Day 6 (Alexandria)

A later start today, thank goodness. So a leisurely breakfast and a 10 minute bus ride to the town. I think, as well as my sore knees, that I've strained my leg muscles yesterday - all those steps, tunnels, and paths that you really had to look at carefully, lest you end up on your face. Also, in and out of buses all day. I've never noticed how bloomin' high steps in buses are. The back steps are even higher, with nothing to grab on to help you clamber up!

We drove round the rather lovely waterfront to the beautiful Quaitbay Citadel, which is built over the ruins of Alexandria's lighthouse. It's one of the most important forts in the Mediterranean Sea.

Here we had more very high steps, with no banister. I did not go up into the tower, but walked round the wall a bit. I was quite taken with the cats, we saw stray dogs everywhere in Cairo, here it seems to be stray cats. I made a couple of pussycat friends, with JR hissing 'Don't touch them!' as she took a photo. Then the puss started attacking me. Playfully, I think.

Next stop was a ride in a carriage. The horses, while not as plump and glossy as the ones in Krakow, weren't skinny wee things either. If I thought the steps in the buses were high - the step into the carriage was absolutely impossible. The chap tried to throw me up by me stepping into his hands and him hoisting me up. Didn't work. So he grabbed my other foot and hoisted it higher than I thought possible, onto the cab. Needless to say, once up, I did not get off for the suggested photo stop at the Mosque. We came back along the very busy waterfront road, with cars hooting horns constantly, people dandering across the road willy-nilly, and cars double parked, even triple parked. How does that work? Also, texting while driving seems to be obligatory here.

We decided not to take the extra hour to wander around the old town. It was too hot, we were tired, and we did not want to get lost. In fact, most of our group came back to the ship. People were tired of being hassled for money, also - the pool area (not the actual pool) was calling.

We spent the rest of the afternoon by the pool. I was in shade, but JR lay in the sun for a while. Then we had lunch in the sun, and met up with a chap we'd been chatting to the other night. We went to an Asian restaurant, and had a very nice meal, including, for dessert (for me) - rice pudding! A very special rice pudding full of small bits of fresh fruit. I remember it from last year. They obviously get menus that work, and stick to them.

We left Alexandria about 6pm. We have a day at sea, as we're not going to Israel, sadly. Next stop Paphos, Cyprus. (Route in extras in Day Five)