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You blink and you miss it

Spring has sprung while we were away on our trip… but there’s also beauty in the fallen flowers

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Friday False Advertising… When the store doesn’t sell what the storefront advertises.

No more Cuirs et Crepins (Leather and "Crepins*" ) just clothes from Ma Poesie

*Crepins: A crepin merchant is a supplier of leather working equipment. The crepin takes its name from Saint Crépin, who is designated as the patron saint of the leather trades. Crepin is an obsolete word, which used to designate the bag in which the shoemaker carried his tools, as well as its contents. The crepin designated all the material necessary to the shoemaker, except the leather, his raw material. The "crepin" trader negotiates and resells the material necessary for the leather professionals. He can supply all kinds of leather-related materials, wholesale or retail.

*** During my "flânerie", I often notice the beautiful old storefronts, some are even listed as historical monuments but the ones I prefer are the ones where the storefront and the actual store don’t have anything in common… aka my "False Advertising" series***

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I’m always in owe how one moment we can be in one place, at a certain time, with a certain type of weather and the next we can be in another place, at a different time, a totally different weather, with a different culture and way of doing things by the simple mean of flying in the air for x numbers of hours.

It has become so easy, and to a certain extent so much cheaper compared to years before, to fly to places, discover new cultures, food, way of life, that I think we take it for granted. We shouldn’t, it is still a privilege but it’s also such a rewarding experience.

Travel makes you realize that no matter how much you know, there's always more to learn. ~Nyssa P. Chopra.

Until our next “learning experience”.

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Got tired of the pyramids in Paris so went to check out the ones in Cairo.

If you missed the multiple posts… here’s the link for the recap: https://atotaltaitaitale.tumblr.com/tagged/c&jCairo/chrono

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New continent… unlocked. Finally made it to Africa.

Not the obvious country one will think when talking about Africa but definitely a country linking northeast Africa with the Middle East.

Only one continent missing: Antartica!

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National Museum of Egyptian Civilization

This was my favorite museum. The royal Mummies exhibition was phenomenal and so well done (no photo allowed).

Partially opened in 2017, the museum was officially inaugurated on 3 April 2021 by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, with the moving of 22 mummies, including 18 kings and four queens, from the Egyptian Museum in central Cairo, in an event termed the Pharaohs' Golden Parade.[1] The museum displays a collection of 50,000 artifacts, presenting the Egyptian civilization from prehistoric times to the present day.

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Our last day in Cairo was spent between museums

Egyptian Museum of Cairo

The Egyptian Museum in Cairo (EMC) is the oldest archaeological museum in the Middle East, housing over 170,000 artefacts. It has the largest collection of Pharaonic antiquities in the world.

The idea of a museum for Egyptian antiquities in Egypt goes back to Muhammad Ali Pasha, who was viceroy of Egypt from 1805 to 1848. Attempting to put an end to the export of antiquities, he issued a decree on the 15th of August 1835, which resulted in the first Egyptian museum for antiquities in Cairo. Housed in a building near El-Ezbekia Garden, the display was designed by Hakikan Effendi, and the collection was managed by Youssef Diaa Effendi. At the same time, Sheikh Rifa’a al-Tahtawi, who was responsible for the excavation and conservation of Egyptian monuments, also ordered that no further excavations be undertaken without his permission. He announced that the export of artefacts from Egypt was strictly forbidden, and that all finds were to be transported to the El-Ezbekia Museum.

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A self organized chaos. Everyone knows what they are supposed to do.

As an outsider, you take a minute to observe and then you replicate… with assurance like you’ve done it before.

It’s a skill applicable for many things… not just crossing busy, chaotic streets in foreign lands.

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Sabils of Cairo

The city of Cairo was once renowned for having combination sabil-kuttab. Sabils (water dispensaries) were used to store freshwater and dispense it to passersby with Kuttab (Quranic schools) on the top.

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Old Cairo Bazaar Khan al Khalili.

The obligatory stop at the souk even tough it’s nowadays more geared to tourists nonetheless a great little place to visit

The Khan el-Khalili today is occupied by local merchants and traders and is significantly geared towards tourists. Shops typically sell souvenirs, antiques and jewelry. The adjoining goldsmiths' souq is still important for locals. Although less widespread than in earlier days, many crafts workshops continue to operate within the bazaar (usually in the courtyards or upper floors of buildings) and in the surrounding districts, manufacturing some of the products sold here or exported elsewhere.

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Street life.

The first photo is a tea merchant. I saw him coming but I didn’t have my phone ready so I had to chase him.

Funny enough it reminded me of a time when you would see “Garçon de Cafe” walking down the streets to deliver the espresso to the different boutique/store nearby. I remember it especially from our time in Paris and Buenos Aires. I guess they all have a coffee machine nowadays.

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Bread

The local type of pita bread known as aish baladi (Egyptian Arabic: عيش بلدي) is a staple of Egyptian cuisine.

Interesting enough bread, in Egyptian Arabic, is called aish, which literally means life, rather than khobz, the word that other Arab-speakers use. The word reflects the centrality of bread here.

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Street Merchants.

I’m always fascinated when tourists in Paris take photos of the stalls of our open markets, and then I remember you always find beauty in something that might not be your usual.

Ok to be honest I remember taking pictures too when I would come back on vacation while living abroad. ;-).

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The best way to get a feel of a country and its people is to just walk the streets and immerse yourself.

I love collecting photos of mom and pops stores.

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The tuktuk is a great way to go from point A to point B in congested traffic.

I’m just happy I’m not the one driving it.

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Sometimes to take a random picture (with the sun blinding you) and after you look at it you realize the “luck of the draw” you got.

Only missing a pedestrian and a bus and that would summarized the roads in Cairo.

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A few pictures of the Mosques we visited.

Sultan Hassan Mosque - Al Rifa’i Mosque - Ibn Tulun Mosque - El-hakim Mosque