Our destination for the day was the Umm Khalthoum museum. A very famous Egyptian singer who rose from poor roots to international stardom, and a favourite of Amr.

The location at the end of Roda island in Cairo is beautiful with fresh breezes and pretty flowers along the pathway. Although small the museum gives a good idea to her life and the development of music in Egypt. Even her little notebooks recording daily events. 

Coming out of the museum is the Nileometer which dates back to the first century AD. It was used to measure the annual flood of the Nile, and peasants were taxed according to the level of the flood!  

Strangely there are no indications that it is even there, although its existence well known. The entrance is down a set of stairs (I sent Amr down first just in case it was a toilet!). Very clever structure opening sideways to the river at three levels, and designed at the bottom to cause a whirlpool effect to protect it. 

There are markings on the central pillar recording the level of water. A beautiful piece of engineering

A stroll across the bridge to the Corniche gave us chance to view it from a better angle, and get a well earn lemon juice from a riverside boat. (Having seen the open buffet on offer we decided a drink was sufficient and we would go elsewhere for lunch!!)