I wake up early again to the sound of beeping horns – I think I’m almost beginning to expect it like my morning alarm call for work each morning.  I open the balcony doors and sit on the sofa writing up my notes for the blog.  Peter wakes up and takes a shower.  As he comes back into the room we hear two loud bangs from below - they definitely sounded like gunshots.  Peter goes onto the balcony to look.  After a minute or two he tells me that the place is swarming with police – I can hear multiple sirens in the distance.  I tentatively make my way onto the balcony and pluck up enough courage to look down.  There are 3 large police trucks and at least another 3 police cars on the roundabout next to the hotel.  We both take turns in videoing the spectacle below.  I imagine it was an attempted bank robbery as the police seemed to be concentrated around the Faisal Islamic Bank.  The furore dies down and we decide to get our act together and get ready to go out. 

Once we’re ready Peter calls me from the balcony.  He tells me that he can see Abdul waiting outside the hotel.  I feel bad but we decide to go out via the coffee shop at the back of the hotel.  Maybe we should at least have told Abdul that he hadn’t been fair with his prices but on the other hand both Peter and I felt let down by him and taken advantage of.  We had known him for over four years and he was even a witness at our marriage.  Abdul is from a relatively middle class family and all of his family are in good jobs so we make the assumption that he is pushing the limits as he would with any other tourist.  Anyway, that is probably the last time we will see Abdul as we are told that the Sheraton is due to close shortly for refurbishment.  This particular Sheraton we’re told is owned by the Libyan Government.  Not sure where we got that nugget from so I’m unable to verify it.

Once out of the back and onto the street it isn’t long before we pick up a taxi.  Our first stop today is Al Ain Gallery in Dokki not far from the hotel.  Taxi fare 10le.  The gallery is owned by Randa Fahmy a master metalwork designer who showcases her own designs and also that of other local craftsmen.  This is a beautiful gallery.  For sale are Randa’s own metal work designs, beautiful copper lanterns that take their influence from the traditional designs.  But Randa gives a modern twist to her work.  There were also substantial pieces of wooden furniture that were deeply carved and adorned with arabesque features.  We also saw pottery from Fayoum, embroidered wall hangings and charming cloth dolls from Siwa.  A section of the gallery houses a jewellery collection by her sister, acclaimed jewellery designer Azza Fahmy.  We buy  a couple of pieces of pottery and as we leave this beautiful gallery I try to take mental pictures of the way the products are displayed.  http://www.randafahmy.com/index.php

We are out on the street again hailing a taxi.  We are now going back to Zamalek to the Alef Gallery that we failed to find a few days earlier.  The traffic over onto the island as usual is hideous but it isn’t long before we arrive at our destination – cost 15le.  This again is an absolutely beautiful gallery.  It is made up of themed rooms that display the most beautiful products – all handcrafted, all based on traditional styles but again with a modern twist.  One room displays fabric, fabric made of cotton and silk and really exquisite patterns.  We are told that the gallery has been open for 20 years and that they employ all of the craftsmen who produce the work.  This gallery is very well located to benefit from the wealthy residents in Zamalek.  Definitely worth a visit – even just to admire the wonderful handcrafts.  http://alefgallery.com/

We leave the gallery and decide to walk down the street.  I’d read that there was a shop that sold handmade products from Siwa around the corner.  We had timed this with the end of school – clearly a private school.  Children emptied out onto the quiet street into waiting cars and mini buses.  Groups of children approached us trying out their English with “hello””how are you?” “I love you”.  We find the shop and take a look around.  Again another beautifully designed shop.  The walls are decorated with panels of rock salt mined from Siwa itself.  The shop has a range of lovely embroidered cotton tunics, shoes and handmade jewellery.  Children knock on the shop window to try and attract my attention.  We say our goodbyes and make our way to a Costa Coffee that we’d noticed earlier – again another opportunity to take a bathroom break in surroundings that you know will meet a minimum standard.  After tea and chocolate gateau we go out and find another taxi.  Here we meet Sami the taxi driver who we actually spend the rest of the day with.  We ask him to take us to the Abdeen Pottery in El Fostat village, Old Cairo.  I’ve got my bearings a little scewed but if I’m right we’re not far from Coptic Cairo.  Sami tells that we are in a local area, an area where tourists don’t come too often and that everyone in the neighbourhood looks out for each other.  As we drive into the Fostat village we can see that the style of the houses is different to what we’ve seen anywhere else.  The buildings look as though they would be more at home in a coastal village somewhere.  Many of the houses are decorated with tiles – very charming.  All seem to be in the business of making pottery as huge pots and jars are piled up in front of each house.  We are looking specifically one pottery that we read about in Cairo 360 – a what’s on guide for Cairo.

We are greeted by the brother of the owner of the pottery.  We are shown around the pottery and get to see the artisans at work.  One man does the hand painting, he is currently decorating tiles in a traditional Turkish design. 

We then go through to another room which is set up with several potters wheels and a couple of finishing benches.  We watch one artisan throwing tiny perfume pots.  These are made by piling up a tower of clay about 15 inches high and then working the top section into a small perfume bottle.  We have several of these bottles at home already though the contain holy oil from the church and not perfume. 

We are then taken to an artisan who is cutting patterns out of clay lanterns which are then left to dry before firing in the kiln. 

We are then left to browse the products which are displayed in various parts of the pottery.  We select 4 pieces to buy – a tile and a ceramic plate decorated in a Turkish design and a tables protector for a teapot and a soap dish.  We don’t ask the prices of anything – Peter goes to pay.  We say goodbye and are back in the taxi with Sami.  I ask Peter how much it cost for the products and he told me 200le.  This was way over the true value of it.  They knew we were looking for suppliers of handcrafted items and yet they still overcharged us – perhaps Peter should have haggled a bit – after all he is Egytian!  

As we leave Fostat village we stop at the Amr ibn aas mosque to take a few photos. Sami asks us if we would like to see a crystal factory.  We didn’t have anything else planned so we agreed and then left it to Sami to drive us there.  I think I was expecting to be taken to another small workshop where everything is made by hand.  I could see that the area we were approaching was getting more and more industrial.  One and a half hours later we arrived at the factory of Crystal Asfour one of the worlds largest crystal making factories.  This particular branch employs 28,000 people – there is another factory in Cairo which is even bigger.  I wasn’t sure what type of place we were coming to.  As we walked into the building we walked up some steps and then found ourselves in a massive showroom adorned with crystal from floor to ceiling.  There must have been hundreds of chandeliers hanging from the ceiling – some so huge they could only be designed for large hotels or palaces.  We spent about forty five minutes walking around looking at the crystal – I’m not actually a fan of crystal and the only thing that I bought was a crystal bracelet.  Peter tells me that when he went to pay he was given a discount – without asking!  Excellent! 

 

It was now about 7.30 and it had already turned dark ages ago.  We were now going to visit Peter’s Uncle Samaan in Ain Shams – Sami takes us there.  We have been with Sami for half a day and we are charged 100le – Peter gives him 120le.  When we arrive in the street Uncle Samaan is already waiting for us on the street.  After introductions we are taken to their flat on the first floor of an apartment block.  The wall between their flat and the neighbours is smeared with the red brown bloody handprints.  This Islamic custom is carried out as a form of celebration  for weddings, new baby, graduation, new car.  A lamb is usually brought to the door of the house/flat and slaughtered - either by the butcher or the woman of the house.  Blood is imprinted on the doorstep or doors or near to the entrance of a house and is a sign of protection for whatever change has happened.  

Uncle Samaan and his family have a lovely apartment, decorated in bright blue with carefully co-ordinated sofa’s and drapes.  The walls are adorned with Christian pictures and statues of Mary sit in display cabinets and on sideboards.  I am introduced to his wife Agabi and daughters Monica and Veronica.  Monica is at university studying German and English so she temporarily takes over from Peter’s translation duties.  We talk about lots of things.  We talk about the traffic in Cairo and how taxi’s are a law untothemselves.  They tell me that both Samaan and Monica go by taxi everywhere – Samaan because he is a lawyer and needs to get to different parts of the city quickly and Monica because it is unsafe for her on public transport.  I ask why it is unsafe for her.  Agabi tells me that since the revolution, some boys think they are given the right to behave how they want to.  On public transport they grab at girls and make inappropriate comments – it isn’t safe for girls to go on public transport in Cairo.  Freedom they tell me, for some people means freedom to behave badly - I recall this isn't the first time I have heard this comment.  I tell Monica that in England it can also sometimes be unsafe for women travelling alone – I tell her about the pink taxi’s for women only – maybe they need  pink buses for women only in Cairo.

It isn’t long before we are invited to eat.  Agabi apologies that she hasn’t cooked a home meal for us but she was unsure when we would be visiting.  She brings out a selection of bread, cheeses, fried chicken and salad. It was exactly what we needed.  Samaan left to pick up some cola from the shop below.  I noticed that everytime he popped out of the flat the door was locked immediately after him.  I got the sense that this was a family that didn’t feel too safe at home but I didn’t want to ask why.  It is now 10.00pm and it is time for us to go.  We say goodbye as we leave we are told that we must visit again and next time a special meal will be prepared for us.  Uncle Samaan walks us down and waits with us until we find a taxi.  We arrive back at the hotel exhausted.  Tomorrow is our last day so we pack and then go to bed.