My Travel Adventure
After years of dreaming, I set out on a ten-week adventure across the United Kingdom and Egypt. From the vibrant colleges of Cambridge to the golden shores of the Nile, each step revealed new discoveries and moments to ponder. I’d like to share a few highlights to offer a small taste of the world beyond the pines.
My journey began in Cambridge, where I enrolled in the University’s Professional and Continuing Education Program alongside students aged 18 to 91 from seventy-six countries. I spent four enriching weeks studying creative writing and developing the draft of my manuscript, Roots of Silence, into a final version ready for submission to publishers. Staying at Newnham College, the university’s pioneering women’s college, was an inspiring experience, with its peaceful gardens, rich academic history, and lively Friday formal dinners.
I explored the historic colleges, marvelled at the architecture and the famous Chronophage Clock at Corpus Christi, a golden, time-eating grasshopper that devours each passing second. On weekend excursions, I visited Bletchley Park, once the top-secret headquarters of WWII codebreakers, and Ely Cathedral, known as the “Ship of the Fens,” whose magnificent octagonal tower rises above the flat countryside.
From academia to the English countryside, I travelled to the Cotswolds and stayed in a 350-year-old stone cottage in Tetbury. The rolling hills, dry-stone walls, and honey-coloured villages seemed untouched by time. Each evening ended with church bells and the cooing of pigeons on the electric wires.
Arriving in Cairo felt like entering a different world, where the sprawling city and its 10.3 million inhabitants buzz with life. On the faraway horizon, you can see the Pyramids of Giza, the last remaining wonder of the ancient world. I felt fortunate to stay at Mena House Marriott and enjoyed my breakfast each morning while gazing at the pyramids. However, I was also aware that three nights at Mena House cost more than what most Egyptians earn in six months.
I explored the new Grand Egyptian Museum, the largest archaeological museum ever built, where over 100,000 artefacts tell the story of 5,000 years of civilisation. Standing before the Great Pyramid at sunset, I understood why travellers for centuries have been humbled by its scale and mystery.
Between Luxor and Aswan, I sailed the Nile for four peaceful days along a route once used by pharaohs. Each dawn began with the Azaan call to prayer drifting across the water, while palm trees and sandstone temples shimmered gold in the morning light. Along the way, we passed small villages and children waving from the riverbank. Evenings were spent on deck watching the sun set behind desert hills, turning the water to bronze. The beauty of the Nile River took me by surprise, as I didn’t expect it to feel so calm and be teeming with wildlife. A river that still sustains Egypt as it has for thousands of years.
In Luxor, I wandered through the Karnak Temple Complex, its forest of columns rising like a stone cathedral to the Gods. Across the Nile, in the Valley of the Kings, tombs carved deep into the cliffs still shimmer with painted hieroglyphs and serve as the eternal homes of Egypt’s ancient rulers. Further south, in Aswan, I visited the Temple of Philae (my favourite temple), dedicated to the goddess Isis, which was carefully relocated piece by piece when the Aswan High Dam was built. Egypt is a land where time feels circular, and the past and present coexist.
Back in the UK, London buzzed with life and culture. I explored Kensington Palace and Covent Garden, enjoyed high tea at Claridge’s, and spent evenings in the West End watching Les Misérables, Cabaret, and The Great Gatsby. Every turn revealed another layer of history with red buses passing by centuries-old architecture, parks filled with people lounging on the grass, soaking up the sunshine, and museums that contain entire worlds under one roof.
In Wiltshire, I stood among the mighty stones of Stonehenge, aligned perfectly with the solstice sun. I arrived early, before most tourists, with a ticket that let me enter the inner circle at sunrise, where I took off my shoes and soaked up the grounding energy. Nearby in Bath, I wandered the beautifully preserved Roman Baths, where natural hot springs still bubble as they did in 70 CE. The Romans believed the waters held curative power, and even today, watching steam rise from the ancient pool, it’s easy to feel a sense of peace and renewal.
I finished my journey in Paris, a city that radiates elegance at every corner. From my balcony, I could see the Eiffel Tower, sparkling each night against the indigo sky, a view so breathtaking it never lost its magic. I spent my days with a friend of 40 years now living in Paris, exploring the Musée d’Orsay, admiring impressionist masterpieces, and wandering through the peaceful Le Jardin de Rodin, where bronze and marble sculptures looked almost alive beneath the autumn light. Paris was the perfect place to reflect on all I had seen and learned before heading home.
As my travels drew to a close, I felt deep gratitude for meeting new people, the stories carved into every stone, and how the world expands when we go beyond what’s familiar. I returned home with a phone full of photos, a mind full of stories, and a heart that beats a little stronger for this beautiful planet we all share.
