid-wintertime, and I'll leave you with the words of one of my favourite (but not too well known) Christmas Carols.

Cradled in a manger, meanly
laid the Son of Man his head;
Sleeping His first earthly slumber
where the oxen had been fed.
Happy were those shepherds listening
to the holy angel's word;
Happy those within that stable,
worshipping their infant Lord.

Happy all who hear the message
of His coming from above;
Happier still who hail His coming,
and with praises greet His love.
Blessed Saviour, Christ most holy,
in a manger Thou didst rest;
canst Thou stoop again, yet lower,
and abide within my breast?

Evil things are there before Thee;
in the heart, where they have fed,
wilt Thou pitifully enter,
Son of Man, and lay Thy head?
Enter then, O Christ most holy;
Make a Christmas in my heart;
Make a heaven of my manger;
It is heaven where Thou art.

And to those who never listened
to the message of Thy birth,
who have winter, but no Christmas
bringing them Thy peace on earth,
send to these the joyful tidings;
By all people, in each home,
be there heard the Christmas anthem;
Praise to God, the Christ has come!

Again Merry Christmas, and God bless.

Mary Mary quite contrary, how does your garden grow?

That's right, we don't have a garden, but we seem to be able to grow icicles ok!
I took this pic of our bathroom window on the day we arrived back here in Windy Nook.



Six days later and see how they've grown, it must be that they are trying to thaw for a little while and then re-freezing. It is VERY cold!



I just thought that all you lucky people still in Egypt would like to gloat over what we are suffering here in good old Blighty.

Holiday time.

Hello from a very cold Windy Nook, where we're on our Christmas holiday from 3rd December until the 27th.
Actually, we really started on the 2nd when Freda had a fancy for a McDonald's. This is a bit of a queer occurrence, as she isn't a burger fan in general. But, you know me, anything to please the Boss. (I've always been a crawler!)
As we left McD's, I jokingly suggested that she might enjoy a chocolate brownie and ice cream at the Roof, by way of a dessert. To my great surprise she agreed, so we nipped into Snacktime before the "Little Shop Little Prices" man (Mamdou) latched onto us. Amazingly, the front table overlooking the temple etc. was vacant, so there we sat. The waiter was there in a trice and took our order "TWO chocolate brownies, please?" He was rather taken aback, as we normally only order one of anything, to share. "No shisha sir?" he thoughtfully enquired. But, unbeknown to him, I had already suggested that we retire from there to the Etap for tea and a shisha from Mr Bedawy before heading homewards. We enjoyed the brownies as much as we had enjoyed the cheeseburgers and made our way outside, crossing the road quickly before Mamdou got his beady eyes on us. Too late, he hurried through the traffic and caught us just as we were mounting the kerb on the other side. However, I managed to turn and speak to him before he had started his "Little Shop" spiel (once he starts he just HAS to finish) and when he recognised me he just said hello, and how are you and that sort of stuff and the a cheery "Goodbye".
The tea and shisha went down very well, as did the little "tourist watching".

We had arranged to be collected from the apartment at midnight to get to the airport in plenty of time for our flight to Cairo. All went smoothly, and we were soon ensconced in the grubby little cafeteria in domestic departures. Now then, this is a good place to people watch! Lots of Egyptian men (mainly) with an amazing array of different sizes of cardboard box. The clingfilm wrapping machine was going twenty to the dozen, the man operating it must have had quite a sweat on! And, of course Egyptian queueing! Need I say more? One chap had my attention for longer than any of the others. He looked like a typical West Bank farming type (I'm in no way denigrating the "type", by the way) with galabeya sleeves into which you could have flown Concorde, and a couple of winter scarves wrapped around his head which made him look like a pot of tea with a tea cosy on. His galabeya looked anything but clean, and he was small and stick thin. He wandered back and forth, haranguing people as he came across them, eventually sticking with an official looking bloke in a suit. His finger was wagging in the poor man's face, and his voice was raised. The poor official eventually made a call on his mobile and let the little fellah speak to whoever it was on the other end. The "whoever" also got quite an ear bashing before the customer was finished! He eventually made away towards the departure gates with his trolley full of his clingfilm wrapped boxes.
Anyway, we got to Cairo airport without mishap and managed to change terminals (only getting on the wrong bus once, which Saddam Hussein was driving) in our allotted time of 5 hours! Wondering where to go (Freda always looks around for signs etc. whereas I would rather just ask someone) I made my way towards the "Information" desk. Here it is below, but you'll have to click twice on the picture to see why I took it!

The BA flight from Cairo to Heathrow wasn't as nice as Egypt Air, but it did have a great selection of CD's to listen to, I had fun making my own playlist from CD's by the marvellous Leonard Cohen, the Rolling Stones, Etta James and Bo Diddley. Quite a change!

We arrived at Heatrow early, and left late, due to our last flight being postponed for two hours, in increments of a half hour at a time, very annoying! Nevertheless, we managed to get to Newcastle, where we found out that our son-in-law had just pranged our son's lovely (recently purchased) car, actually, another car ploughed into him in after losing grip on a bend, and there was no-one to pick us up from the airport. As we made our way down the covered walkway to the Metro station I was surprised to see the following icicles.

Our son-in-law managed to borrow a Nissan Micra to collect us from our local Metro station and took us home where the gang were awaiting our arrival. And more icicles hanging around our house as well.





According to the weather forecasters, we'll be carol singing in these conditions on Christmas Eve! So spare us a thought (along with some money!) when it comes around.
I'll be back in touch if anything crops up, in the meantime; enjoy the warmth if you're still in Egypt, and happy sledging if you're in England.

Happy Christmas to evryone.

Famous visitors?

No pictures today, sorry. But you cannot just go and snap at private people and then make fun of them, can you?
We've been to the Steigenberger Nile Palace tonight. I always enjoy it there, they have a slightly more interesting clientele than they get at the Etap. Also, we've got to know the chairman of the Steigenberger Hotel Group, Mr. Gamal, whom we often have a natter with on his frequent visits from Cairo. He's there at the moment, but tonight he was sitting in the atrium of the hotel watching the dancers, along with one of the hotel managers, so we didn't interrupt their conversation.
We sat in our usual seats (we've moved from the long sofa at the back, to the first table as you approach the bar) and began watching in earnest! First we noticed a woman who just has to be Sandie Toksvig's mother, she was an older version of the hilarious writer. What was doubly peculiar, was that she was accompanied by non other than the mother of Worsel Gummidge!!!!! I was quite gobsmacked!
But that wasn't all. Mr. Ayman, the soft handed and well turned out young waiter, had brought our tea and Nescafe, and we were just tucking into out petit-fours; when I was astonished to see two visitors who were obviously from good old Royston Vasey! The gentleman may well have been the brother of Edward (the "Local" shopkeeper) or failing that he certainly modelled himself on that denizen of Local society. His wife (or possibly his "partner") also seemed to model herself on Tubbs, but without the headscarf. She did, though, have a nice dress made of sacking material, in sacking colour as well.
As I'm sure you all remember, the Nile Palace is the best hotel for watching the tourists. They pass in one direction, and then (without coming back) pass again in the same direction! They go up the stairs and then come down in the elevator, and next appear coming up the stairs from the basement restaurant. It can get very confusing, as if the hotel was a warren of secret passageways and hidden doors.
From our new seats, we can also see into the atrium (no, not the dancers thank you, but some of the audience). Tonight we could see several young men wearing vests and shorts and standing on the edge of the fountain (blocking other peoples view) to get photographs of the dancing troupe. My immediate thought was one of utter embarrassment, as I was sure that they would be British. They were still there when we had to pass them to leave and go shopping. You can imagine my delight when I realised that they were foreigners, and not British at all! They were actually Colombian, I knew this because they were there in the company of another friend of ours; Paola the Colombian, who is married to one of the Egyptian family who own and run the Venus Hotel, not far from us. We didn't stop to speak to her, as she was trying to calm them, there were actually about a dozen of them.
It's a bit of a coincidence that another of the Venus brothers is also married to a Paola, but they live in Portugal with their four year old son. They are holidaying in Luxor at the moment, for a month. They stayed with us two years ago, but since then we've been booked when they have wanted to return, so they are currently at the Etap.
Well, that's a bit of "Local" gossip for you. We might find something more interesting before we leave for Windy Nook next week, we'll see!

Sardines????????????????

When I was a boy, I had a wicked elder sister who made me play silly games! Games no-one else had ever heard of, like "Lettles", we also had enemies which were unheard of by those in the "sane" world: the "Caucasses Harrasses"! (That spelling probably isn't right, and even now I can sense her impending wrath from over 2000 miles away!)It was she who introduced me to Sardines, although I cannot actually remember the initiation.
In my relative innocence, I had always imagined that "Squash" would be a variation of our old childhood game. But it isn't! It's a serious game, played by super fit individuals who seem to be trying to give themselves, or each other, (I'm not quite sure which) heart attacks.
It's even reached our little Ancient Egyptian backwater.



For several days we weren't quite sure what was going on behind the Temple. A structure went up which was obviously going to be tiered seating when it was finished, but we couldn't even hazard a guess at what was being erected in front of them. All scaffolding and bits of glass, it seemed to have a screen at the far end!

I keep telling the Moudira that no-one likes a "Clever Dick", but she continues in her Clever Dick fashion to spot the obvious signs that elude us mere mortals. Like "RED BULL INTERNATIONAL SQUASH TOURNAMENT" plastered where ordinary folk wouldn't think to look!
Anyway, here's a view of the old and the new, just to prove that it's nothing like Sardines. I mean, you could get a stack of people in there, couldn't you?

Impressing the Boss?

Is it just me, or are the lights more prolific and brighter on one picture than they are on the other?






Or could it be that because Zahi Hawass is here, they are putting on the best show possible?

It wasn't Terry Thomas after all !

Well, Tuttie Fruttie Christine went to the Nile Palace last night (dressed in her finest) to catch a glimpse of her long-time screen idol, Omar Sharif. But she didn't see him!
We did, haha. We wanted to have a squint at him too, after all, he is VERY famous, and also to see Zahi Hawass in the flesh.
I didn't take the camera 'cause I thought it would be bad manners to intrude if we did come across him. Silly me! Other folk didn't have any qualms, and he didn't seem to mind at all.
We were sitting in our usual place when the two of them came past on their way to the lift, Zahi introduced the doorkeeper to Mr Omar, who is surprisingly tall, and then gave us a nod as they went on their way.
We like the Nile Palace as we see all sorts traipsing about there. There was the Chinese man with the two ancient geishas, then Joanna Lumley looking just as lovely in real life, and now Zahi Hawass and his good pal, the even more famous, Omar Sharif. It's a coincidence that Mr Omar was staying at the Winter Palace while we were there on our first visit to Luxor in 1997. All the ladies were in a constant state of swoon, "He smiled at me in the garden" or "He held my hand as I stepped down there". He is very big with all the ladies.
If we get back up there tomorrow, I'll take the camera, who knows?
Watch this space!!!!

Carter's House welcomes the Winter Palace!

Good evening, and welcome. (David Frost used to be good, didn't he?) Here's a strange title for a blog post. As I've said before, and will probably say again, "It's not what you know; it's who you know that really counts!"
Well, we had another invitation from the Winter Palace, this time to the party to celebrate and introduce their new catering venture at the brand new venue of Carter's House on the West Bank!



We gathered with the other VIP's in the Victoria Lounge at the Old Winter Palace for six o'clock, Sofitel were laying on transport for us. Actually, it was a rubbishy motor boat and a few mini-buses once we were on the West Bank. Never mind, we got there safe and sound to be met by a band, of course!



There were a few faces there which I recognised, but they weren't all that photogenic, and anyway the pics I took of them came out all "wobbly" so I deleted them, Haha!
We had an endless supply of drinks and the waiters kept coming around with all sorts of little tasters. Kofta, chicken, veal, giant shrimp things, something Chinese (urgh), battered fish and lovely platters of delightful canapes, eventually two for each table! My favourites were the smoked salmon with caviar.



The band played constantly, but they weren't obtrusive at all, after a while we got the obligatory "Whirling Dervish". He seemed very proficient and made his way around the tables as a photo opportunity for everyone, as well as the "official" cameraman!



Of course, each table had a visit from the different members of the management team, asking our opinions etc. and generally being nice. I was particularly pleased to re-connect with one of the management from the old New Winter Palace, whom we hadn't seen in years.
Anyway, after a while of talking and drinking and eating, we were beckoned to the buffet table. (At this point, I was rather disappointed that I'd had so much of the tasters and canapes!) However, it was only to see a display of the types of snacks etc. which the resident chef would prepare for the visitors on a daily basis, so I was then glad that I'd stuffed myself after all! I've got to say though, it looked absolutely lovely! Here's a few pics:-







All in all, I'd say it was a bold venture, but certainly it will be an exciting dining opportunity for tourists while visiting the Antiquities on the "Side of the Dead"! They open tomorrow, and their normal hours will be 9 till 5, although they will provide a special service for early breakfasts (for hot air ballooners etc.) and for evening meals where the client is prepared to pay for a celebration meal or whatever. I'm sure there will always be some tourists who want to enjoy something a bit special when out and about. This venture deserves to succeed, in my humble opinion!
We joined the Thomson Holidays crew on our journey back across the river, and Freda commented that Carol looked very elegant. Now there's an unexpected compliment!

Just a snippet. (Loose lips sink ships!)

Nothing's been happening around here for a bit, and that's why I've been silent! Life goes on, of course: the "Aluminium People" had a conference at the Sonesta St George last week, I heard it was rivetting, haha. This week it is the turn of the "Cast Iron People", who are having their Symposium at the Nile Palace.(In one of the elevators, if you follow the signs??????????)
Metal Workers of the world: Unite!
During the lull in excitement, I've been carrying on as normal. You know: annoying Freda, cleaning and drinking tea for England. I've also been reading, my most recent one is "A Woman of Cairo" by Noel Barber. Apart from some really quite rude bits, it's a great story and at the moment the narrator is working for British intelligence in Cairo. A bit of a spy, I suppose. It's very exciting!
Talking of spies: I'll bet you didn't know that I had a select team working for me here in Luxor! The latest word, from one of my most trusted sources, is that the Nile Palace is to have two "special" guests this week, Thursday I believe.
So, if you're arriving there on Wednesday, keep a lookout for anyone looking like these two. Keep your distance as one of them has a dangerous gap in his teeth (he may be Terry Thomas in disguise) and the other thinks he is a gun-toting death-defying archeologist!



Terry Thomas.



And Indiana Jones.