and the rest of Egypt .... Kings and Temples

We started the day off early - a 3am call for our flight to Luxor, which is also where we boarded our ship

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After lunch we went by coach to explore the Kanak and Luxor Temples  We were led by an Egyptologist, which was the case for all the exploration we did on this trip.  I felt this was a very big advantage to taking the tour with Road Scholars, rather than one of the "shopping trip" tours.

The Karnak Temple Complex was the center of the ancient Egyptian civilization for centuries.  The Luxor Temple is an ancient Egyptian temple dedicated to the god Amun-Ra and contains Christian, Roman, Greek and Muslim influences.

 

The next day was very exciting as we began at Habu Temple and then went on to "discover" the West Bank Valley of the Kings, King Tut Tomb, Hatshepsut, and Memnon.

The West Bank Valley of the Kings was used as the royal burial place for about 400 years.  

The tombs were absolutely beautiful and amazingly well preserved!  Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed.

The Hatshepsut Temple is one of the very few temples of Egypt to be dedicated and built by a woman.  It has a unique modern architecture that made it difficult to believe its age.

The Colossi of Memnon are two giant statues standing at the edge of the desert separating the old from the new.

To explore the Edfu Temple,we rode in horse drawn carriages.  These were not a ride around Central Park

!

 

The Horus Temple at Edfu (dedicated to the Falcon God Horus) is one of the largest in Egypt

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That evening we were to visit Kom Ombo, dedicated to the Gods Sobek and Haeroris.  Kom Ombo was built dure the Ptolemaic Dynasty in the second century BC.  Several Hundred crocodile mummies were uncovered during initial excavations. 

 

The next day we explored the sites of Aswan; we visited Philae, High Dam and the unfinished Obelisk.  

Philae is known as the temple of romance and was dedicated to the great goddess Isis.  It is also located on an island in the middle of a man-made lake.  .

We also had a chance to enjoy the uniquely Egyptian sailing experience on the Nile on a Felucca.  Feluccas are sailboats that have been used on the Nile for decades and are made with a traditional design as well as with broad canvas sails.  Essentially, the craft is reliant on wind-power with no motor, and are dependent upon the wind factor to propel forth.

Our last day was a flight to Abu Simbel and then back to Cairo to return home.

Abu Simbel was carved out of bedrock by King Ramses II, and it is said should be the 8th wonder of the world

Lake Nassar

Cairo from my hotel window

As you know, on a cruise the staff makes cute things out of the towels each night.  This was my favorite!.

Croatia (the second half)

Heading North .....


Today we are in Dubrovnik, Croatia.  If the city looks vaguely familiar to you, it may be because it has a starring role on television.  The city is used as the filming location for King's Landing on the HBO series Game of Thrones.

In 1991, after the breakup of Yugoslavia, the city suffered through a seven-month siege by Serb and Montenegrin soldiers.  It was heavily damaged by shelling during the siege.

The city is one of the finest example of a walled medieval city in all of Europe.  Its walls stretch 1.2miles and are 13 to 20 feet thick.

Hvar Island, the longest of the Croatian isles, has been ruled variously by Greeks, Romans, Ottomans, Austrians, and French.  Today it is still known as one of Europe's most beautiful islands, benefiting from warm summers, mild winters and more than 2,715 hours of sunlight in an average year - making it arguably the sunniest spot in Europe.

Among the interesting souvenirs and products of Hvar there's a unique kind of lace made of agave fibers, which may be seen and bought in the monastery of Benedictine nuns.

Split is the second biggest town in Croatia and has become the vacation spot of the islands, necessitating the sign that swim attire should be confined to the beach ....

The Imperial Palace of the Roman Emperor Diocletian is the greatest Roman ruin in southeastern Europe.  Built like a fortress with walls 590 feet by 705 feet, the palace was occupied by the Emperor Diocletian from AD 300-313.








Sibenik, a hillside city that fans out like an amphitheater and reflects the elegance of late-Middle Ages architecture, is located in one of the Adriatic's most naturally protected harbors.  The Cathedral of St. James was built completely of limestone and marble (no other material - no wood or brick) in the Gothic and Renaissance styles, its construction lasted from 1431 until its completion in 1536.  Its impressively detailed stone sculptures include 71 human faces - believed to represent local Sibenik residents - carved into the cathedral's outer sides.

We took a tour to Krka Falls, a series of spectacular cascading waterfalls that comprises one of Croatia's true national wonders.  Over the millennia, the Krka River has carved canyons into the surrounding limestone of the Dinara Mountains, crating a spectacular landscape.

And, yes, we walked along that board pathway through the falls .... only one of us fell in!










Our last port was Zadar, one of Croatia's true hidden jewels.  Originally founded as a Roman colony, this peninsula town is replete with 2,000 years of architectural treasures.  You view ruins dating back to the third century BC, when the Holy Roman Empire ruled the city, just right out on the sidewalk (you have to watch where you
walk because some are under the street...)



The other very cool thing in Zadar is the sea organ. The organ looks like a series of broad steps leading down into the water, but there´s actually very clever engineering hiding under the surface.The lower steps allow water and air to flow in. That water and air is then funneled into resonant chambers under the steps, and pushed out through the channels on the upper stairs. These cause the undulating, chime-like notes to be produced. Because the sea is always shifting and changing, the sea organ never sounds exactly the same twice. Each sound you hear is completely unique.  At night the solar panels produce a light show with the music.

And then we were back in Zagreb, in time for the first night of the Christmas Market.  Zagreb was voted the best Christmas Market last year, so the mass of humanity at the first night was unbelieveable!

 View of Zagreb from the hotel before dark ...

 I flew from Zagreb to Cairo via Frankfurt, where I sat on the runway for 3 hours waiting to be de-iced.  I have never seen this procedure before and it was really interesting to watch ....