Bateel – gourmet dates and chocolates

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Travis

We decided to spoil ourselves and visit the Qatar Bateel on the weekend. Bateel is famous for their gourmet dates and Arabic influenced chocolates.

We tried the following selection of chocolates and dates, which cost us thirty Riyal.

Dates

Khidri with Candied Orange Peel
Kholas with Caramelised Pecan

Chocolates

Date Tea Ganache
Dark Pistachio Piemont
Dark Coated Traditional Nougat
Date Rocher White and Dark
Dark Pecan
Date Fig Roll Milk and Dark

The dates were sweet and very rich. The chocolates were well presented with and the date and fig flavours were interesting. Overall it was a fun experience.

Update Monday 26 September 2011
Those that received the Bateel Bianca Boxes at our reception would now know why we did this tasting.
In them were the following chocolates;

Dark Pistachio Piemont Ganache (Origin Chocolate)
Dark Rosewater Marzipan (Origin Chocolate)
Kholas Caramelised Pecan Milk (Date Chocolate)
Date Rocher Dark (Date Chocolate)

I would also like to thank Mohammad Bagher Pashmi, manager of the Dubai Mall Bateel who was very helpful and professional placing the order. Didn’t mind at all the twenty or so emails I sent him.

Coptic Cairo, Egypt

Posted on July 1, 2011 by Travis

In the few remaining hours left in Egypt we decided to quickly visit Coptic Cairo, which forms part of Old Cairo. We visited the large Church of St. George and Hanging Church.

When leaving we picked up some Keys of Life (Ankh) a medium and small one for 5 EGP for souvenirs. Its shape is an ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic character meaning eternal life.

Alexandria – founded by Alexander the Great

Posted on July 1, 2011 by Travis

We arrived in Cairo in the early morning; a train to Alexandria wasn’t for a few hours, so we decided to use a minibus for 25 EGP, which ended up being faster.

After checking in our hotel in Alexandria we decided to walk along the Corniche, when we were approached by a horse and carriage who offered to take us around for 40 EGP to three of the main sights, Amud El Sawari (Pompey’s Pillar), Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa and Qaitbay Fortress. The tour would end at the modern Alexandria Library and cost 40 EGP, though he naturally wanted more at the end.

Amud El Sawari (Pompey’s Pillar)

A single piece column from red granite standing at over twenty metre high, there really wasn’t much else to see, that and two sphinxes which flank it on either side.

Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa

Now, this was the highlight for me. Unsure what to expect, we paid the entrance fee and made our way onto the grounds, there wasn’t much, a few sarcophagus and tombs. Then we found an entrance to a spiral staircase, and on it we descended deep into the underground. We were presented with an open rotunda ambulatory with passageways that lead to a maze of catacombs leading to galleries and tombs; all that we were missing was a fire-torch in hand. Throughout the catacombs were Roman statues, paintings and even an altar which had rays of sun shining onto it from above. Unfortunately, like most tombs in Egypt, photography was not permitted.

Qaitbay Fortress

Qaitbay Fortress is situated at the tip of a peninsula extending into the Mediterranean Sea, the original location of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Qaitbay Fortress is an irregular concentric castle with the lower fortifications protecting the inner citadel (or castle). The inner castle in a beautiful square design with rounded towers on each corner. It was what one would imagine a Arabic fort to look like.

Modern Alexandria Library

The modern Alexandria Library (Bibliotheca Alexandrina) was unfortunately closed, being a Friday.

That night we ate fresh seafood at Kaddoura Restaurant, which was recommended by the Lonely Planet. Probably the best fish we’d had for a while.

Karnak Temple – the largest ancient religious site in the world

Posted on July 1, 2011 by Travis

On our last day in Luxor we planned to visit Karnak Temple, a complex containing a large group of temples. It is situated two kilometres north of Luxor Temple, and the two temples were originally connected by the “Avenue of Sphinxes”. We arranged a horse and carriage for 6 EGP to Karnak Temple; this was surprisingly cheaper than a taxi. On arrive we organised a one hour tour for 60 EGP, the tour guide shared a few unknown and interesting facts, but a tour guide isn’t necessary.

We entered the temple complex from the west and were presented with a small avenue of ram-headed sphinxes which lead to the first pylon on the inner Temple of Amun-Re. The first pylon is incomplete with temporary mud-bricks still remaining behind, providing an insight into its construction. After the first pylon was the Great Forecourt which housed a large number of open-air artefacts. After the second pylon was the Great Hypostyle Hall, a forest of one-hundred-and-thirty-four columns, initially constructed by Seti I and majority completed by Ramesses II. Between the third and fourth pylon was a large obelisk from time of Thutmose I. In all, there are ten pylons with the last being built by Horemheb.

One of the interesting things within Karnak Temple is the Sacred Lake used by priests to purify them. At the corner of the lake is a sculpture of a scarab beetle which the ancient Egyptians worshipped as a representation of the sun god Ra, due to the similarities between the rolling of the dung and rolling of the sun across the sky.

The rest of the time we enjoyed exploring the temple complex, with its hundreds of artefacts scattered around. There were hardly any other tourists which made for good photographs.

After visiting Karnak we headed back to the heart of Luxor. Unsure what to do for the rest of the afternoon, we stopped at an outside restaurant that enticed us with 8 EGP bottles of Egyptian ‘Stella’ and which overlooked the Luxor Temple. Cold beers on a hot day, it was a relaxing way to spend the rest of the afternoon that reminded me of Australia.

That evening we caught the sleeper train back to Cairo.

Sonya and Travis

tales of travel and adventure

Category Archives: Middle East

Bateel – gourmet dates and chocolates

Coptic Cairo, Egypt

Alexandria – founded by Alexander the Great

Karnak Temple – the largest ancient religious site in the world