My Top Fifty Highlights From Our Trip Through Europe and Egypt - Part Four

20. More proof that history works in funny ways: Tutankhamen was a relatively insignificant pharoah, but he is probably the most famous one today thanks to the discovery of his tomb early last century - the only one found so far that was nearly intact. The treasures of display at the Egyptian Museum include his golden death mask, his inner sarcophagus, his outer sarcophagus, the thing his outer sarcophagus was in, the thing the thing his outer sarcophagus was in was in, the thing the thing the thing ... The death mask and inner sarcophagi in particular look very spiffy, as if they were just constructed yesterday.

19. On one side of Sacre Couer, the side on which we were staying, the area around Montmarte is relatively poor and crowded and full of Afro wig shops. On the other side however, we found a peaceful little hill that overlooks the city. We arrived at Sacre Couer in the midst of the evensong, which was pretty enough to almost make my other half turn Catholic. But just in case the scene seemed too idyllic, there were the street sellers there chanting: 'I must be crazy to be normal...,'

18. Amongst the shops and restaurants of Rome, the Fontana di Trevi seems like a relic from another age. Which it is: who in the age of reduced urban space and global warming would build a multi-level decorative fountain that churns over enough water to irrigate a small farm? The fountain is so grand that you hardly notice the tourists lined along the front, endlessly flipping coins over their shoulders.



17. It is hard to pick a favourite ride at Paris Disneyland, since my favourites all belonged to the 'rollick-along-in-the-dark' genre. Space Mountain 2 was another version of my favourite ride at the LA Disneyland, eschewing the height of its precursor for curves and loops. Rock 'N' Roll Coaster avec Aerosmith was similar, with its highlight being the rapid take-off and loop and a half that immediately follows it, although you do have to listen to Aerosmith. Crush's Coaster is a bit different in that the tortoise-shell carriage fits only four people and spins around on the track, so that you spend a good proportion of the ride travelling backwards. This would be higher on the list but I don't want to reveal what a big kid I am.

16. Italian pizza is a bit different to the pizza we get back home, and is better for it: it is less tomato-based and the cheese is runnier and juicier. By the time we left Rome I was consuming a pizza a day, along with the requisite half litre of beer.

15. A gondola ride in Venice is more enjoyable if you can share the not inconsiderable expense. With four people it came to twenty euros each for a half an hour ride. We spent most of our ride in the smaller, narrower canals, with our gondolier dodging bridges and telling us how best to distribute our weight. Unlike our last gondola ride on the Yarra River, there was no champagne and chocolates to accompany us.



14. The paintings in the Uffizi gallery in Florence can be categorized as thus: Madonna and Childs, Coronations of the Virgin, Annunciations, and everything else. One of the paintings in the last category was Botticelli's excellent La Primevera, which defies both categorisation and interpretation. Overall, it had probably the best collection of art in Italy, with one notable omission...

13. On one level, Avenue Q, which we saw at the West End in London, is an adult version of Sesame Street, with Bert and Ernie-like roommates dealing with homosexuality, a monster that is addicted to porn, and cute little bears that encourage all-night drinking games. However, on another level, it shows how much young, post-college adults have to learn about the way the world workers. And with numbers like 'Everybody's A Little Bit Racist', it's much funnier than ol' Les Mis.

12. I bought 'The White Tiger' from an English language bookshop in Rome, and ploughed through it in a few days, even amongst the sightseeing. Why is India not yet a superpower? Aravind Adiga's satirical novel appears to provide some of the answers.

11. As a wedding present we had high tea at the Lanesborough Hotel on Hyde Park Corner. The menu was a glass of Kir Royale, a pot of tea (Cinnamon Star in my case), quiche, sandwiches, cakes and scones. A piano player provided the ambience. A most agreeable change from pub food and Beyonce.