Cairo!

                                                                                                

Hello Everyone,

Was last weeks information on Washington of interest to you?

1. Cairo is the capital of Egypt.

2. It is situated on the River Nile.

3. Egypt is in Africa.

4.Go north and you walk into the Mediterranean Sea, go south and you find Sudan, go west and look at Libya, go east and see the Red Sea and Israel.

5.Arabic is the official language; although English and French are widely spoken.

6.Islam is the predominant religion.

7.It is the city where one can discover the Al-Azhar Mosque which contains the oldest Islamic university in the world (AD 970).

8.It is also the city where you will find the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.

9. In this museum is the Mummy Room and the Tutunkhamun exhibition. (Both are well worth a visit.)

10.In the heart of Cairo is the Khan El-Khalili, one of the world's great bazaars and Africa's largest souk or market.

11. The Citadel, an imposing medieval fortress, was the home of Egypt's rulers for 700 years. Today it offers sweeping views of the city.

12.From the centre of the city it is possible to see the Pyramids at Giza; this is the modern name given to the gigantic burial grounds of Letopolis, now Cairo

13. These three Pyramids are at least 4,500 years old and the only one of the Seven Wonders of the World to survive today.

14. They cover an area of 2,000 square metres on a plateau.

15. They are the funeral complexes of Pharaoh Khufe (the second king of the Fourth Dynasty), Khafre (his son and the fourth king of the Fourth Dynasty and Menkaure (Khafre's son and the fifth king of the Dynasty).

16. Each one has a burial chamber excavated in the rock; they also have a Mortuary Temple, a Causeway, and several other chambers in them.

17.The Great Sphinx is a colossal stone statue with the face of a man and the body of a lion.

18. It was built in about 2500BC by Pharaoh Khafre, the occupant of the second Pyramid and the face is a portrait of this king.

19. The Sphinx is thought to be a guardian figure protecting the tomb and warding off evil spirits.

20. A final point - I visited Cairo and Giza in February 2002; they are only supposed to have about six days of rain at the Pyramids each year. Guess what? Yes! It rained! Wasn't I lucky to have one of those days!

Next week I will be giving you twenty facts about Tokyo!

But tomorrow, I shall be at the Gedling Art Festival in Nottingham. If you are in the area pop along to the Arnold Methodist Church where I will be, unless I've popped over the road to Costa, and say 'hello'. It's at 54, Front Street, NG5 7EL

Thought for the week: Negativity breeds negativity. Positivity breeds positivity. Stay positive.


Love to you all, Lady M  😁😋😔😉

Washington

                                          

The White House

Hello Everyone,

Last week I gave you facts about Canberra, the capital of Australia. This week I'm popping across the pond to the USA and looking at WASHINGTON.

1. Washington DC is the capital of the USA.

2. DC stands for District of Columbia.

3. Columbia is not a State but an administrative district created specifically to avoid having the capital city in any one State.

4. Like the States it has a 'State Bird' which is Wood Thrush.

5. And like the States it has a 'State Flower' which is the American Beauty Rose.

6. The Senate approval date of the federal city was July 1st 1790.

7. It is a city of green parks, wide tree-lined streets and white marble buildings.

8. It was named after George Washington, the first President of the USA.

9. The city was designed by Major Pierre Charles, a French engineer.

10. In 1793, the cornerstone of the Capitol (the US houses of Parliament) was laid.

11. It is the city where the Penatagon and White House can be found.

12. The White House on Pennsylvania Avenue has been the official home of every US President since 1800.

13. On September 11th, 2001 The Pentagon was under terrorist attack simultaneously with the Twin Towers in New York.

14. Washington DC is situated between the States of Maryland and Virginia.

15. It is situated on the Potomac River.

16. The Arlington National Cemetery is near the Pentagon and contains the graves of US soldiers who have fought in wars from the American Revolution onwards.

17. The National Mall contains the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials; also the Washington Monument.

18. The total area of Washington DC is 68.3 square miles.

19. The estimated population in 2016 was 681,000-plus residents.

20. If you are a resident you are known as a Washingtonian!

So, if you are in America and having a look at its capital city these are twenty facts to kindle your interest.

Whatever you are doing during this month, don't forget to keep a good book with you!

Next week I am going to investigate Cairo, the capital of Egypt. Did you know that you can actually see the Pyramids from the centre of Cairo? Isn't the world a fascinating place.

Thought for the week: Father, I cannot tell a lie (attrib to George Washington!)

Yours, Lady M xxxx

Canberra

Parliament House

Australian War memorial

National Gallery

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are all enjoying the summer holiday season if you are in the northern hemisphere. If you are in the southern part then hopefully you will be experiencing a reasonable winter.
This week I'm looking at CANBERRA.

1. It is the capital of Australia.

2. The city was planned in 1908.

3. It was designed as the political heartland and capital to stop rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne.

4. It is located in the ACT (Australian Capital Territory).

5. It was once just a small sheep station on the edge of the Molonglo River.

6. Its name is based on the Aboriginal word for 'meeting place'.

7. The foundation column of the new capital was laid in 1913.

8. The city was designed by Walter Burley Griffin, a Chicago architect.

9. It is laid out like a cobweb with government buildings in the centre and moving outward to the residential areas.

10.The first session of Parliament was opened on May 9th, 1927, by the Duke of York, who later became King George VI.

11.Unlike other capital cities, Canberra does not have either large skyscraper buildings or a large population.

12.Central Canberra lies around Lake Burley Griffin, framed by four hills: Black Mountain, Mount Ainslie, Capital Hill and Red Hill.

13.Its star sights are the Australian War memorial, the National Gallery of Australia and Parliament House.

14. St John the Baptist Church and Schoolhouse Museum, built of local bluestone in 1844 are Canberra's oldest surviving buildings.

15. 70% of the ACT is bushland.

16. In the ACT, the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve can be found. It has forests, grassland, streams and mountains. Kangaroos, emus, platypus and koalas can all be seen in their natural environment.

17. Lanyon Homestead, a restored 1850's home attached to a sheep station is situated on the Murrumbidgee river bank, south of Canberra.

18. The Namadgi National Park covers almost half of the ACT.

19. Canberra, even has a little bit of Britain! Cockington Green! A crafted miniature British village set in landscaped gardens.

20. There are two special events: the annual spring flower festival and the hot-air ballooning festival in April.

So, if you are visiting Australia this year enjoy the Sydney Opera House and all that the country has to offer but don't forget a visit to this small, enchanting capital city so different from other capitals around the world.

Always, take a good book with you as well as the guide book.

Thought for the week, particularly if you are travelling: It is better to arrive 5 minutes late than 20 years too soon!

Have fun, Lady M xxxx