But we slept well: I did not even hear the early morning call to prayer from the mosque next door. The hotel is obviously very solidly built, and the Mezzuin could only be clearly heard from the large shower room, which had an open ventilation shaft on the side nearest the mosque.
Breakfast was taken in the garden, and was a fixed selection of bread, cheese, jam, honey, yoghourt, banana, and tea and coffee. No egg option was offered, but none was needed. The bread rolls from a local baker were particularly good, and I ate much too many of them. But then I excuse myself as I rarely have lunch.
The museum at Merneptah was closed, so our visit ws fairly brief. I was pleased to see excavations proceeding at a neighbouring temple to the north.
After a (non-alcoholic) drink at the Marsam hotel next door Tayyeb drove us to the Valley of the Kings. Once more this was Helen's first visit, so I chose a selection of tombs for her to show the variety available. Ramesses IV is an easy one so I showed her round, before letting her loose on Seti II, Ramesses I and Merneptah. With no photography allowed, I really don't know what she thought of them except that Ram I had very little decoration.
Afterwards we proceeded to the Ramesseum Rest House, where we enjoyed a delicious dinner of stuffed pigeon with the Canadians who had been staying at Tayyeb's apartment.
In the evening I had a few Stellas in the garden back at the hotel Sheherazade with Tayyeb, a number of local notables (elections are imminent) and Christine, the co-owner.