All along the Mediterranean Cruise - Algiers

Algiers was a revelation, compared to Alexandria, as we looked out onto a place looking rather like a hillier Nice, with traffic on their corniche moving smoothly.

West of the panorama above

Looking up to the Casbah

The tours went off with police escort, both cars back & forth & motor cycle outriders. This turned out to be to stop the traffic & let us through! This is the first Freds ship in this port, although they have had another. While the customs forms seemed tedious, apparently formalities were completed in 12 minutes, some sort of record. With Ken now out of house arrest, our tour went up to the giant Martyrs' Memorial, for the people who fell in the revolution, a very nasty affair that went on from 1954 - 1962, well remembered from the press. The city seems very clean & obviously well run.

Across the bay to the rising Sun

Martyrs' Memorial

Early FLN man with peasant hunting gun

Head of the Peasant Hero

Later FLN man better armed

Our Secret Police man

Solid stone housing

Army Museum

Casbah from Martyrs Moument

Then, down to the botanical gardens. These are large but not Kew, being used to propagate trees to replace deforestation. We were followed by a couple of cops, who were quite friendly, apparently there to stop us being harassed by local salesmen &, presumably, pickpockets.

Garden entrance		"English Garden" (!?!)
	Martyrs Moument from the gardens	The French Garden

The locals seemed friendly, waving despite our police escort jumping the queues. This was when we were driven round the city, which does look very French but full of real shops, labels in both French & Arabic. Our guide, while contemptuous of the parliament, did speak like a government spokesperson, talking up the socialist aspects of the regime, which I believe is still run by a hard man.

Another day at sea, a high-light being Andy, of the excellent Phoenix Jazz Band (agent: Gary Parks on this link), suggesting we ask the Captain, "Linoleumforfarbiscuitsfordunking?", which sounds like a question in Norwegian! Please e-mail Ken if you know what this means in Norwegian.