Tales of Dragons, Rabbits and Roosters

View of Zamalek

Zamalek is located on the 4 kilometer long and 1 kilometer wide Gezira island in the middle of Cairo.  On the map, The Gezira Palace (Marriott-Zamalek) is the pink building just south of the 15^th of May Bridge.  It is across the street from the Gezira Sporting Club, aka The Nadi, similar to New York’s Central Park.  The Nadi is a featured venue in many Egyptian movies so is well known throughout the Arab world.

Fifteen of May Bridge over Nile River

View of 15^th of May Bridge over the Nile, opposite of Zamalek.

Arriving at the Gezira Palace in Zamalek, the children again remarked about much smaller the lions were than they remembered.  And Ace thought they were gold, not marble.

Ace blending in with the Egyptian royalty to welcome Empress Eugenia

I wonder whether the Empress Eugenie of France felt the same way when she arrived in 1869. Her guest bedroom in the palace was designed to be identical to her own in Tulleries, France.  But with a full name of  María Eugenia Ignacia Augustina de Palafox-Portocarrero de Guzmán y Kirkpatrick I can only imagine despite the Khedive Ismail’s attempt to impress her, the Gezira Palace looked small compared to the renovated Tulleries Palace.

Les Tuileries before 1871 when it was burnt down.

This visit it was too cold to while away the hours sitting in the palace garden.  Instead, Mojo and I spent a little time walking around the shopping district.

Azza Fahmy Store showcasing her Pharonic collection

Black canna lilies

New Arabic Restaurant in Zamalek

Residence in Zamalek

Even in Zamalek the buildings’ exteriors suffer from neglect.

But people are still walking around, buying their bread from the street vendors and having coffee with their friends.

Coffee Shop Receipt Holder in Cairo