After another splendid buffet breakfast at the hotel we set off to see some more of Alexandria. Today was Easter day in the Coptic calendar so we took a non directly route to avoid the traffic. This took us past the fish farm and the salt deposits. Just like the ones in Namibia, they look like a red sea because of the algae that turn the flamingos pink.
It took an hour to get to Pompeii's column but it was worth it when we got there. There was an underground chamber and sanctuary to see as well as the pillar itself.
From here we drove down some bumpy roads to the catacombs. Another one of the places where you can’t use a camera, the girls we paid did that Egyptian trick of switching the money for other notes when Geoff turned to ask me about leaving the camera with them. Very annoying!
The catacombs were worth the visit as well. Lots of holes in the walls some with Roman markings others with hieroglyphs and some with both as the cultures combined and a hall for relatives to eat in when they visited their dear departed.
From here we drove to the Roman amphitheatre and the Villa of the birds. to get there we past what can only be described as a chop shops (the picture was taken at the last moment, some of the cars were plied 3 high!) and fish shops.
We were stitched up here over money as well as we paid too much and they gave us no change. (Geoff was annoyed by now with this). The amphitheatre was quite good and the villa was a floor with a bird mosaic on it.
From here we set off to see the library in Alexandria (sorry I couldn’t resist) and on our way we passed my pavement. I yelled at the driver to stop, leapt out and took some pictures for David Bailey, much to the amusement of 3 Egyptian men stood next to it).
Anyway we finally made it to the library in time to take a few pictures before we headed back to the hotel for a snooze before dinner.
. At times it did seem as though Geoff was more interested in the project than Maddison, but they finished it at last and then the sea tried to fill the moat.
