Alexandria Trip

We just got back from a Fulbright overnight trip to Alexandria - a whole busload of us. Fulbright paid for everything - a room in a nice hotel overlooking the Mediterranean sea, all of our meals and sightseeing. Our meals featured seafood and I thought of Nancy, who when we traveled, would take off the legs of my shrimp. Our first lunch was three shrimp with their legs and heads on!! And the worst was the whole fish we each got which wasn't that well cooked. I was feeling queasy? but was OK but Ranya who works in the office had to leave the sightseeing early and was violently ill. Luckily she made it to the hotel in time. Maria the 14 year old was horrified at the face and could barely eat her rice. The ice cream with pomegranate sauce was good. That night we had beef slices in a kind of sauce and chocolate mousse - the salad with feta cheese, cucumbers and tomatoes was excellent. Then our last lunch was, you may be guessing this, another whole fish but cooked a bit more.

We toured the Jewish Synagogue in Alexandria and got to take pictures - there are only 18 women and 4 men left. Our guide was the youngest at 54 years old, the rest of the men are in their 80s or 90s. The women are pretty old too and taken care of in a special rest home. There used to be 35,000 Jews but with the war of the 40s and 50s in Egypt, most moved to Israel and Europe and the US. They had always gotten along with the Muslims and Christians but things changed drastically mostly American meddling in politics as usual.

We then went to St. Marks church - a Coptic church in Alexandria. They are the proud owners of the head of St. Mark. We went down into the crypt of the church - had to take our shoes off to walk down the concrete stairs to peer into a glassed in window, except for a hole where people would write their prayers and drop them in. No head visible unfortunately as I had hoped - just lots of dried up flowers and pieces of paper. In the time of the Crusades, St. Mark's body was smuggled out - the story I know is that they covered the body in its container with large pieces of pork which the Muslims would not have disturbed and so didn't stop the merchants on their way to Venice where his body is. How did Alexandria get his head? Oh through later negotiations with the Pope in Rome and the Patriarch in Alexandria. Kind of like the way St. Catherine of Siena is divided up. In Siena they have her head and one pinky finger and the rest of the body is in Rome. Weird but so fascinating.

We drove through a district called the Atarine where lots of reproduction antique furniture was made and sold and, sold as real antiques. Stuff from the 19th century. Pretty nice furniture ornate, covered in gold ormulu which is the embellishments on wood furniture. We passed one antique store (we only had a bus view) that looked promising with lots of old silver and metal things. Unfortuntely this trip was a whirlwind.

Up early the next morning in time for a lavish buffet breakfast where Dominique and I had omelettes made to order. I was admiring the omelette maker's skill in flipping the eggs and he offered to let me do it but I declined as the eggs would have landed on the floor. So he flipped mine again. Oh the things men do when they are complimented!! Tiny croissants were on my plate too. I was waiting for the new batch of crepes but we didn't have enough time. Just enough time to get a French press cup of coffee. Then off on the bus for a tour of the Biblioteca Alexandrina where one of the Fulbright scholars who is a librarian is working.

Our final lunch after the very fast tour of 3 hours at the library was lunch and this time with some of the Fulbright alumni (the Egyptian ones). I met one of the artists who is exhibiting at the CairoOpera House and found that I am one of about 10artists and the only non Egyptian. Wow, I really fell into something pretty cool. I am ready to start painting again. Gamal, the artist was so funny, we sat next to each other and then an Egyptian physicist, Wegdan - a woman - sat with us too. She was so animated and traveled all over the US and Europe. Her next trip is to Boston and she asked me if I needed anything from Boston, how cute. Then she is probably going to Seattle next to collaborate on a project. It's so nice to meet the professors they are so charming, women and most men (well the artists I have met anyway).

I slept late today. I had gotten up really early with a headache and took a Fiorinal then heard Dominique leave at 8:30 and I went back to sleep until 11 or so. Had some coffee and rice pudding for breakfast. I have been eating too much what with the Chris and Katie visit and the Fulbright food fests so back on the wagon. Our shower was still clogged when we got home with standing water so we had to rouse ourselves at 9 pm to walk to the Alfa Market to try to find a plunger and draino. We found both and I plunged the shower successfully. It was gross but I was happy it worked, used the shower attachment to send boiling water down the drain then had to use my makeshift cleanser - oxyclean to clean the tub and now it is in good shape.

Must get it together today and get some work done. I meet with my Helwan professor Dr. Taha Hussein in Applied Arts on Tuesday and I want to print out my research schedule to show him. I'm tired already.