Every month Paula gives us 5 words for us to choose one or all to demonstrate by photo. The words this month are palatial, spurting, cerulean, radiating, comic.

© irene waters 2018
This palatial building found in Alexandria was King Farouk’s summer palace, Al-Haramik Palace, although it was built by his father Fuad I in 1932. It is found in the Montaza gardens overlooking the sea. It is built in a mix of Ottoman and Florentine styles with two fairy tale like towers. With the cerulean sky and radiating sun it was a real sight to behold.

© irene waters 2018
When I saw this spurting water which was hard to tell if it was intentional or simply a broken water pipe I became aware that fountains were something we had not seen once in our time in Egypt. Unlike Europe where fountains and water troughs are everywhere like the dryness of the country water did not feature in their towns either as decoration or as a place where water could be collected. Not that we saw anyway.

© irene waters 2018
This lift in the Cecil Hotel Alexandria gave us one of our comic relief moments when reading the sign displayed between the lift doors.

© irene waters 2018
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About Irene Waters 19 Writer Memoirist
I began my working career as a reluctant potato peeler whilst waiting to commence my training as a student nurse. On completion I worked mainly in intensive care/coronary care; finishing my hospital career as clinical nurse educator in intensive care. A life changing period as a resort owner/manager on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu was followed by recovery time as a farmer at Bucca Wauka. Having discovered I was no farmer and vowing never again to own an animal bigger than myself I took on the Barrington General Store. Here we also ran a five star restaurant. Working the shop of a day 7am - 6pm followed by the restaurant until late was surprisingly more stressful than Tanna. On the sale we decided to retire and renovate our house with the help of a builder friend. Now believing we knew everything about building we set to constructing our own house. Just finished a coal mine decided to set up in our backyard. Definitely time to retire we moved to Queensland. I had been writing a manuscript for some time. In the desire to complete this I enrolled in a post grad certificate in creative Industries which I completed 2013. I followed this by doing a Master of Arts by research graduating in 2017. Now I live to write and write to live.
Very nice travel shots and stories 🙂
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Thanks Tatiana
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You always have a plethora of perfect photos to fit the 5 word prompt, but this entry is exceptional. The castle is gorgeous but my favorite is the elegant elevator, silly sign notwithstanding. I bet all those rules were written in response to idiotic behavior, probably enhanced by alcoholic consumption.
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Thanks Sharon. The lift was from a world long gone and such a lovely working example. One thing you don’t see in Egypt is excessive alcohol consumption. Alcohol is forbidden to Muslims and it is rare to see anywhere that sells alcohol. Instead they smoke their hookas but with molasses or lemon – not hash as I had always thought they did. That too is forbidden – by law rather than religion I think.
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Sounds like you had a lovely holiday Irene, very glad for you …. and staying in antique luxury hotels!
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One antique ? luxury hotel – remnants of a time past Kate. Thanks for dropping by.
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lol I guess maintaining them must be a nightmare 🙂
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Anything old is a nightmare to maintain……
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lol including me was the thought that came immediately to my mind 🙂
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LOL.
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That’s a beautiful palace, Irene. I love the elevator advice: “Ring the bell and please calm down.”
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Yes it makes you wonder just how many people get stuck in it
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That shot from Alexandria is cool 🙂 Thank you, Irene. I love your contributions.
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Thanks Paula. You know I always enjoy your prompts – they cause you to think and often learn a new word from them.
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