Issue 48: Iskndrya
The Final Weekend Trip
As I approach the twilight of my time in Egypt, I spent my last full weekend in the same place I spent one of my first weekends: Alexandria. Or, to the Egyptian voice, Iskndrya.
This trip followed a whirlwind week of tourism for Ella around Cairo: Saladin Citadel, Coptic Cairo, the Egyptian Museum of Civilization, the Grand Egyptian Museum, a felucca, and of course, the pyramids. It was all the hits in one mad rush and in a grueling Egyptian heatwave. We decided to slow down for the weekend and head to the sea.
Alexandria: escape by the ocean. Less ‘hip’ than Sahel, the two of us were notable as some of the only tourists in sight. We didn’t let that or the oppressive heat stop us, taking the ancient metropolis on by storm.
We kept it easy for our first day, arriving three hours later than expected and drenched in the humid Mediterranean heat. Our Airbnb was perfectly situated by the sea, worth the 6-floor walk-up, offering a lovely view of the harbor, fishing boats, and the ancient citadel built from the ruins of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. We enjoyed dinner at the Greek Club, a social club for the many Greeks who once called Alexandria home, and had an early night enjoying ice cream on our porch.
The next day we had one thing in mind: history. Ella recently graduated with her master’s in education, certified to teach secondary social studies, so we knew we had to get some good content to fuel her classrooms for the next decade or so. After breakfast at the equally historic Delices (which provided wedding cakes for King Farouk and President Nasser alike), we took on the Roman Forum.
Alexandria was the ancient world’s center for knowledge, characterized of course by the infamous library, but also by the lecture halls that lined the area surrounding the Roman amphitheater. Ye Old University, and the layout of a lecture hall hadn’t changed in the two millennia since. My favorite part of the complex was the Villa of the Birds, the remains of a luxurious villa (occupied from the 3rd century BCE to the 7th century CE) that include the surprisingly well-preserved floor tiles displaying peacocks, parrots, and the (equally as exotic) geese.
To cap our Roman knowledge, we visited the lovely Greco-Roman museum, complete with my new favorite tilework: the portrait of Berenike. To cap our capped Roman knowledge, we then traveled to the endlessly creepy Catacombs. The delightful wall carvings distracted from the literal display case full of bones <3
We washed down the heebeejeebees with a pitcher of sangria and a beautiful view of the ocean. Yes, dead horses from high school were in fact beat. Hi Ashton!
In the morning, we visited the Citadel that we’d spent so much of our weekend staring at. Built in the 15th century and occupied until the end of the Ottoman period, my favorite feature was a hole in the ceiling meant for the castle’s defenders to pour hot oil on invading intruders. Youch! Finished the day at the reconstructed Library of Alexandria, because how could we not?
Any good trip to Alexandria isn’t complete without a disaster striking (See also: Issue 7 of Zoe in Cairo). As we went to board our bus back to Cairo, I was struck with the unfortunate realization that I had booked for 4:30 am instead of pm. ROOKIE MISTAKE. I ran to the ticket office to try and book us on the 4:30 pm, but it was full. I hastily bought us tickets for the 6:30 pm, only to realize that left us in perhaps too precarious a position with Ella’s flight later that night.
Biting the bullet, we decided to take an Uber back to Cairo. You might think this three-hour Uber would cost an arm and a leg, but in fact the private car was around $30. Oh Egypt, how I’ll miss you! We tipped handsomely and got home with plenty of time to spare. Of course, when we arrived, we did learn my refrigerator had broken. Oh Egypt, never change!
Song of the Week:
Ahlan Biko Fe Iskndrya by Nosair (I have been hunting for this song since NOVEMBER and it’s only available on SoundCloud LMAO. It translates to “welcome to Alexandria,” which feels apt)
Alrighty Aphrodite by Peach Pit (for the non-SoundClouders out there… and for general Greek vibes)
I See Myself by Geese (for the equally as exotic geese)
Read of the Week:
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (3.5 stars)
The Man In The White Sharkskin Suit by Lucette Lagnado (4.25 stars- enjoyed! Memoir about a Jewish family escaping Egypt in the 60s. Trying to get through all my remaining Egypt books)
Shelf Life: Chronicles of a Cairo Bookseller by Nadia Wassef (3.75 stars)
Food of the Week:
The Greek Club in Alexandria was amazing and LEAGUES ABOVE the Greek Club in Cairo. The stuffed calamari was like a dream.
Friend Shout Out:
Shout out Ella, of course, but specifically for her vast range of knowledge on facts about Ancient Romans (and their subsequent outposts). I learned so much about the Vestal Virgins and also women’s rights to own property (or lack thereof…)
