Do you want to come to Syria and Egypt with me?
We have set dates and costed the Syria and Egypt tour for next year. It will start on the 18th February next year. This time we have given the 'on the ground' costing and you have to book separately to get there and back - but Nick and the lovely team at Impulse can organise that for you.
It does not include a Nile Cruise but people usually go on and add this option in - it is a lovely thing to do but there is not enough that is textile-related to justify me joining you on that (which would mean that you would be paying for me). Those who go are accompanied by a lovely Egyptian Guide.
I love this trip. I lived for three and a half years in Syria and four and a half years in Egypt. You would not find many expert guides who know and love both countries so well.
The big advantage of a textile tour is not so much that you see textiles - but that you move off the standard tourist routes. Of course we see the Krak de Chevaliers
![IMG_3316.JPG](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3138/2847069327_ef0071095a.jpg)
![IMG_3327.JPG](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3200/2847069521_c32d4b394d.jpg)
and Palmyra
![IMG_5919.JPG](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/189/465470638_304b1557f1.jpg)
![IMG_5937.JPG](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/210/465470814_b6c304e201.jpg)
and the old city of Damascus in Syria,
![IMG_2071.JPG](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/105/307810069_ebb83ab79a.jpg)
![IMG_2048.JPG](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/113/307807116_38dfedbcb3.jpg)
and the Pyramids (Saqqara as well as Giza)
![RIMG0206](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/31/60773420_1d229fb720.jpg)
and the Egyptian Museum in Egypt - but we also move off into areas where locals live and work and we get to know the country better with the insight this gives us.
You know that the group will all have something in common - most are not young and wanting to go to nightclubs in the evenings. Partners who come usually find that they love it - we have better opportunities for really wonderful photography than most tours offer.
We might walk in mud on some days - but always stay in good hotels, so there is a relief in walking into something comfortable and familiar.
I love to take people in to the best textile sites in the beautiful Old City of Damascus in Syria,
![Damascus silk brocade](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/10/13409617_8a94b1c8df.jpg)
![RIMG1935.JPG](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3142/2846467989_cb03102390.jpg)
![RIMG1564.JPG](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3021/2847324680_092abcd7e8.jpg)
and to the Tentmakers' Street
![RIMG4656.JPG](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4086/5010984532_6129441e50.jpg)
![tentmakers](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/117/252225314_f6e74ffed2.jpg)
![IMG_3829.JPG](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4125/5010379105_5050c61be7.jpg)
and the Dyers' Khan in old Cairo,
![DSCN1082.jpg](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/5010383545_5237e06c60.jpg)
and to Wissa Wassef - a truly stunning and joyful tapestry school - the best of all Egypt's long term projects.
![Wissa Wassef](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/85/249932347_9e9e5bab9d.jpg)
![DSCN1494.jpg](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4144/5010999182_97c12a0c04.jpg)
If enough are interested we could add a few informal days earlier in the north of Syria to see Aleppo, the Dead Cities,
![IMG_9614.JPG](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4153/5011010124_91483c7537.jpg)
![DSCN0680.jpg](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4112/5010404905_90a6717c32.jpg)
the beehive houses,
![IMG_9698.JPG](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/5010407825_15b53442fb.jpg)
![IMG_9696.JPG](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4148/5011012876_6877a57cf2.jpg)
and Heike Webber's embroidery project - Anat
![IMG_9709.JPG](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4147/5011013074_172b10e81e.jpg)
- but that will depend on interest. It would simply be with me and a hired car and driver and not part of the formal tour.
Please contact Nick at Impulse - address right at the very top of this post. I wish I could remember how to put that link into Impulse tours!
It does not include a Nile Cruise but people usually go on and add this option in - it is a lovely thing to do but there is not enough that is textile-related to justify me joining you on that (which would mean that you would be paying for me). Those who go are accompanied by a lovely Egyptian Guide.
I love this trip. I lived for three and a half years in Syria and four and a half years in Egypt. You would not find many expert guides who know and love both countries so well.
The big advantage of a textile tour is not so much that you see textiles - but that you move off the standard tourist routes. Of course we see the Krak de Chevaliers
![IMG_3316.JPG](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3138/2847069327_ef0071095a.jpg)
![IMG_3327.JPG](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3200/2847069521_c32d4b394d.jpg)
and Palmyra
![IMG_5919.JPG](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/189/465470638_304b1557f1.jpg)
![IMG_5937.JPG](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/210/465470814_b6c304e201.jpg)
and the old city of Damascus in Syria,
![IMG_2071.JPG](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/105/307810069_ebb83ab79a.jpg)
![IMG_2048.JPG](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/113/307807116_38dfedbcb3.jpg)
and the Pyramids (Saqqara as well as Giza)
![RIMG0206](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/31/60773420_1d229fb720.jpg)
and the Egyptian Museum in Egypt - but we also move off into areas where locals live and work and we get to know the country better with the insight this gives us.
You know that the group will all have something in common - most are not young and wanting to go to nightclubs in the evenings. Partners who come usually find that they love it - we have better opportunities for really wonderful photography than most tours offer.
We might walk in mud on some days - but always stay in good hotels, so there is a relief in walking into something comfortable and familiar.
I love to take people in to the best textile sites in the beautiful Old City of Damascus in Syria,
![Damascus silk brocade](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/10/13409617_8a94b1c8df.jpg)
![RIMG1935.JPG](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3142/2846467989_cb03102390.jpg)
![RIMG1564.JPG](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3021/2847324680_092abcd7e8.jpg)
and to the Tentmakers' Street
![RIMG4656.JPG](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4086/5010984532_6129441e50.jpg)
![tentmakers](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/117/252225314_f6e74ffed2.jpg)
![IMG_3829.JPG](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4125/5010379105_5050c61be7.jpg)
and the Dyers' Khan in old Cairo,
![DSCN1082.jpg](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/5010383545_5237e06c60.jpg)
and to Wissa Wassef - a truly stunning and joyful tapestry school - the best of all Egypt's long term projects.
![Wissa Wassef](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/85/249932347_9e9e5bab9d.jpg)
![DSCN1494.jpg](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4144/5010999182_97c12a0c04.jpg)
If enough are interested we could add a few informal days earlier in the north of Syria to see Aleppo, the Dead Cities,
![IMG_9614.JPG](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4153/5011010124_91483c7537.jpg)
![DSCN0680.jpg](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4112/5010404905_90a6717c32.jpg)
the beehive houses,
![IMG_9698.JPG](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/5010407825_15b53442fb.jpg)
![IMG_9696.JPG](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4148/5011012876_6877a57cf2.jpg)
and Heike Webber's embroidery project - Anat
![IMG_9709.JPG](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4147/5011013074_172b10e81e.jpg)
- but that will depend on interest. It would simply be with me and a hired car and driver and not part of the formal tour.
Please contact Nick at Impulse - address right at the very top of this post. I wish I could remember how to put that link into Impulse tours!