Pearls On Wheels

We are counting our blessings today. We are now very thankful that Orlanda wasn't returned to us on Thursday.  If we had set off on Friday we would have been caught in the  extensive flooding  on the highway past Ras Gharib to Hurghada. We readily found our riding rhythm. We were packed and ready to ride by 7am. Three cheers for our Garmin. She was working well today as we rode the streets of heliopolis and East Cairo.  Dick managed the Orlanda very well in the patches of massed  traffic. There are few traffic lights and no roundabouts.  Intersection design involves a series of switch backs. Akin to riding the Stelvio pass on flat ground. Eventually we saw the road sign Hurghada and we enjoyed the ride along the three lane highway through the desert to Ain Sokhna past the sign for the first Chinese city in Egypt to the Red Sea coast.  Clear air, turquoise sea and too many coastal resorts to count.  Some bends in the road, a cup of tea, and then many km o

We have had a wonderful day exploring Alexandria.  It was lovely break from our routine for the last week. Our motorcycle Orlanda has been in the bond store for a week. Dick has been working with an agent to comply with all the procedures involved with her liberation." He has spent more time and money on this border crossing than the total of all other crossings on all our rides. Time for some light relief today which is Friday, the holy day here. We decided to hire a car and driver and go to Alexandria which is 220km north on where the Nile delta meets the Mediterranean Sea.   Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great in 331BC and was the capital of Egypt until the Muslim conquest in AD641. The Greek Ptolemaic dynasty was based here;  Cleopatra  was the last active pharaoh of Ptolemaic Egypt. She met Julius Caesar in Alexandria in 48BC and died here with Mark Antony  in 30BC and Egypt became part of the Roman Empire. Alexandria has a maritime climate and was  pleasant 26° for

Breakfast buffet: tahini, hummus, olives, white cheese, capsicum, pickled aubergine, salad greens and tomato and cucumber Smoked salmon, chopped onion, capers, egg white, egg yolk, kippers and onions. Would you like a crepe, madam? Village bakery. Lunch - cold Mezze - tabbouleh, hummus, yoghurt and garlic, olives, babganoush, mesh, fresh pita bread with a bowl of deep fried hot Mezze. Dried corn - soaked for two days and cooked in water and milk with sugar added. Foul - fava beans with vegetables. Door to door delivery if the sweet corn and foul. Whole grain wheat simmered in milk and served with pistachio nuts, sultanas, almonds and icing sugar. Served at breakfast. I liked it.  Real fast buffet, smoked salmon, corn, tahini, hummus, pickled vegetables. Foul with accompaniments - lime segments, chopped tomato, chopped red capsicum, corn and chopped green onions. Smoked salmon and dill omelet.  Smoked salmon, sliced cucumber, dill on a cream