The City
Busy and crowded, we sat in our vehicle waiting for the crowd to clear the street for the street car. Tables with items to purchase were picked up and move to the side, only to be replaced seconds after the trolley passed. If we were ever to disappear on a trip and never seen again, this would be the place.
The Crypts
This was our first stop along the way. Our guide from the site led us down into the ground to see ancient crypts. It was really interesting how this system had been built and remans today under the city. Above ground, there is a courtyard with ancient Egyptian statues which we wandered around by ourselves for a bit before we were underway to the Roman Amphitheater.
Montazah Palace and Gardens
On the shore of Alexandria, lies an old palace that belonged to the last royal family of Egypt. Now it is owned by the government, but at the time of our visit, it was not open to the public. Across the street is a beautiful gazebo that overlooks the ocean.
our final stop for the day was the Montazah Gardens. This is an open area that the public picnics in, and kids play soccer. Once again, they begged Bill to play, and once again, despite a lack of talent for the sport, the kids thought it was great playing with him. I never see kids ask other adults. There is just something about Bill.
Fort of Qaitbey
Where the Lighthouse of Pharos once existed, the Fort of Qaitbey now stands. Albeit, the one of the 8th Wonders of the World now lies in its ocean grave after an earthquake in the 14th century, the fort offers wonderful views of the crashing surf, and is a nice place to visit.
Roman Amphitheater
I think the Romans built everywhere, and certainly we found a second century site being excavated right in Alexandria. The amphitheater was really interesting, and if you stand in the center and whisper, it can be heard all the way to the back.
There is also a collection of Egyptian statues and pillars that have been removed from the sea and are located here, although completely unrelated. Future plans are for the ocean ruins include the French building an underwater museum to see the remains of the rest of the ruins left behind from the earthquake in the 14th century. If they do this, we will come back!
The famous archeologist, Zahi Hawass posted photos of the proposed site by French architect Jacques Rougerie. The project is limited on funding and we hope that this dream becomes a reality some day.