These LinesMy Way With Words

This evening Silvi and I went on an excursion to the Sharm al Sheik Museum. Located at the top of the red sea Sharm is a very tourist focussed region of Egypt. I was last here in 2012 and had a very unpleasant time being pillaged by sequential sales and marketing teams. Sharm has grown, a lot more hotels have sprung out of the sand. Cheap LED lighting gives the place a very Vegas aura. The profusion of mostly Russian speaking tourists, means if you are not dressed like an English tourist (badly) you might be mistaken for Russian. With all this rushing past as our taxi driver flouted many rules, it was nice to be on a caper. I wanted to find the source, the pre ancient history of cats, and our fascination with them.

After two security check points we were inside the mostly tourist empty, very modern Museum. It is divided into parts. The largest devoted to the classic Egyptian history that everybody knows something about.

I was lucky enough to record this walking video of the Museum with my steady cam and straight away found the Cat Mummies and this nice plaque. Sadly I left my phone onboard but Silvi as always takes the best photos. Some of my less than good photos are supplementing them.

With the primary objective complete it was time to learn about the ancient way of life and how animals were sacrosanct. It was a remarkably peaceful civilisation. Animals were all revered and given god like properties. Women and Men were equals. I think later religions got it wrong.

Following are a selection of photos from the Museum. You can see the evolution in stone work, wood, metals, integrating colours and what museum would be complete without a tomb.

Descending into the tomb we found these incredibly well preserved sarcophagus and others.

An additional section was devoted to Greek, Roman, Bedouin, and French colonisers. No offence to these cultures but it felt like it was right to be pushed off to one side. With our current civilisation lurching towards catastrophe on multiple fronts. I wonder what will be around in a few thousand years. I might need to take up stone work so these lines are somewhere.

I think we still have a couple of days here in Egypt. I might need to find a camel.

In the Bay of Kotor lies the ancient city of Kotor, which is incredibly old and rich in history. The Venetians contributed much of its unique architecture, which persists today. Daily cruise ship visits give the city a very different vibe compared to Tivat.

Silvi and I spent our Sunday morning in search of the true essence of Kotor: its cats.

In a recurring theme, the Cats of Kotor were what we wanted to see. Much like Istanbul, cats are prominent here. Unlike Istanbul, we did not see a single dog.

Slipstreaming behind a tour group, we scaled the wall, and, ever so slowly, cats became increasingly apparent.

Cat in the grass.

Cats on a bench.

A palm reading cat

It was in this area that we overheard a very American tourist loudly proclaiming her feline allergies. She may now be deceased.

There was also a unique recycling vending machine that dispensed cat food. We also indulged in some cat-themed souvenir shopping. On a serious note, it was nice to see handcrafted goods made with love.

A smart woolen cat

The real cat in this photo did scratch me through my trousers. Cheeky or affectionate. Take your pick.

I am going to need a bigger fridge

You would think that after admiring so many cats, we would have been content to clamber up a hill or explore one of the many historic buildings. However, there was one last INCREDIBLE CATACLYSMIC event.

The world-famous Cat Museum of Kotor, a seasonal venue, has transformed Kotor into a powerhouse of all things cat-related since its inception. We entered with open minds, not knowing what to expect. Inside the museum, you are immersed in an incredible array of cat-themed art, with different sections telling their own stories.

Below are some of my less-than-professional photos.

Here are a selection of Silvi’s wonderful photos. Please follow her professional space on instagram. It is quite amazing that she took so many photos because all I could hear for the time we were in the museum was her belly laughing.

After more guffawing we carefully selected three choice prints to take away, that are currently homeless cats. Where they end up is up for debate, but they surely are conversational items.

Retreating from Kotor through the southern wall, we spied a final boss cat.

Just purr-fect. Peak culture attained in Verona. Peak Cat attained in Kotor. The Year of the Dragon still has some suprises in store.

I was recalled to work a few days early. Explaining this to my Son did not go well. My rotation partner had an unfortunate accident. Thankfully he is American and I could deflect the blame at America. Members of the USA basketball team, I apologise for the nerf bullets that were shot at our TV. Collateral damage.

Currently I am in Greece. When work eases, normal programming will resume.

In the meantime this internet beauty has crossed my eyes.

Stick reviews on instagram. I know I have found mighty sticks in my life time. Being able to review them is a great idea.

I look forward to sharing a stick review.