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Merneptah Stele | Giza

Just had my mind blown at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza. I’m standing in front of the Stele of Merenptah, a granite monument celebrating his campaign against the Libyans in the fifth year of his reign. And oh boy — here’s Merenptah, striding like a warrior-god, young, muscular, practically vibrating with energy, poised before Ra himself, ready to smite some poor soul from the infamous 'Nine Bows.'

Except… a tiny historical quibble: Merenptah was in his 60s when he took the throne. Sixty. Not exactly the age you’d expect to see someone depicted with biceps carved in heroic high relief. His dad, Rameses II, had hogged the throne for decades, and now here’s Merenptah, jumping into war like he’s fresh off the Nile’s gyms. Ancient propaganda, yes — but it hits like a comic book splash page.

Granite, power, politics, and pure theatre — all in one slab. Seriously, if you ever find yourself in Giza, don’t just stare at the pyramids. Step into the museum. History has a flair for the dramatic, and Merenptah’s got the poster-boy energy to prove it.

Egypt, 28 August 2025 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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User Ma'at Ra Throne | Giza

In the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, you don’t just walk up the main staircase — you ascend past giants. The place is lined with colossal statues, each one radiating the weight of a civilisation that measured time in millennia. And there, on the side of the throne of seated Ramesses the Great, I had my moment.

Hieroglyphs! Clear, crisp, and utterly readable. This was my playground. On the right, inside the royal cartouche: User Ma’at-Ra Setep-En-Ra — the throne name of Ramesses II. It translates to “Great Justice of Ra, Chosen of Ra.” On the left, his birth name: R’mssw — Ramesses. Simple, direct, unmistakable.

I’ll admit, I was like a child, giddy with recognition. For most people, it’s just squiggles carved into stone. For me, it was suddenly hearing the pharaoh introduce himself across 3,200 years. 'I am Ramesses,' he says, 'chosen of the sun god.' And there he still sits, his name ringing out every time someone stops to look.

Sometimes travel is about getting lost in a museum’s grandeur, and sometimes it’s about these tiny victories — decoding a word, recognising a name, bridging that impossible gulf of time with nothing more than a few signs carved in stone.

Egypt, 28 August 2025 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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The Pschent of Upper and Lower Egypt | Giza

In the Grand Egyptian Museum I found myself staring up at a carved pharaoh on a column, wearing the famous pschent — the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. The red crown of the Delta stacked with the white crown of the Nile valley, fused into one improbable headpiece. It’s not just a fashion statement, this was the symbol of a ruler who held the 'Two Lands' together, binding Egypt’s fractured geography into a single kingdom.

On the pillar, the king is frozen mid-offering, holding out gifts to the gods. That’s the pharaoh’s job in a nutshell — not just sitting on a throne issuing decrees, but standing as the hinge between divine and human worlds. He fed the gods with offerings, and in return the gods kept the Nile flooding and the sun rising. No pressure.

I couldn’t quite make out the cartouche — my hieroglyph-reading powers failed me this time — but I didn’t really need to. The crown said it all. This wasn’t about the individual king so much as the office, the eternal theatre of ruler-as-priest, performing Egypt’s cosmic contract with the divine.

Standing there, I couldn’t help thinking: imagine ruling a land where your hat literally declared you the centre of the universe. That’s some serious headgear.

Egypt, 28 August 2025 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Head of Akhenaten | Giza

In the Grand Egyptian Museum I came face to face with Akhenaten — or at least, what remains of him. A massive stone head from a colossal statue, looming in the half-light. The features are unmistakable: elongated face, heavy lips, strange skull shape. The “heretic king” stares out across the centuries, and the museum’s lighting only adds to the unsettling effect. It’s not just a statue; it feels like he’s still there, watching.

Akhenaten, if you don’t know, was the pharaoh who tried to tear Egypt away from its gods. In the 14th century BC he abandoned Amun and the old pantheon, setting up Aten — the sun-disc — as the sole god worthy of worship. It was a religious revolution, but also a political one, because side-lining Amun meant breaking the immense power of the priesthood. His reign left behind strange art, radical hymns to the sun, and a city — Amarna — built and abandoned within a generation.

Standing before his colossal head, you get why people still talk about him. There’s something uncanny about it, as though the sculptors wanted him to look human, and yet more than human, almost alien. History may have called him a heretic, but here he is, still larger than life, daring you to look him in the eye.

Egypt, 28 August 2025 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Grand Egyptian Museum | Giza

So there I was in the Grand Egyptian Museum, standing in front of the base of a column set up by Merneptah. And for once, I could actually read the inscription! There it was: King of Upper and Lower Egypt, followed by a cartouche — very likely “Merneptah” or one of his throne names (I'm not that good) — and then the familiar duck and sun, spelling out Ra-mssu, “Son of Ra.” A tiny moment of epigraphic triumph. Go me!

As for the museum itself… I’ll admit, I found it a little overrated. The staff were on the aggressive side, the security presence was heavy (but honestly, that’s Egypt in a nutshell), and many of the “exhibits” felt like they’d just been lifted straight from the ground to fill the gaps. Yet in spite of that, the place really is immersive. You walk through and suddenly you’re swallowed by this atmosphere of sheer antiquity: stone, hieroglyphs, colossi, and fragments of history that still hum with life three millennia later.

So yes, a mixed bag — but what a bag. Standing there, tracing the lines of a royal cartouche with my eyes, was enough to make the whole visit worthwhile.

Egypt, 28 August 2025 ⭐⭐⭐

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Menkaure's Pyramid | Giza

Yeah, the best laid plans of mice and men. After planning to scoot about all the pyramids and all the tombs ... it was just too damn hot. Up on the plateau it was over 45 degrees and, to be frank, little furry Scotsmen are not designed for that craic. Menkaure's horizon was just that, too close to the horizon for me to make it over there without robbing a 'government camel.' And yes, that is a government camel apparently. The Egyptian tourist policeman seriously took the hump at me for taking pictures of his hi-tech government equipment, but he did crack a smile when I explained to him that we have plenty of camels in government in Dublin.

This is something visitors to the Giza necropolis should get there heads around. The complex is massive and the heat, especially at the end of summer, is something extraordinary. As lovely as all of that sounds - or may sound to people from Hibernia (the land of winter, AKA Ireland), our bodies have limits. The sun is merciless, and that means there will be a few things on the plateau will will just have to admire from a distance. But you can get pretty close to the camels. That makes up for a lot.

Egypt, 27 August 2025 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Mastaba Tombs | Giza

On the west side of Khufu's pyramid there is a sprawling necropolis of mastaba tombs dating from the 4th to the 6th Dynasties of the Old Kingdom. Sadly, there is no interpretive information for the visitor. So if your hieroglyphs are a bit rusty you're going to be a little lost in the city of the dead. But not to worry, the walls of the tombs are alive with rich ancient texts and beautiful reliefs of the deceased captured forever in their idealised afterlives.

In fairness, I am entirely limited to the hieroglyph 'alphabet,' meaning I can sound out the single-letter glyphs and recognise one or two of the more famous cartouches. It is a wonderful way to spend a half hour away from the rush of selfie-takers at the main attractions - and you do not need to be an expert to really appreciate the mind-blowing splendour of the world's most famous graveyard.

Egypt, 27 August 2025 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Khufu's Burial Chamber | Giza

It was truly an extraordinary experience to get inside the Old Kingdom burial chamber of King Khufu, the second Pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty. This is right in the heart of the Great Pyramid, the last remaining of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Rather than enter the pyramid through the main entrance, which was sealed by the pyramid builders with three massive granite blocks, the modern visitor has to enter through the so-called 'Robbers Tunnel' - an entrance forced into the pyramid c. 820 CE by workers under the orders of the Fatimid Caliph Al-Maʾmūn. This tunnel leads into the Grand Gallery, a steep passage that leads up to the portcullis gate which takes you into the burial chamber. The pyramid builders put a great deal of thought and engineering into the defence of the tomb.

Behind this last defence you find yourself inside a stone room inside the pyramid with a massive red granite sarcophagus, made of a stone quarried at Aswan 800km to the south of Giza. This is the inner sanctum of the Great Pyramid, but it is not the only chamber inside the giant structure. There are two other chambers below this one, but sadly I was not able to see them. Some Egyptologists even believe that it is possible there are more.

Egypt, 27 August 2025 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Inside the Great Pyramid | Giza

There are few experiences for the adventurer better than this! For a little extra (everything in the Giza complex is 'extra') you can go inside the pyramid of Khufu and make your way in through a creepy cavernous entrance, up a vaulted shaft, and into the burial chamber of an early Old Kingdom king. Surprisingly, this was not over subscribed by tourists and so I was fairly free to take it all in on my own - which was more than worth the ticket price.

It is so strange to imagine that this was what these massive structures were all about. So many tons of stone to hold a relatively tiny burial chamber. Again, this says so much about our conceptions of power and the egos of 'great men.' This said, it was a job of work getting into the chamber. The hike up the shaft is slow and definitely not for the fainthearted. By the time I emerged blinking back into the sun outside I was a sweating mess. But worth every moment.

Egypt, 27 August 2025 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Pyramid of Khafre | Giza

It is an odd thing that the pyramids look less impressive the closer you get to them. This strange effect troubled me as I explored the Giza plateau for the first time until it eventually dawned on me that this was the whole point. These giant structures were not meant to be seen up close, except by the the priests attending to the funerary cults of the kings. These structures were built to be seen from the Nile valley, the place from which most ancient Egyptians would have seen them. Their purpose was to impress power - the power of the state and the gods - on those who saw them.

Photo taken in 1923 by Mohamed El Ghazouly.

Khafre (died c. 2532 BCE) was an ancient Egyptian monarch who was the fourth king of the Fourth Dynasty, during the earlier half of the Old Kingdom period (c. 2700–2200 BCE). He was son of the king Khufu, and succeeded his brother Djedefre to the throne.

Egypt, 27 August 2025 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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The Desert | Saqqara

Every breath is dust, dry gritty warm dust. The heat is unbearable. Standing on the elevation behind the temple complex of Djoser's step pyramid, looking north towards Giza, the breeze gives no refreshment. Every brush of the wind is like a tongue of fire across the face and arms. The desert at Saqqara is merciless. Late summer is not the best time to visit, in fairness.

It was interesting to me to discover that the camels prefer to sit out in the heat when the dogs seek the shade. They truly are extraordinary animals. It turns out that Egypt has 'government camels' you are not allowed to photograph (this is an example of a government camel). I was happy to ignore the rule while the policeman was busy elsewhere. No one keeps any rules in Egypt - so why should I?

Egypt, 30 August 2025 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Pyramid of Djoser | Saqqara

Rising from the desert sands of Saqqara, the Pyramid of Djoser is unlike any other monument in Egypt. Built around 2670 BCE for Pharaoh Djoser, it is the world’s first stone pyramid and a bold experiment in architecture. Rather than smooth sides, it is a “step pyramid,” with six stacked terraces that seem to climb into the sky. Designed by the legendary architect Imhotep, this structure changed the course of Egyptian building forever, paving the way for the great pyramids of Giza.

Visiting today, you walk through the vast funerary complex, surrounded by courtyards, shrines, and high walls. Though weathered by more than 4,600 years of wind and sun, the pyramid still commands awe. Standing before it, you sense both its ancient innovation and the enduring ambition of a civilisation that sought eternity in stone. Saqqara may be quieter than Giza, but here the history feels even more immediate.

Egypt, 30 August 2025 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Refreshments by the Nile | Cairo

Cairo is utter mayhem. This is a city of polar extremes of wealth and poverty, of chaos and order. One moment you will see a top of the range sports car, the next a child picking through rubbish. Escaping the constant harassment from vendors and street traders is impossible. The experience is enough to make the pope swear. But then there is G and T by the Nile. This was aboard the Imperial boat restaurant. Highly recommended for a much needed exit from the madness of the city.

Egypt, 29 August 2025 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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The Sphinx of Giza | Giza

Seeing the Sphinx for the first time in the flesh is a truly breathtaking moment. As you make your way up onto the plateau it just impresses its ancient self on you. You actually do feel watched. Still, this is not intimidating. Not in the least. It does welcome you. We have known about it all our lives. It is what we think of when we think Egypt. We recognise it and this offers a surprising comfort. We feel we know it. But this strange beckoning creature doesn't mind us. Its stoney watch is unmoved by our arrival. It has seen many people coming and going, and long long after we have gone the Sphinx will be welcoming others. This was a magical moment away from the utter mayhem that is the city of Giza. So privileged to have been here.

Egypt, 27 August 2025 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Great Pyramid of Khufu | Giza

The Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza, built around 4,500 years ago, remains one of humanity’s most astonishing achievements. Originally rising to about 146 metres (now 138 due to erosion), it was the tallest structure on earth for over 3,800 years. Constructed from some 2.3 million limestone and granite blocks, the precision of its alignment with the cardinal points and its near-perfect geometry continue to amaze engineers and archaeologists. Far more than a tomb, it embodied the Pharaoh’s divine authority and Egypt’s mastery of labour organisation, mathematics, and cosmic symbolism. Its internal passages and chambers—such as the King’s Chamber and the enigmatic Grand Gallery—still inspire debate about ancient building techniques and ritual purposes. Even in ruin, stripped of its smooth white casing stones, Khufu’s pyramid dominates the Giza plateau. It stands as both a monument to human ingenuity and a mystery that has not yet surrendered all its secrets.

Egypt, 27 August 2025 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Child's Handmade Doll | Prague

In the Španělská Synagoga in Prague, I found myself standing in front of a small, haunting relic: a handmade doll, sewn in the likeness of a Jewish ghetto policeman. It was created by a child imprisoned in the Theresienstadt Ghetto. At first glance it looks like any doll — stitched face, patched trousers, little boots. But the details catch you: the leather Sam Browne belt, the uniform, the faint trace of authority stitched into something meant for play.

It stopped me in my tracks. A child, surrounded by horror and fear, chose to make this — reflecting the strange, inverted world of the ghetto where policemen were themselves prisoners, charged with enforcing German rules on their own people. In this act of sewing is both innocence and piercing witness. Children copy the world they see, and here the world they saw was already bent by cruelty and compromise.

The doll lives now behind glass, quiet but unblinking. It is a child’s testimony, preserved not in words but in cloth and thread.

Czechia, 25 March 2025

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Malaga Street | Malaga

Malaga mornings feel like a slow, deliberate sigh. Cafés spill onto sun-warmed plazas, tables crowded with locals nursing cortados and chatting like they have all the time in the world. The air smells of fresh bread, espresso, and sea salt, a reminder that the Mediterranean isn’t far. Umbrellas tilt lazily, shading clusters of friends and strangers alike, while street performers thread music and laughter through the cobbled streets. There’s a rhythm here: people move slowly, lingering over food, conversation, and the odd gossip. Evenings stretch longer, with tapas crawling into midnight, wine glasses clinking under the soft glow of lanterns. Outdoor culture isn’t just about eating; it’s about being seen, about existing in the shared spaces of the city. In Malaga, the street is as much a home as any apartment, and every table, every chair, every sunlit corner invites you to slow down and join in.

Spain | 15 June 2022 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐