Dr Hourig Sourouzian took the next lecture spot and treated everyone to an in-depth description of her work at Kom el Hetan. Notes were taken as preparation for the site visit, shown below, later in the week.

The Valley of the Kings’ Project directed by Susanne Bickel, is proud to support a local enterprise in new Qurna. We decided to show our passengers this delightful house, (below) known now as the Balady Handicraft Centre. Here the local ladies can embroider and use looms to make traditional cloth to sell to visitors.

There is also a pottery and a small shop. We were offered tea and fruit and many took the chance to buy some of the lovely items on display. Everyone agreed it was a very worthwhile visit, for both themselves and as much needed support for the local economy.

On a West Bank visit we made a brief stop for the latest update from Dr Kent Weeks (below) on his new Theban Mapping Project Library. Many passengers had brought out coloured pens, pencils, paints and toys for the children.

On Friday afternoon we were delighted to be joined by Dr Renee Friedman, Director of the Hierakonpolis Expedition, who took a day out from her work at Hierakonpolis to join us in Luxor.

She gave an introductory talk on recent finds at the site and her plans for the forthcoming season.

Dr Laurent Bavay, Director of the French Institute of Archaeology in Cairo, (above) was our next speaker. He told us about his work on the Theban Tombs and especially excavating the tomb of Amenemope, a high dignitary in the reign of Amenhotep II.

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The following day, the Director of the University of Basel, Dr Susanne Bickel, (above) gave us details of her work on the Kings’ Valley project. Susanne showed us plans of the concession area in a side valley leading to the tomb of Thutmosis III. We had a glimpse of the huge undertaking that clearing and conserving a tomb such as KV40 involves, and the excitement of rediscovering KV64.

This was followed by a talk from another member of the team, Dr Faried Adrom, (below) who began by telling us that no amount of study can prepare you for dealing with a tomb like KV40. Faried explained how digital archaeology is now helping to map and record the fragmentary remains often found in lost tombs.

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Another AWT special and surprise for everyone, was being shown in some detail, the excavations at the front of Karnak Temple by Salah el Masekh, Chief Inspector of Karnak. Excavations to the west of the first pylon at Karnak began in 2006 and have since revealed a protective Embankment Wall and Ptolemaic and Roman baths, known to be in use up until the 4th or 5th Century AD. Salah is shown above amusing everyone with photos of his workmen ‘in situe’.

Salah then gave the group a private tour of the newly opened Khonsu Temple seen below.

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Our final speaker was a delightful, unscheduled surprise, fellow passenger, Kristin Thompson. In 2000 she was invited to join the Egypt Exploration Society’s Expedition to Tell el-Amarna, where she worked for three-week stretches during six seasons. Her task was to make an inventory of the many hundreds of statuary fragments found and to make matches where possible. During this work she reconstructed surviving portions of a granodiorite statue of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. Fortunately for us she had a short presentation on this work on her lap-top. She even lent a hand on our visit to Hierakonpolis.

We had two very full days on the West Bank. Our favourite restaurant is the Moon Valley with its spectacular views over the Theban Hills. Chef Ali (pictured on left with Medhat) always gives us first-class service in the calm sanctuary of his restaurant.  After a wonderfully tasty and relaxing lunch, Medhat pointed out the sites clearly visable from the roof terrace.