ST201902

ESCAPE (^) | MY CITY
How long have you lived in the city?
ImovedtoCairoinOctober2017andhavefallenin
lovewiththecityonadailybasiseversince.My
husbandisanEgyptian-German,whocomesfroma
close-knitfamily,sowhenhewasgivenanopportunity
toworkoverseas,Cairowasthefirstplacewethoughtof.
Tell us what makes Cairo unique.
Manythings!Lightfallsinwonderfulwayshere.On
cleardaysthepyramidsofGizaloomoverthecityand
lesserknownpalacespeekoutadmistthegreeneryon
theislandsontheNile.Marketsbuzzwithlife,and
minarets of the city mosques at sunset create an
Arabian dreamscape. And the locals... These are
everyday survivors, leading very tough lives, yet
despitealltheirstrugglestheystilllive,lookforwardto
thenextdayandlettheirhairdownintheevenings.
Tell us a bit more about local life.
TheEgyptiancapital,beingabehemothofacity,with
hightrafficcongestion,doesnotallowmuchfreedom
of movement so most people (expats and locals) form
smallpocketsinwhichtheycirculate,rarelyventuring
beyondthisperiphery.IliveonGeziraIslandandgoto
IslamicCairoonlyforshoppingorduringRamadan.
IgotocafésandbarsinZamalek(adistrictofGezira
Island),watchmoviesattheGeziraIslandcinema,and
anyoutingtotheparkleadstoAl-Azhar.
What’s Cairo like in February?
Bright,clear,andfullofsunshine.Thesuniswarm
withoutbeinghot–theNilebreezes,refreshing.
Officiallyit’sspring,sotherearelotsofflowers:silk
flossblossomsinpinkandwhite,cottonbollsheavy
withthickfluffyopenpods,andjacarandasveiledwith
violetclusters.Thisseasonheraldstheharvestof
Egyptianwalkingonions(thinkshallotsonstalks)and
garlicbulbsandtheOldCityisfilledwithtrundling
donkey carts heaped with this pungent produce.
Needless to say, it’s a lovely month.
What time of day do you most enjoy and why?
IamdividedbetweenCairointhemorningsandat
sunset.Themorningsarefreshanddewywithgolden
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*There’s no better way to get to the heart
of a city than through the people who live
there. Every month, we ask someone,
clearly in love with their city, to take us on
a personal tour and tell us what makes it
so special. You may feel inspired to visit
one day or to rediscover the charms of a
city closer to you, but for now just sit back,
relax and enjoy some vicarious travel.
(^1) A view that speak s
for itself (no need for
pyramid selling).
(^2) Cairo’s minarets and
monuments create “an
Arabian dreamscape”.
(^3) Fayoum village:
famous for its pottery
(and smiley children).
(^4) Spring blooms bring
colour to the green
spaces on the islands
of the Nile.
(^5) Veggies sold door to
door in the Old Town