Abu El Nomros

We spent the morning in the much less affluent farming district of Abu Nombros. First at a primary school where I was such a foreigner it caused quite a lot of excitement and commotion! So much so I didn't dare take my camera out to capture the absolute delight on the young kids' faces. The children are so much more interested and engaged than the private school students who also attend field trips at the centre. It was an privilege to experience their enthusiasm.

We also stopped by the new WESC enviro edu centre going up nearby the school which will open early next year to provide more learning opportunities for the students from the public schools.

The fertile soils produce a range of agricultural products which are sold on the side of the street or off the back of donkey carts in the city.




Perfectly packed tomatoes and potatoes, with cauliflowers on the cart in front. All carts come fitted with an old fashioned scale on the back as well.

Khan el-Khalili bazaar

An evening exploring old Islamic Cairo with Sarah and Ereeny. Bazaars selling everything from the most exquisite hand crafted bags and books to exotic spices and colourful lanterns.





Dried hibiscus flowers to make a delicious drink - karkaday, hot or cold.

Spices of all origins.





Lanterns, lanterns, lanterns!


Sarah smoking sheesha at the Naguib Mahfouz coffee house.



Myself, Sarah & Ereeny.

The highly entertaining duf player. Incredible live music.


Bustling side street cafes, many sheeshas and strong coffee.

Wadi Environmental Science Centre, WESC

View of the Pyramids of Giza on the way into work.

Sarah & Ereeny on the bus that takes about an hour because of heavy traffic.

The environmental education centre where I'm working is on an olive plantation in the dessert on the road to Alexandria. Its the most beautiful and tranquil setting.

The main learning room. Large, open windows give a constant cool breeze.

The staff offices and storage rooms to the left.

Most of the learning takes place outside. It is the perfect setting and an incredible learning environment!

Dehab Island on the Nile

One of the first days we went to Dehab Island on the Nile for a field trip on freshwater. We were taken by boat to the island in the early morning, passing fishermen casting their nets. Once the students arrived on the island there wasnt much time to take any photos!

Some of the students on the way back.

A view of Cairo from the Nile.

Post field trip debriefing over lunch on a roof garden, with Ahmed and Sara. Tough job!

For the cacti lover in me.

Apples in Autumn

Alfred & Karl collected the last load of apples for the year. Beautiful colours in the soft mist.

Miniatur Wunderland, Hamburg

After a morning around the harbour, we went to Miniature World - the largest model train collection in the world. It may have started with the trains but this was really another level of bizarre! Hundreds of square meetings covered in models created to the finest level of detail.

Train tracks running along mountain sides, rivers and through tunnels.

Cargo ship that self propelled on real water.

I didn't get a photo of the dead body in the water and the police team but this of the priest checking out the woman with the Porsche was freaky enough. Each of the model people were no bigger than 1cm.

Huge stadium of thousands of individually crafted and painted little mini-people.

And the level of details was really unbelievable...

Hallo Deutschland!

Autumn in Northern Germany, crisp cool mornings and carpets of soft orange leaves. A week staying with family in the small town of Brunsbuttel, near Hamburg.

Old stone church on a grassy square.

Some interesting things in local museums....


And then some just downright bizarre things. An entire display on the history and culture of garden gnomes.


Karl generating some power at the information centre of nuclear power plant. Very interesting stuff.


Fishing boats in the North Sea.


Old canals in Hamburg, really beautiful.


My uncle Alfred explaining the old pulley system that they still use today.