Istanbul for Eid: The Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque is one of the most beautiful building in the world.....we were woken each morning at 5am by the hoarse call to prayer...

Istanbul for Eid: Night one

We arrived after dark, got to the hotel and had a quick wander around. we were only a short walk from the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia in Sultanahmet both pretty spectacular at night....

Random images from our Sakkara visit

An unchanging scene for millenia

Go donkey, go

Cut palm branches

Beautiful date palms

Oncoming camel train

Red Pyramid, Darshur

A drunks view of the red pyramid with nice clouds....

The Bent and Black pyramids from the Darshur

The Bent pyramid from the edge of the Red one

Donkey slipstream

He makes one hellava paella

Dinner for Eid...not long now....

The Step Pyramid sad doggie

Drunks view of the Sakkara pyramid

Sakarra

The posing TeTe Pyramid doggie

The Step Pyramid

Hijab mulcher rental

Winners of the Sakkara donkey Derby

Typical roadside scene, plus van carrying foam....

Popped down the shop for some milk....

Carrot delivery

Meat delivery

HSE advisors look away now, building a new mosque

Updates News Snippets....

All has got very busy in the last couple of weeks and so the first casualty of this is the blog. Heres 10 of the latest random snippets and happenings.

1. Its getting cold. 14oC last night - break out the thermals.

2. Young T is off to Lapland for his school trip - in Feb, 20hrs of semi darkness and -10oC, sound like fun.

3. Second Eid is coming up, and I managed to get out of Emergency Duty coordinator. So now looking for somewhere to take everyone.

4. The golden oldies arrive on Thursday - watch out Cairo. This will be interesting.

5. Ps golf swing has been rebuilt.

6. Mrs T is listening to the Scripts new album, that P sourced for her.

7. Roads continue to be crazy - saw a mini under a JCB today - nasty.

8. Went to the Tequila Dart league night, had a shot of tequila between games, both of us suffered in the morning!

9. Mrs T making the most of the Slingbox (allows us to watch our TV in the UK here in Cairo), although watching Strictly come dancing live is not really what the WWW was invented for!

10. Watched the A Team film the other night (I brought it back from Syria). Smashing. Mrs T would rather watch a period drama but frankly Im a sucker for a few explosions and car chases and lame jokes.

More news later. I am starting to take the camera in on the trip to work to grab some random images.

Biggest Loser III Update

Tommorrow heralds the next Sky Super monday weigh-in for the T family biggest loser. P is catching Mrs T fast on the percentage body weight lost as Mrs T has stalled slightly, despite much exercise and eating right. Apparently I am told by many women that losing weight is harder for the female kind than for us menfolk. Even the secretaries at work were spinning this line. I tell them it maybe true, but only because men have greater will power!!!! Still the scales are non-gender specific so we will see tommorrow......

In other news Mrs T spent the weekend helping out at a white elephant sale for charity, netting over 5000EGP. Ahmed the driver apparently brought most of the stuff for his new baby Yassin.

P had his first golf lesson and then promptly played the best game of his life to score a 90 over 18 holes, only 18 over par (not bad, down from 28!)! So he beat the guys at the weekend who are all calling him a bandit! Next lesson on Tuesday, watch out Lee Westwood.

The future European golf superstar

and the other one is Rory McIlroy......

Spent the afternoon at the Marriott in Cairo watching the last day of the Egyptian open. Followed Rory McIlroy for a few holes then sat around the 17th and watched the battle unfold. Whilst getting a drink in the club house Rory was walking around so young J got his hat signed and Mrs T took the best photo she could get on my old camera (proper cameras were not allowed). Mrs Ts opinion - nice wee irish guy.....

Mrs T - Golfing Groupie

Whilst working in Damascus I rang Mrs T to be told she could not speak as she was on the golf course. I presumed she was playing but no, she and here female cohorts were being golfing groupies at the Egyptian Open, following Rory McIlroy and others around on the first day. Apparently they were pretty much the only spectators!

As one of the golfers came off the green he presented Mrs T with his used Titlelist V1x golf ball. Seeing him later on the putting green she got his autograph. Should EGA Swedish Golfer Peter Gustafsson ever get really famous we shall Ebay it! His unique head wear is what makes him stand out from the crowd....take a look! Not sure its my style, more Mrs Ts mums beach wear!