It would be a cliche to say ‘there are no words’ to describe our epic trip to Egypt and Turkey this summer. But this is a blog and that makes no sense. I could also say something about a’ picture says a thousand words’ but again, you probably want more info than that.
My daughter, long time readers will know her as The Evil Genius, qualified for world championships at both the U17 and U19 level in her chosen sport: modern pentathlon. This is a five sport event that includes fencing, swimming, obstacle course, shooting, and running. Not wanting her to have all the fun, and because we were nervous about sending our 15yo halfway around the world alone, we planned to go with her and make it a big family affair. Egypt has long been a bucket list trip for me, so I was extra excited.
It was a packed month between the competitions and exploring. We started at the first event in Alexandria. Staying in an apartment and not the venue with the rest of the teams was certainly an experience! We were not in an area with any other Western tourists. A little bit exciting in the Ubers each day. But we were comfortable and felt safe, even if the city is very loud, active, and dirty. The competition went better than expected, especially considering she fell on the first day of training there and badly sprained her ankle. We gave her the choice of competing or not and she decided to persevere. As a mother I was both proud and horrified. Mostly proud.
After Alexandria and a few days in Cairo to recoup, train, and slightly be touristy we met up with the rest of the family in Turkey. I had travelled with my daughter to Alex, the rest of the family was at a wedding. There we road tripped through the beautiful countryside to the Aegean Coast. We swam in turquoise waters, ate all the food, visited mind boggling ruins, and laughed our butts off. We had an extra kid (one of the other athletes) and my MIL. And yes, we all got along.
The next competition was in Istanbul. My daughter stayed with the rest of the team there and we had fun exploring this massive and cool city when not watching the Canadian athletes. We were there a week and I feel like we barely scratched the surface of what there is to experience.
When the competitions were over and the rest of the team went home or on to other events our family travelled back to Egypt. This was our time to see all of the ancient sites. We got to go IN some pyramids, felt humbled by the craftsmanship, engineering, and detail of the ancient Egyptians, and then finished our trip on a houseboat on the Nile. Not a cruise, but a houseboat moored in Luxor where we even got to swim in the famous river (don’t worry, there are no crocodiles since they build the Aswan Dam).
Prior to leaving I decided to bring along a stack of fabric squares. My plan was for a block a day. I wasn’t entirely sure how this would play out, but I wanted to try. Surprisingly, I was very motivated and did indeed make a block for every day. I even finished the last one as we were boarding the flight home. The blocks serve as a bit of a trip diary. They are all appliqued in one way or another with freehand cut shapes. Oh, except one, you’ll be able to figure that out. Each block is inspired by our experiences, our sites, or events of the day. Most interpretations are abstract, some a bit more literal. The gallery above shares the block and just one inspiration photo.
Day 1 - Arrive in Alexandria via Cairo.
Day 2 - Training Day in Alexandria, where we discover the importance of shade and KT Tape.
Day 3 - First day of competition and opening ceremonies.
Day 4 - Competition for my girl and her sprained ankle.
Day 5 - Canada is killing it on the obstacle course!
Day 6 - Less events today so we explored Alexandria a bit into the evening.
Day 7 - Finals competition. All three Canadian athletes made finals.
Day 8 - Mixed relay and one last ride in an Uber in Alexandria’s crazy, potholed and crowded streets.
Day 9 - A bit touristy in Alex, the famous Library and the Kim el Shoqafa Catacombs
Day 10 - The new Grand Egyptian Museum is a cool building, but not really open yet.
Day 11 - Stressful travel day that ended with a gorgeous drive through Turkey and an amazing meal, plus all the family is back together!
Day 12 - Sidetrack to see the ruins at Troy.
Day 13 - Road tripping to Fethiye through mountains of olive groves.
Day 14 - Ah, that Turquoise Coast.
Day 15 - Pammukale, swimming in Cleopatra’s temple and the most beautiful coliseum.
Day 16 - From the coast up the mountains and arriving in Istanbul on the great Turkish highways.
Day 17 - Up the Galata Tower and exploring the streets of Istanbul.
Day 18 - The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia plus Sultanahmet Square and more delicious food.
Day 19 - Cheering on our girl at her second competition!
Day 20 - Wandering the Grand Bazaar and it’s surrounding streets.
Day 21 - Food tour of Istanbul means more delicious food. Oh, these little cups of tea.
Day 22 - Another competition day, with a side trip to explore a bit more of Istanbul in-between events.
Day 23 - Relaxing on the marble of a Turkish Hammer is glorious.
Day 24 - In Cairo again, exploring the old museum and the city
Day 25 - The pyramids!!!!!
Day 26 - Exploring the Black Desert, the White Desert, the Baharyia Oasis and camping under the stars.
Day 27 - Sunrise in the White Desert then a travel day to Luxor
Day 28 - So many tombs in the Valley of the Kings, and the Queens, but I was really there for the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
Day 29 - The temples at Karnak and Luxor exceeded my imagination, the Mummification Museum? Not so much.
Day 30 - Saw the sunrise hot air balloons then swam in the Nile and began the long journey home.
As I worked through the jet lag on our return home I pieced the quilt top together. Stay tuned for that. If you want more details and photos you can always check out my daily posts on Instagram.