Appeasing Grumpy Relatives dah de dah

Our Thames Petanque group. A very happy and cooperative group of people who have banded together for the ease and comfort we seem to enjoy together as much as having a good game - and planning strategies most foul.

We started about three and a half years ago from a trial get together of petanque and lawn croquet players. Outsiders are a tad surprised at the names we call each other, and the shouts of victory or abuse. But there has been no actual violence.

As such. Tying the victor to a picket fence and pelting him with boule does not actually involve any bodily contact. Peltees can buy their freedom, nay, their life, for a flat white. This also has the advantage of cutting down funeral costs. It also avoids digging a hole in a perfectly good terrain, filling in forms, appeasing grumpy relatives dah de dah.

Aswan

We're in Aswan, and relaxing. And of course, I have caught the trip cold/sore throat/cough. Just today, so I've spent the day in bed. Otherwise, we've had a great trip, I think. We drove into Aswan yesterday. Such a lovely drive. The desert gets very close to the road and the houses become more part of the landscape. They are most unpainted, with some exceptions, and some of them make use of Nubian architecture, with rounded roofs and decorative brickwork at the top of the walls. They almost all have satellite dishes, though. Even the smallest and meanest of them.

Luxor was lovely. It's always one of the biggest places we visit in terms of sites and guiding at the sites. This year we've been particularly lucky with our guides - last year's guide was a buffoon and wrong for the type of trip we have, but this year's have been quiet and have just been lovely people. I don't know if I mentioned previously that Jeremy Armstrong, one of my colleagues, has come along. He is one of the Romanists in the department, and we're setting up a complementary trip to Rome to run in alternate years. He's here to see how it's done and we've been discussing all kinds of options regarding content and integration between the two time periods. It's been great fun. He's got great ideas about how this can be better in terms of studying all eras of Egyptian history, pharaonic, Greek, Roman, and Arab. It'll take a while to set up, I think, but it could be a really interesting course, in the end.

Speaking of Luxor, they're working on turning the entire city into an open air museum. They've begun this by razing the houses over top of an ancient avenue of sphinxes. They have plans to raze almost everything up to the train station, including the souk (market bazaar). It means that the landscape of the city has already changed. Favourite shops and cafes are gone or moved to the outer rim of the city. I can't see how they're going to move the souk, but they've taken down an enormous amount already. People get money to move from places they've lived in sometimes for generations, but it can't be enough. And some of them are living in places with very cheap rents (like 5LE a month = $1 CDN, $1.25 NZD), and will have to move to places with rents of 2000LE a month. It's very hard.

Okay, I'm going back to bed now. Sorry for the lack of pictures, but the wifi here is slow as molasses in either January or June, depending where you live. We'll be homes soon, anyway. I apologize for the lack of posts on this. I had planned to have more but ...

Only 381 days...

Thames stoically bears the throb of eager Christmas shoppers and bargain hunters. Only 381 days until the next Christmas, have a quiet ale and start planning now.

Talented young guitarist shows promise

Hi, you might remember me. I think Hilary took this photo at Barry Brickell's. Hot summer days here now. Many a time I've leapt into the local creek. Quite cool, very refreshing. My sins are washed away. So I spring out and start sinning some more.
Major work about the garden by 'er Ladyship. I fetch, carry and take bags down to the tip.
I have started relearning classical guitar. After a gap of about forty years. Love it even though I sound like a child practising.

Our petanque group still going well. We had our end of year lunch up the coast in a 'water garden'. I would like to take your Mum up there when she comes to visit. Excellent restaurant - not too expensive and good food. A delightful water lily pond. There are walks as long or as short as you like. but on a sunny day a good trip up the coast.
I don't think we'll need you to chaperone Jen. You can stay in the car and I'll give you a colouring in book and some crayons. I don't want to see smears or naughty words written on the windows either thank you.

Mom Here

Hi Love,

HilaryLouise has put me on the right track for getting through to you because I am old and of course a little bit fuzzy. However, I have been keeping track of you with great interest and am looking forward to Christmas.

Lots of love,

Ma

Minya

Hi all,

So, we're in Minya, in Middle Egypt. I thought we might be the only foreigners in the city, when lo and behold, the dining room this evening was full of them. British. All elderly. One old woman in a flowery muumuu-type dress (and in no position to talk fashion) accosted one of the students, Mark, for not wearing shoes to dinner. I have to say, I'm up in arms about this. I felt like lambasting her, but Mark asked me not to. Honestly, it was incredibly rude of her. What business is it of hers who wears what to dinner? Old biddy. She probably has 17 cats. (That's Mark, to the left.)

The journey thus far - Alexandria was lovely, but I think I mentioned that. Did I mention we went to El Alamein War Cemetery? It's extremely important for the New Zealanders, as it was a decisive battle in which they played a vital role, and in which they lost more men than in any other battle of WW II. Profoundly moving for me. So many very young men, lost.

Cairo was, as usual, very full of day trips and student talks. Most of them were very good. Meidum, the Fayuum, Giza, the Egyptian Museum, Dahshur, Saqqara (in no particular order). I'm still seeing things I have never seen before at these places. We left Cairo this morning for Minya and saw, on the way, Beni Hasan. Middle Kingdom (12th Dynasty) tombs of nomarchs, who were like governors of provinces. Beautifully decorated tombs. They show scenes of daily life not seen elsewhere, such as groups of wrestlers showing various wrestling holds, hunting scenes, transportation of a sarcophagus... Fascinating. I love this site. It's high up on a hill, and it's quiet. Not many visitors, so we usually have the place to ourselves. Peaceful.

Tomorrow morning, we're on our way to Luxor, via Amarna, the capital city of Akhenaten. It, too, is off the beaten track, and while it might look desolate to some, it is beautiful and serene. Even if the king who built the city was a first-class fruitcake.

One of the things I like the best about this trip is that there are so many good friends travelling together. We have such a good time, laughing and chatting and discussing the sites. It couldn't be more satisfying. Sometimes, it is stressful for me, particularly if one of the students gets really sick, but generally it is one hell of a lot of fun.

I'm having some trouble uploading pictures to this - it's taking FOREVER, so I'll leave it at the one I've put up for now. Hopefully, the connection will be better elsewhere. Although wifi in all the rooms in Middle Egypt is pretty amazing. I actually skyped with Weezie yesterday from Cairo.

I'm heading to bed and sleep. How are you all doing?

All is well in St. Albert

Hi Jen,

I am doing well even though I got a case of Thrush. Yeast infection for the throat. MM fun. I also had another infection under the thrush that I am now just getting rid of. On a good note my appetite is back with a vengeance so I am eating up a storm. Well sort of my stomach has shrunk so what is a storm to me is just a snack to you I think. Codi keeps tapping me to say hello to you. So MEAOW to you from Codi.

I am so glad to hear that you had a good visit to Alexandria. I wish that I could be with you this trip. 2013 here we come! I talked to my Dr. and she said that once I am declared clear of cancer then there should be no problem with travel insurance. Made me very happy to hear.

I still have my hair but I have been told it will start this week to fall out. Mike shaved his head last week and I love it. He says he looks goofy but I think it is sexy.

Have to run now but just wanted to say that I love you and I am fine.

Love Weezie