Last week.

We left for Alexandria early in the morning in our own little Van. I slept in the back after watching the scenery for a while and we got there in about 2 and a half hours. Alexandria was a very old looking city (which i think is the trend in egypt...) and has lots of tiny streets and markets. Everywhere people had goods laid out for sale from big burlap bags overflowing with just picked cotton to household goods. It was a very busy city and it took us a while to navigate through traffic that included quite a few donkey pulled carts and camels. Our first stop was an old greek tomb site. Our guid informed us that is was one of the few sites that had both greco,roman art and mythology and Egyptian. The mix was very interesting. The site was two holes that had been completely covered until this century and was only discovered when a donkeys foot slid into the ground. taking the stairs down the large wholes you enter a huge tomb complex. Tunnels ran in all directions and there were burial alcoves for dozens and dozens. there were stone rooms with hieroglyphics that were a really cool mix of egyptian and greco roman. We walked around there for a while but couldnt go down to the third level because it had flooded. After leaving that site we went to Pompei's pillar. This is a large obelisk that myth has it is where Pompei's head was placed after he was defeated in his fight with Julias caesar. It was tall and large and underneath were flooded catacombs. We were told that people swim in from the ocean through tunnels and explore underneath. After Pompei's we went to the ocean front and saw where the great lighthouse used to be. It was a huge space, no wonder it was one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. Right next to it there was an old fortress that sat out in the sea. We went inside and walked all around it but to be honest we were just ready to swim. That day it was just casey and I and we were looking forward to swimming in the mediterraenian. The water was an amazing blue, green and the sand was white. We were going to go to a big hotels beach where foreigners swim but it was too expensive as our guide was kind of uncomfortable taking us to an Egyptian used beach. That was our only option so we went anyway. We saw why he was a little hesitant. Almost all the women (besides 2) were in body swimsuits and some wore the full face cover in the water. After all the hassling Casey got just walking down the street she decided to just swim in a shirt and shorts. We laid out on the beach for a long time and swam some. The water was really nice and warm. After a while we met back up with our guide and headed back to Cairo. Coming back into Cairo we passed right by the Giza pyramids, which is a nice landmark to have. Because it was our last night we had signed up for one of the many options the tour offers, which was a dinner cruise on the nile. We had a few hours so we walked around the neighborhood (the syrian embassy was right next to our hotel, and has very friendly guards) then went to our rooms to change. We were going with a couple other people and we all headed out around 1030. Slowly going through the crazyiest traffic in the world, where people dont use signals, lanes or traffic lights they just honk to get the attention of whoever they are cutting off, we made it there ontime. The ship was much nicer that I expected and had strings of lights going down the sides. This part of Cairo was very nice, with all kinds of nice hotels lining the Nile. We had to wait a while and we happened to share the ship with a wedding party that was having its reception there. We were treated to the brides entrance (she wore a low cut white dress, it was explained that this was the one day in her life where she would be allowed to wear what she wanted) which had trumpets and other horns and singing and the arabic yell which I didn't know was real. It was really cool to see and they all looked like they were having a great time. Inside the ship it was full of people and very nicely laid out. Right next to us was a long table covered with deserts, salads, dips and other foods. The hot food was in the room next door. We were seated and after a while another group of four older men was added. I started talking to one and discovered that they were Iraqi. I felt a little awkward and the whole night felt like I should apologize for whats happening to his country. We talked for a little while and he was a really nice ,intelligent guy and I enjoyed talking to him. He didnt say much about Iraq except that he had a daughter that used to go to school there and that he had to send for her because it might be good there for a short period of time but it keeps getting worse and he couldnt leave her there. Sharing a table with a man who's country mine has invaded was a pretty different situation. The fact that they were all gentlemen made it easy and not awkward. Once they announced the food was ready I headed to the hot food table first. My mistake, I was a rookie. First of all I dont think they use lines here. Everyone would just cut eachother and it made it so you had to push your way forward. Not something an american is used to where cutting in line is a serious offense. When I came back from getting my hot food I saw that the entire cold food/ desert table had been wiped out. I still had a good meal . After dinner I went to the top deck and looked at Cairo as we floated down the Nile. We had some in cruise inter tainment so I headed back down. First was a bellydancer (which caused many women to remove themselves from the room) who had some crazy abs and did an ok job. She pulled some people up to dance with her, including Casey which was pretty funny. After that was a duo of a midget and a male dancer who had some traditional clothes on and did some crazy things while he spun in circles for about 15 minutes. The next morning I packed and met casey downstairs where our tour organizer was. He gave us a couple shirts and helped us get our luggage to the car. The tour went great, everything was smooth and easy. Egypt top view is what the tour company is called. Pretty inexpensive. We took the 45 minute drive to the airport and then had to wait another hour or so before we could check in. Security and airports in general go so much faster outside the US. We got on our Alitalia flight and a couple hours later were in Rome. Egypt was amazing and Im looking forward to going back. From the rome airport we took the train to the main trainstation. I was going to Florence and casey was flying to Spain so after we found our trains we parted ways. Alone again I got into florence around midnight. It was great to be back on last time. Checking my email in rome I had didcovered that the person I was supposed to stay with didnt get their place yet. I was expecting to have to sleep at the trainstation (it happens once in a while) but walked around to all the places my friends hang out at. As most people are gone already i struck out until my last stop: Space Electronica. Outside was my good friend Moe (he works as a promoter with another of our friends, youssef). He gave me his keys so I could shower and drop my stuff off (I had been carrying all my luggage around Florence). That was a life saver. I went back to space and hung out with them for a while. I stayed with Moe until I had to fly to Germany. In my last few days in Florence I did some of my favorite things like; hang out on the Duomo steps, walk around the city, have cappucino and espresso and all that good stuff. This one cafe in piazza republica is world famous for its coffee and cocktails, so i had both. I usually have cappucino there inside at the bar (much cheaper) but this time, since it was my last day. I sat outside and had a cappucino (they really are excellent) then a while later ordered a cocktail. Because it was hot out i settled on a French Mojito. When it came out it was in a very large tall glass and had a large bunch of mint stuck on top, along with strawberrys. A french mojito is champagne, rum, strawberries (mashed) then all the normal mojito ingredients. Pricey but very nice. My flight from Germany was also very quick and easy and once there I took a bus to the town scott lives in. Him and his mom met me at the bus stop and took me home. Once there I was confronted with the two bags i had him take up for me before i went to Egypt (his family drove him up from Italy) and had to figure how to combine them with the 3 bags i had with me. I think Im going to have to pay more money to get home.... The last couple days we've been walking around and enjoying Germany. I leave here the 1st.

Til Now -

Last week of school went by pretty quickly. I had to take finals, written and practical, pack up, send stuff home, plan for what I was going to do after and show friends around. We had the going away party on thursday at a counts house, the same one as first semesters welcoming party and it was once again very nice. I wore the Italian suit my mom got me when she was here and had great food like prosciutto, cheeses, deep fried basil cheese and vegetables and lots of other appetizers. Wine started flowing at around 9:30 and everyone had a good night although we were all saying goodbye. I met some great people and made connections all over the world which is very cool. Afterwards we went out to a club for a little bit and continued the celebration. The next day I got my ticket to Egypt with casey and a couple other kids from my school also decided to come along. I went with Egypt because of a couple reasons: one, its Egypt! and two Its alot cheaper to travel and do things there than around Europe. So I finally knew what I was going to do after school which was: Egypt for a week then Florence for a couple days then Germany to stay with Scott for a couple days then Anchorage to see family then home to Fairbanks. Friday night we had our last night at The Old Stove, which is a really relaxed pub near Piazza Republica we would all (alot of my school) go to after class or work or before going out. It has a large outside seating area and is in a great setting. This is where the real goodbyes went down. Alot of people cried but we had a fun last night together. Saturday I had to go early to the Mail box place to send some goodies my mom wanted and all the clothes and stuff I couldn't fit in my suitcases. 156 Euros! That was a killer. After that I took most of the day to walk around Florence and say a goodbye. Im definitely going to miss my baby. So many things Im going to miss. Ill do a list one of these days. All packed up and ready to go to Egypt I organized one last dinner with the remains of our gang at semolina. There was about 12 that were able to show up and we had pizza and calzones as our last dinner. Casey's friend left that night and we met Casey at the train station the next morning for our 5:50 train to Rome. To save money we took the long slow regional train. We made it to Roma Termini then took the leonardo express to the DaVinci airport. Going through airports is so much easier and quicker in Europe and we were through with plenty of time. We boarded our Alitalia flight and had an alright in-flight meal during the 2:30 minute trip. Flying into Cairo I could see the green surrounding the Nile turn into a golden desert, just like on the maps! After landing I felt the hit of hot, dry air. It had to be about 90. Right after the gate and before the baggage claim we were met by a man holding the name of our party. Samuel was the one who ran the tour group we were in and he guided us through the Visa process (15$) and helped me exchange some American money (from Grandma for my birthday!). The exchange rate is 5.35 Egyptian pounds to the dollar. So with a wad of bills in my pocket I breezed through customs and into the hot sun. Definitely like no other heat. This was Africa hot. We were led to an air-conditioned van with a bodyguard and Samuel up front. Driving into Cairo I was shocked by the craziness of the traffic and I didn't think that was possible after being in Italy. We were informed that there were no street lights in Cairo and that no one used the lines in the street, if there were any. And this is in a city which we have been told has 27, 22 or 18 million people. That is insane! Here they use there horns like we use turn signals. Constant beeping. Because they dont use lanes they beep to let people know where they are, where they are turning or just to beep. The traffic was literally controlled chaos. (with little control) We drove through the vast city that was teeming with people and old looking apartment complexes. The buildings would look so run-down but then the roofs would be covered with satellite dishes. One thing that surprised me was that most of the ads and billboards are in english with arabic on the bottom. We crossed over the Nile which is very large and seems to have a bridge every half kilometer. Sailboats, dinner cruises and all kinds of little water crafts zigzagged across the brown Nile. Right after the Nile we turned on a side street and pulled up to our hotel “King Hotel” a 3 star that looked pretty nice. The front desk man took our luggage to each of our rooms and I (before I got the hang of the money) tipped him 2 pounds. he tried to explain the money a little but I didn't understand then. When I talked to my friends we realized that I had tipped him about 40-cents. Others being tired Casey and I walked around for a while, which is when the “Abdul” scam was attempted. If you dont remember Abdul check out the blog from when my dad and I went to Tunisia in January. We were looking at a Kabob place and this very over weight Egyptian came up and told us about the Kabobs and was very friendly. When we told him we were just going to walk for a while he asked if he could come because his doctor told him he should walk more to help his back pain. He said he was on a special diet and had to be more active (while he was chewing on bread with jam). I groaned to myself the second he said “lets stop in here real quick, I want you to meet my brother”. This after one block of walking. We let him guide us in and we shook hand with a man that did not look anything like him and was much older. He proceeded to give us a lesson on how he had “real” Papyrus and how to spot fakes. We got out as quick as possible and left the Kabob guy behind. We walked through the streets which, because there are no street lights you have to just decide when you want to cross and have faith that the people are going to stop. It really is like that. There are no cross walks or breaks in the road for people to walk across and these are busy 2, 3 lane roads. You look for a little gap and confidently start walking and then start walking which sets off the honking to another level. Another thing that they honk about is every taxi that goes by will honk, pull up beside you and ask if you want ‘taxi”. Everytime. We finally made it to the river and walked across a bridge. The pollution here is terrible and after the walk my throat was hurting. Once across the bridge we walked some more and now were in the section where they try to sell boat rides so we got to hear about boat rides for the next half hour and I dont think “no” is in there vocabulary. I understand they are poor and trying to make a living but because they refuse to stop asking I will never buy from them. Once in a while Ill find one that will and Ill usually get something from them but it takes alot to keep you patience. Wait until I write about Luxor. That was the worst. Anyway the scenery was great and beautiful but we headed back to meet up for dinner at the hotel. We ate pretty cheaply and then went to the rooftop cafe where I had sheesha - the tobacco from a water hookah. The view was great from the 10th story with alot of the building of downtown Cairo lit up with neon lights. We went to our rooms and went to bed as we had to head out early in the morning. I woke up that monday to a crazy heat. It was about 7 AM and the sun was out and beating down. I had kicked of all my sheets and was still hot. I got ready and went down to breakfast which was pretty similar to what they served in Tunisia but with some meet and cheese, not just bread and jam. We all assembled in the lobby and headed out to the first museum. Our guide was Ahmed and we were in the same van as the day before. The museum was an outdoor one so I put on the sunscreen and brought one of my water bottles with me. There were large statues of Pharaohs and kings made out of limestone, granite and other stone. We learned the meaning of foot-placement, crowns, and some of the hieroglyphics. There was a sphinx that was pretty cool and large statues covered in symbols. I really liked the hieroglyphics and it was pretty surreal seeing them in person IN Egypt. The one indoor part of the museum held a huge 40 foot statue of Rames (I dont remember which Ramses) that was really cool. The leg was broken so it was laying down but it was still impressive. Almost everything at the museum was about 4-5 thousand years old. After that museum we all headed to see Sakkara, the first pyramid ever built. It had a huge columned entry building that led to a courtyard with building scattered around. Amazing how well the desert keeps everything preserved. The pyramid wasn't incredibly huge but was still very interesting. There were Egyptians everywhere trying to sell things or get you to take pictures with them. After walking around the desert for a while we got back into a van and went to the Egyptian Papyrus museum where we learned how papyrus was made and got a tour. I got a little roll for 50EL (10$). From there we headed to the real highlights : Giza. We drove up a road right on the outskirts of Cairo and the pyramids were just right there. I thought they were way our in the desert but they were very close to the city. We pulled up to the great Pyramid, one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. Usually most things you see all the time in pictures and movies are smaller and less impressive in person but this was the opposite. It was incredibly huge. Amazing and powerful. Each block weighs tons and were dragged from a site down river. From there we walked up to the other two huge pyramids (although smaller than the great pyramid) and went in a little bit on one and got to climb on one as well. It was so hot that the sweat evaporates of the skin but it was so amazing the heat didn't even bother me. At the hill above all three there is a little site where Egyptians sell souvenirs and camel rides. There were about 50 camel to choose from. Casey and I were the only ones interested so we had the guide choose an honest camel guy. A little kid who turned out to be 11 had me get on one and “lean way back” In a motion like riding a bull the camel jerked halfway up then paused, leaving me at a very awkward angle then finally jerking all the way up. The kid alternately referred to himself as “michael Jackson” and Mickey Mouse: and continuously asked “happy?” “happy” It was an amazing experience, riding camels through the desert towards the pyramids of Giza. The camels were a little feisty and didn't listen very well but rode pretty smoothly. Our people met us at the bottom and we drove down to where the Sphinx is. Build out of a single block to guard the pyramid sites it has a head of a man and body of a lion. Ou guide, surprised that I knew the french were to blame for the missing nose explained that when Napoleon came to Egypt he had the nose shot off and proclaimed that he had broken the nose of every Egyptian. The Sphinx is down below the pyramids and had a complex of ruins right next to it. although the facade is broken off the Sphinx the shape has help up amazingly well. We drove back to the hotel and had dinner there before waiting for the train to Luxor, which was scheduled to leave at 10pm. We had another guide take us to the train-station. Mohammed, who couldn't keep a straight face when talking about the train. “Its a nice train” laughter. “Youll be able to sleep” laughter. “Its the first class train” laughter. But he was a really nice happy guy and was just being goofy, not rude. The train showed up an hour late and we went onto our cars. Our travel partners in the next car and we were in seats near the front of the next one. It was an overnight train and we were in seats about the size of first class Airplanes but not nearly as nice. The train was pretty dirty and the bathrooms disgusting but I didn't mind. Im in Egypt and Im not picky. I grew up in a cabin without running water. One strange thing was right after the train started a guard handed the man in front of me a MP5 machine gun with 2 clips attached and he just set it in his lap. Every few minutes during the train ride we would all of a sudden jerk around and look back at the rest of the car. I didn't know whether to feel very safe or very unsafe. We got into Luxor about 2 hours late and the heat there made Cairo seem like Alaska. It felt like you had to move through solid air and breathing in dried your mouth out. The wind was like the wind out of a hairdryer and not a relief at all. Our guide was there and picked up in a little taxi. Luxor was very different that Cairo. Dirt roads and donkey carts were everywhere. The building looked much poorer and not as well kept. He drove us to our hotel and helped us check in. We had a scheduled tour at 4 and it was about 11:30 so we had some free time. We each went to our rooms and put our stuff up then met in the lobby. Suntan lotion applied we headed out. The heat was incredible. Ive never felt anything like it. Walking past a construction site we saw young kids ages 11-16 working in the heat with no shoes shoveling gravel. Pretty powerful image to see in person. I could barely handle walking in the heat, let alone working in clouds of dust shoveling rocks all day. We walked downtown and were greeted by carriage after carriage with the man saying “carriage, you want carriage” or some variation of that. Like the ones in cairo but much worse because there were hundreds of carriage drivers plus taxi drivers on the road side then boat drivers on the Nile side asking about boat rides. So every 30 second you had another guy that wouldn't take no for an answer trying to sell you something you didn't want. We walked to the main temple that was in Luxor (formerly Thebes) which was right in the middle of town near the Nile. Stone structures and columns mixed with statues of gods went on for blocks and were covered by hieroglyphics. It was so hot we stopped in the neighborhood mcdonalds for the air-conditioning and learned that it was a 4 star restaurant. Summoning up the resolve to face the endless attempts at hustling we headed back to the hotel to meet up with the tour guide. When they came we told them that because w had already walked to the Temples we just wanted a little tour by car of the city. They obliged, showing us some places to eat. We actually ended up eating at KFC, a fact I dont feel bad about because I haven't eaten American fast food in a long time. Plus alot of the places were too expensive. I went back to my room as we had an 8 in the morning start. The next morning we met up for breakfast in the hotel, which was much better than the earlier hotel. A full breakfast buffet was there along with a guy there to make custom omelets. We met the tour bus outside and headed across the nile to the west bank where the Valley of the Kings and other sites are. Going into the west bank it got very rural with fields of crops and tiny shanty villages. Ladies carrying huge loads on their heads and kids herding animals. The palm trees and green slowly melted into desert as we were about to enter the hottest place I have every been. The ancient Egyptians created the valley of the kings on the west bank because as part of their worship on the sun and Ra (sun god) they saw that as the sun set in the west the west side was for death and departure. There are over 30 tombs dug into the valley including Ramses 1-4 and king tutankhaman. Getting out of the van at about 11 it felt like stepping into an oven. The guide said it was about 39-40c and it felt even hotter because we were in a white and red sand valley that seemed to bottle in the heat. We got a little history lesson then were allowed to choose 3 of the tombs to see. Our guide recommended Ramses 1,3 and 4 so we headed into those. Going under the ground was even hotter with the added humidity sucking even more energy out. The Hieroglyphics that quickly appeared quickly made you forget about the heat. The other symbols that I had seen had been carved into stone and small but now as I descended into the 1st tomb life size paintings of gods and pharaohs sprung to life in vibrant reds, blues, greens and other colors. It went on for a while with different chambers. It was incredible how well preserved these millennia old picture stories were. I kept thinking to myself “I am in Egypt in a tomb looking at real hieroglyphics”. Each tomb had something different. The first had a large sarcophagus, the second the best, most extensively preserved hieroglyphics and the third the largest. It was a very cool experience. Coming out I took some pics of the area and we headed out. That day we were in a larger group of about 12 people. Next we went to Queen Hatshepsut’s temple and got to walk around in the desert a little bit. This temple was large and had two sets of steps leading up to a courtyard surrounded by columns. Here it had become so hot I had to wrap my shirt around my head. I had already gone through about 3 big bottles of water. Next we saw the colossi of memnon which were two large guardian statues that were pretty cool. After that we were finished with the tour for the day. I stopped by my room for my laptop and we went to mcdonalds for the free wireless which I used to catch up and try to buy my ticket to germany but I am not able to access anything from here. Wellsfargo, use my credit card or anything. After internet and ice cream we went back to the hotel where we went straight to the rooftop pool. The water felt great and it was still very hot. I got to talking with a couple guys who we ended up hanging out with for the rest of the night. One was named Marc who works in hollywood and has done some of my favorite movies the other was Logan, a canadian who works for an oil company. We got along really well and they were nice enough to buy a couple rounds of beers (stella an Egyptian beer that wasn't bad, especially in a pool on a hot day). We talked in the pool for about 3 hours then decided to head out to eat. Marc had a really cool story about how he got into hollywood and we shared alot of the same interests. Hes about 40 and gets to travel around the world for most of the year. Casey came with us from the pool and we found a little place that served Egyptian food. The food quality was pretty bad but we had fun getting to know them and smoked a good sheesha. After that we went back to the hotel and caught our car to the trainstation and another hell train back to cairo. This one took about 11 hours and was filled with snoring egyptians with their bare feet up and loud yelling in arabic on their cell phones at 8 in the morning. But what are you gonna do? When we were picked up we checked into our rooms and went straight to the first sight, the Citadel. Build as a fortress a few hundred years ago it has the most famous mosque of egypt. It was my first time inside a mosque and it was very nicely done. We all had to take our shoes off and the ladies had to cover themselves with blankets they provided. After the Citadel and a little lesson on history and the religion we headed over to the Egyptian museum which has over 100,000 pieces. It was really cool and filled with artifacts, statues and stone tablets covered in hieroglyphics. The highlight was the second floor which was completely things they found in “King Tut’s” tomb (and its a big floor). There were 5 Huge wooden box like cases covered in gold and each went inside of the other, then there were 3 gold sarcophagus’s that went into each other then into the smallest box and finally gold to cover the entire mummy along with countless pieces of gold and precious stone jewelry. The highlight was the darth vader like head piece which was 25 pounds of gold inlaid with jewels. That was just for the body. There were all types of gold artifacts and other things that had been placed in his tomb for when he was resurrected. After the museum we asked the guide to take us to a schwarma place and they took us to a supposedly famous one right by our hotel. It was really good and we actually went back twice today, for pizza then for dinner. Thats it up to now. Tomorrow we all go to Alexandria and the famous library and some roman ruins. Hopefully some beach time too. Any questions, please ask. Ill put pics up for this tomorrow.

Pics

Workng on the travel blog but heres some pics to hold you over. Going to Alexandria tomorrow. Just got back from Thebes which is now called Luxor.

Egypt

So I made it! Train from Florence to rome at 6AM then flight to Egypt. Arrived and was escorted through customs and into a car that took us to the hotel where we got our rooms. Firstly I did not know that Cairo had 27 million people. It is incredibly big and busy with amazing old buildings and many buildings that look as if they are about to collapse. The nile is huge and we walked along it for a while. The air is pretty bad but there was a wind so that helped a little bit. Has some similarities to Tunisi but Tunisi had a large French influence while Cairo is alot more like what I thought Africa would be like. Someone already tried to pull the "Abdul" con but I knew what was happening as soon as he said he wanted to show me his brothers shop. Left hi behind quickly. Alot more women in full burkas here, even black gloves and cloth over any exposed area. Food looks and smells excellent. Our hotel has a restaurant on top of the 10th floor thats open until 1AM so I will get to chill and look out at the city. Tomorrow we head to the pyramids!

Closing out

Its hard to write alot when Im not traveling. Mostly been doing just the daily routine- with a couple trips to the beach and a stop in Rome as the exceptions. The last two weeks were finals oriented and they were much harder than last semester. I think the school is trying to make its credits transeferable to all US schools so has to meet higher standards and be a little more serious about the academic aspect. The last couple days its started to sink in that Im leaving in two days and Ive just been trying to soak in as muck of Florence as I can these last few days. I miss it already and I know Its going to get worse, especially as winter gets close. Ive been picking up a few souvenires and even a couple bottles of wine, which is nice because I didnt think Id have enough money to bring anything back. This last week I had a chance to wear the suit and black jacket my mom got me, to my last dinner at Ganzo and to the going away party that was held at a counts house. Im also really excited because this Sunday im flying to Cairo for a 6 night trip to Egypt! I originally planned on a european tour but searching flights online I saw a cheap flight to Cairo and from there it rolled into reality. A few of my friends from school are going and also my good friend Casey from Alaska who was here visiting Alaskans in Europe. The tours in Egypt are incredibly cheap and it will be nice to be on the goodside of currency conversion. I had a great experience in Africa with my dad and Im looking forward to the pyramids, camel rides and cruises on the nile. If any of you see anything online that looks interesting Id love to hear about it. After Egypt Im heading to Germany to stay with my roommate scott and if I have any money left maybe still see London and Paris. Ill post my Egypt Itinerary too. Im putting up some picks from the last couple weeks and Ill do a semester wrap up soon. Almost home! Itll be good to see Family, Friends, Brittany and good ol Captain John and Shelly again. Thanks again to everyone who has contributed to this incredible adventure and for following my blog.

Your tour Itinerary :
Day 1: Arrive Cairo
Welcome to Egypt! Our representative will meet you to ensure a smooth path through immigration and customs. You have time to explore at your leisure before meeting your "Egypt Top View" tour escort and fellow travelers for a welcome drink at the hotel.

Day 2: Cairo/Desert Tour
Full-day outing to Sakkara and Memphis, followed by a visit to the most famous wonderland in the whole world - the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx. At 10 pm we catch the overnight train to Luxor.

Day 3: Luxor
Arrive in Luxor and check-in at hotel. Today we visit the East Bank of Luxor:
- Luxor Temple.
- Karnak Temple.
Overnight in Luxor hotel.
Day 4: Luxor
Visit the West Bank of Luxor:
- Valley of the Kings.
- Valley of the Queens.
- Temple of Queen Hatshepsut.
- Colossi of Memnon.
Overnight, we travel by train back to Cairo.

Day 5: Cairo
Arrive Cairo and transfer to the hotel for check-in. Then we're off to the Egyptian Museum where most of the fabulous treasures of the Pharaohs are kept. Then we drive to the Citadel - home to Egyptian rulers for nearly 700 years. Later, we explore many attractions in the old Coptic area including the Hanging Church and Ben Ezra Synagogue (the Jewish Temple). Overnight in Cairo hotel.

Day 6: Alexandria
After breakfast drive to Alexandria visits to the catacombs of Kom El Shokafa and Pompeii 's Pillar. Later, the newly-reborn Royal Library of Alexandria, with its amazing architecture, awaits your arrival - followed by an outing to the Roman Amphitheater and the Fort of Qait-Bay. Then we drive back to Cairo and check-in at the hotel. Your evening is free. Overnight in Cairo hotel.

Day 7: Depart Cairo
Farewell to Egypt today. Our tour ends after breakfast. Transfer to Cairo International Airport.



TOUR INCLUDES:
- Transfers from/to the airport.
- All fully-guided tours in Cairo , Giza , Luxor and Alexandria (as per the itinerary) in air-conditioned buses.
- Fluent, English-speaking tour guides throughout your program.
- First-class train tickets from Cairo/Luxor and Luxor/Cairo on an air-conditioned Spanish train with reclining seats.
- All accommodations in 3-star hotels in Cairo and Luxor . All rooms have a private bath, air-conditioning, TV, and include breakfast.
- All transfer and pick-up services.
- All service charges and taxes.

TOUR EXCLUDES:
- Entrance fees of the sites. We do not charge in advance for site entrance fees to add flexibility to your program as you may choose to skip one or more sites depending upon your interests.
- Drinks, phone calls, laundry, tips and any other items of a personal nature

Sean Walklin Wine Paper

Sean Walklin
Wine Appreciation2

Piedmonte Region

Everything seems to come together to make Piedmonte one of the most important wine producing regions in the world. Great terrain,with plenty on hill sides are a great places to grow wines. Then there is the close proximity to France so the winemakers can mix the best Italian and French techniques to come out with a finer product. Like Tuscany, Piedmonte has its signature grape that is known far and wide. Having a wine called “King of Wines” is usually a sign that production is going well and that your system works, but there is more to Piedmonte than Barolo. Piedmonte has the highest percentage of classified wines in Italy. Piedmonte should definitely be in every wine loves vocabulary.

Piedmonte is located at the top of Italy, sharing a northern border with France. Piedmont is surrounded on three sides by the Alps, including the MonViso(Mont Vis), where the Po rises, and the Monte Rosa. It also borders with France, Switzerland and the Italian regions of Lombardy, Liguria, Emilia-Romagna and Aosta Valley.Although most of Italys land is suitable for growing wine Piedmonte has some special characteristics. The Northern mountains shield the region from cold northern weather and The Appenines in the middle temper the medditerranean climates. All these mountains create hill sides that are perfect for growing the grapes needed for great wine. The soil in much of the region is especially fertile and full of the nutrients needed to produce the wines that are at such high standards.

Being so close to France means more than having baguette and croissants it means having a French influence on many aspects of live, not excluding wine. The French Barrique, a small wooden barrel that wine can be aged in and adds much flavor is one example of French influence on Piedmonte. Although some traditionalists do not use the barriques, most vineyards make use of the barrels. The traditional large containers do not add any flavor and only produce a wine that has its own flavors. French influence is not limited to barriques but also includes the visuals of the vineyard. Like in France you will see meticulously manicured vineyards. Another French influence is the single plot vineyard, where a person will have there own little vineyard on their property. Tradition to native vines, trend to monovarietal wines, many classified zones no bigger than a single vineyard and vineyard on every south facing slope are all French influences. Although maybe the most important: like in France in Piedmonte wine is a way of life.


Tuscany has Sangiovese, Piedmonte has Nebbiolo. The name nebbiolo is from the Italian word “Nebia” which means “fog” probably because of the fog in the area. 100 percent nebbiolo produces both Barolo and Barbaresco, two very important wines. To produce nebbiolo all factors, such as soil, climate and elevation, must be perfect. The main growing region for nebbiolo is in south eastern Pidmonte.

Piedmonte has the most DOC-DOCG zones and has the largest percentage of its wines classified. More than half of its 700 km² of vineyards are registered with DOC designations. The region is without and IGT zones, for reasons I am not sure of. Main production area is in a town called Alba, near where Barolo and Barbaresco are produced. Due to modern production techniques Barolo and Barbaresco are now easier to drink and more ready and approachable. Also from the Alba area are a Dolcetto and a white Arnies from Roero hills as well as the important Barbera. Some DOCG of piedmonte are: Brachetto d’aqui, Asti, Barbaresco, Barolo, Gattiniara, Gavi or Cortese di Cavi and Ghemme. Barolo is made from 100% Nebbiolo and is aged for 4 years before being released. In 1980, the wines of the Barolo region became one of the first Italian wines to received DOCG status. Some characteristics of Barolo include: Color: not very intense, relatively thin skins. Lighter color in large barrels, darker when aged in barriques. Olfactory: aromas of cherry, plums dark fruits. When aged the aromas of leather, mushroom and smoke appear. Taste: Strong, bold wines. rich, harsh tannins. A very tannic, alshoholic wine. The grapes ripen in October and must be planted on south facing hills. Very hard to grow and have consistency in production. Some say that current global warming has been benificial to the production of the grapes. The wine making industry of the Piedmont played a significant role in the early stages of the Risorgimento with some of the era's most prominent figures-like Camillo Benso, Conte di Cavour and Garibaldi owning vineyards in Piedmont region and making significant contributions to the development of Piedmontese wines. The excessively high tariffs imposed by the Austrian Empire on the export of Piedmontese wines to Austrian controlled areas of northern Italy was one of the underlying sparks to the revolutions of 1848–1849. Piedmonte also is a leading produces of sparkling wine and has the distinction of producing the worlds most popular sparkling wine, Asti. Barbaresco is also an important wine. Being produced from the same grape as Barolo and less then 10 miles apart, there are a lot of similarities that Barbaresco has with it neighboring wines but the slight maritime influence of the Tanaro river helps fashion distinctly different wines. Generally less tannic, Barbaresco tend to be more elegant and approachable in their youth. The Barbaresco DOCG regulation stipulates wines with minimum alchohol content of 12.5% and 2 years minimum aging in the winery for standard labels and 4 years minimum for riservas wines. Being an even smaller zone then Barolo, producers in the region produce a little more than 200,000 cases annually. The majority of Barbaresco production takes place in 3 communities: Barbaresco, Treiso, Neive.The soils in the Barbaresco zone are more uniform across the region which tends to produce a more consistent profile with the wines then what could be achieved across the widely different areas of Barolo.[7]

All in all Piedmonte is a region with diverse history, cultural fusion and a habit of producing some of the worlds best wines. Not only do they produce great wine but they have a great variety. From strong full bodied wines to complex lighter ones to sweet sparkling wines the region has something to go with every meal and every occasion. Even with all the hype the first barolo i tried was impressive.

Milan, Lago Magiore and Lago Como. Internet Cafe not working well- pictures coming

Rome was my first school trip and this one was my second and last of the semester. I didnt really know what to expect and I didnt know that we were going to stop in Milan until the bus left but I knew that It would be beautiful. One of my roommates, Mario, also signed up for the trip so we headed off to the trains station together, getting there right at 7AM. We had to wait a few minutes for the late people and we headed out around 7:20. The bus was nice, same as the one we took to Rome. Luckily we werent going by train as their was a transportation strike throughout Italy. We reached Milan at about 11, getting off the bus right next to their Duomo. The Milan Duomo is the second largest gothic cathedral in the world and very different from our Florentine Duomo. An uncountable number of spires reaches towards the clouds, each with a saint perched on top. Like our Duomo ever inch of the exterior was covered in art or schulpture. The inside was not nearly as filled as St.Peters in Rome but still had its share of statues and art. It was know for its stained glass that covered the huge windows. There was also an interesting statue of San Bartalomeo wearing his own skin as a robe.We exited the Duomo and were faced by Italians in full riot gear, large guns, helmets, shields and all. In the piazza in front of the Duomo there was a mass of people in red. From what I could read it was either a union or communist rally. There was not rowdiness, the police were relaxed and the rally peaceful. The group disbanded, to meet again in a few hours. Mario and I checked out the famous shopping are then started wandering. We came upon a national geographic exhibit in the stree that was a series of beautiful photographs of wildlife and people. Near that we stopped at a pastry cart and had Milans version of a cannoli. From there we walked towards the tower that was dominating the skyline. When we came into the piazza we discovered that the tower was connected to a castle. Called Castello Sforzesco its deep red brick contrasted with the dull gray of the street. The wind started blowing like crazy, throwing leaves and debris into the air. Walking through mini tornadoes we entered through the main gate. The ground was depressed around the front where the moat used to be. We were able to walk all through the old castle which was amazing. Everything was still in good condition and very well made. From the holes for archers to shoot out of to the old garden everything seemed just ast it would have been hundreds of years ago. We were getting close to the time we had to go so we left a different way we came and tried to explore some more of Milan before we left. We all met up near the Cathedral and walked to our bus. The ride to the lake took about an hour and a half, which was spent playing Scopa, an Italian card game played with Italian cards. When we reached the hotel it was already dark but immediately we could tell that we were in for a treat. The covered valet area was well decorated and the doors were automatic and completely made of glass. Grand hotel Dino was written in gold above the door. We pulled our luggage out of the bus and moved inside. The interior was even more amazing. Directly infront was a huge oval going into the ceiling made out of stained glass. Huge chandeliers lined the ceiling around the stained glass. Every direction was a beauty that I was unaccustomed to. I was used to beautiful scenery, cassic paintings, amazing architecture but not modern man made art. We got our room keys and headed up the elavator that had a large LCD screen displaying weather, stocks and lots of other information. Our room was very classy with a tiled bathroom and a large balcony. We each took our showers then headed down to explore as we had a couple hours before we were to meet for dinner. The place was huge. You'll have to google the hotel to get an accurate picture but I'll try. It was a 5 star hotel and I think it lived up to its name. The hallways were elegantly furnished and stretched on forever. There were about 5 dining rooms, each watched over by about 8 of the huge crystal chandeliers. Past the dining area a long blue hallway lead to the spa area, which contained saunas, turkish baths, two jacuzzi, a large gym, large indoor pool, outdoor pool, massage area and a large game room with billiard ping pong a tv area and moor. When we were wandering the spa area we bumped into Francesco, one of our chaperones/ guides. Francesco is the kind of older man who is like an encyclopedia. He really knows EVERYTHING especially about Italian art. He has amazing stories, including some about being arrested for leading resistance against fascism. He also is the ind of older man who does as he feels and expects to be listened too. He said "come this way" so we did. We explored with him for a while until we came to the sauna area. He asked if we would like to sauna and we said that we would, not expecting his next move. He then stated that we would be taking a sauna at that exact moment. Although we had no swimwear and werent planning on taking one until later, we went with it. He signed us up for one and we headed into the sauna room. It was a very nice wooden room with showers on one side with the sauna and beautiful beach chairs to the other. He said that it was time to change so we undressed and grabbed towels and got in the sauna. The temperature read 90 C which if you do the conversion is about 190 degrees. Very hot. But it was very relaxing, especially after the long bus ride. After about 10 or 15 minutes Francesco said it was time to go outside to cool off. We followed him outside and stood near the outdoor pool cooling off for a few minutes. After we had cooled down we headed inside. Francesco saw the jacuzzi and decided that it was time to go in the hot tub. Mario and I gave each other a look as we realized that the guy wanted to go sit in the hotel hot tubs naked. We shrugged and followed him. When in Rome right? So we placed our towels strategically close to the part of the hot tub we were sitting in incase the rest of the group came into the pool room we would be able to make an exit. The hot tub was great, with many many jets and a mosaic of Poseidon behind us. Although Francesco had been keeping an eye out for people he hadnt done a great job. Francesca and her two friends showed up and got in the hot tub next to us. After a minute of feeling uncomfortable we went with it and hung out for a while. It seemed like they would be there for a while so eventually we grabbed the towels and headed out. I might have accidentally kicked Marios a few feet towards the ladies. We went back to the sauna and changed, feeling refreshed and relaxed. It was a great story to have and very funny to us afterwords but there were times where we gave each other looks like "what is going on". After the spa we had a few more minutes to explore before we met in one of the dining rooms. The menu was fixed with two choices for pimmit piati and two choices for secondi piatti. Since we were on a lake I chose the seafood risotto and the trout with potatoes and fennel. The food wasnt spectacular as it was prepared for a large group of people. Reminded me of the princess hotel that I used to work at. After desert most of the group of about 25 headed to the hotel bar for caffe` and drinks. We had a good time getting to know each other as most of the kids were from FUA (Florence university of the Arts) and only a few were from my school. After hanging out at the bar for a while some of us went outside and sat on the deck over looking the lake. We shared a large Romeo and Juliet Cuban cigar and enjoyed the night. This trip was billed as the most relaxing trip of all the ones offered with no running around trying to see every sight possible. So far it was definitely relaxing. Sitting on the deck of a beautiful hotel with a good friend was great. It was a good place to talk or just sit in silence thinking about my future or to not think at all and just absorb my surroundings. Eventually we went back into the hotel where Francesca challenged me to a game of ping pong. She convinced the hotel to let us in the game room even though it was after hours and we headed down. After a close game where I came out victorious we all headed to bed. Breakfast was at 8:30
After showering and getting dressed we headed down stairs to the massive spread that awaited us. In the same beautiful dining room we ate in last night we found sliced meats, cheeses, breads, fruits, cereals, pastry, yogurt, eggs, bacon an assortment of drinks and of course caffe`. Of each there was at least 5 different kinds and I made sure to eat as much as possible. The bread was especially good with a strong crust and soft inside. We all met out on the deck and for the first time saw lago Magiore in daylight. It was a beautiful lake, huge with hills on everyside. Although the water was not as busy as I thought it would be there was a few boats moving around. We enjoyed the view for a few moments then walked down to the dock where we split up into two groups and each got into a boat. We enjoyed a smooth ride around islands to a little city that was having a market and that we would get a chance to explore. It was very sunny out and at the dock where we deboarded there were kids playing and lots of ducks and large swans swimming around. The water was full of large fish which I think someone said were catfish. We established a meeting point and headed off to explore the little town. We wandered the market for a while before stopping into a cafe to try a local speciality which was the hot chocolate. Not like American hot chocolate this was thick like pudding and came in about 35 different flavors. I chose white chocolate with hazelnut which was excellent. they came in large cups placed into little wooden bowls. We met back up at the dock and departed. We boated around the island for a while before stopping on an island that held a private castle like villa that was owned by a prince and had a private garden that is open only one month out of the year. Unfortunately for us it wasnt that month. We landed on the side opposite the villa and walked to the place we would be having lunch. One end of the island jutted out like a miniature version of the homer spit and was lined with trees that displayed beautiful fall leaves. We walked through the small island city with only a couple feet on each side separating us from the buildings. There were also many fat cats hanging out, probably well fed from the fisherman. We found our restaurant where we would be eating for free, courtesy of Francesco. Everyone would be served the same thing: a seafood risotto and fried fish with mixed veggies and a veggie pastry that was like an empanada. Everything was very well cooked and tasted excellent. The restaurant itself was wall to wall with windows that allowed us to enjoy a great lake view. After lunch we headed back to the mainland. When we got there Francesco said he would be walking around the island and we could join him if we wanted. I was one of the about 10 that joined him, the rest going back to the hotel. He led us through the city to an old church where he explained the architecture and the art. Very informative. We wandered around for about an hour, even seeing a banana tree which I thought was pretty cool. Back at the hotel I wrote in the journal that Meadow and Bill got for me (so my thoughts would be fresh for my blog!) and relaxed for a while. When It started getting dark I went outside and took some slow capture photos and photographed some of the hotel, as well as exploring the less seen parts of the hotel. Dinner was pretty much the same affair as the night before but with different food. Once again not anything too impressive but tasty and satisfying. After dinner we all decided to go to a local pub for drinks and dancing. Francesco and Francesca joined us and we all danced for a while. We went back to the hotel for a while and hung out in the tower room for a while. After we all went our separate ways I showered and went to bed. In the morning we would be going to Lago Como.
In the morning we woke up a little late and after packing and getting everything out of the room we went down to breakfast and ate some more good food. My sister and Bill called and I talked to them for a while, which was good. I miss everybody! The bus to Como took about an hour and a half. Como was a decent sized city and we slowly made our way to the docks. We got off the bus and waited while Francesco haggles with a boat captain. We were only scheduled to take a land tour but he thought we would be able to experience it better by boat. Paying for it himself he booked a charter boat for a tour of the lake. The lake was surrounded by hills and stretched for miles in the shape of the letter Y. To buy a medium sized house on Como costs minimun 10 million Euro. So imagine how beautiful the homes were. There were villas owned by hollywood actors like George Clooney and Sylvester Stallone, Villas owned by princes and dukes, a villa that was built for Napolean the 3rd. Saudi princes had villas as well as Steve jobs, the owner of apple. It is illegal to build new home on Como without hard to get special permits so almost every villa is in classic style and beautiful. Comos waters were much busier with sailboats and other watercrafts criss crossing the lake. After about two hours on the water we went back to land where we began our tour. The bus took us out of the city center and near villa estes. (google that) We wandered around for a while and had lunch. For those who met at the meeting point on time we got to take a tour of the extremely private villa estes, a hotel that rents the cheapest rooms for over 1,000 euro a night. They have a large, beautiful garden and runis of a cliff side fortress on their property. Francesco said something to the man at the gate, who called someone who talked to Francesco. Francesco again worked his majic and got them to let a group of American students wander around this exclusive, high end estate. The gardens were beautiful, especially with the multicolored leaves in the trees. Massive trees and a pool IN the lake were also highlights of Villa Estes. We made our way back to the bus and began our journey home. It was a great, beautiful and relaxing trip. The homes were amazing and the natural beauty great as well. The hotel was an experience in itself. I enjoyed the feeling of being royalty after a few years as a poor college student! Thanks Dad and Jackie for paying for the trip!
The ride home was pretty smooth. At the rest station we saw a beautiful Lamborghini. We watched a movie and played cards to pass the time and we got to Florence at about 8. I love that I feel like Im home when I come back to Florence.
P.S. I wanted to say a special thanks to my Mom, Ellen pennell for helping me with money to travel or rent a place over Christmas break. Youre always there when I need you and it takes alot of stress off me and lets me enjoy this chance of a life time that much more. My dad and Jackie also deserve another thank you for the computer that you sent me (even though Italian customs is impossible) and your continued support. Thanks also to everyone else that reads my blog and helps me feel connected to everyone. Ciao. Recipes from the last week coming also.