The title reflects an odd juxtaposition you may think. My husband Santiago just returned from a five month assignment to the US Embassy Algiers (from an earlier post, I recounted our December time together in Egypt). Once I returned in late January, ravenous reading of the New York Times was de rigueur as the Arab Spring was blossoming across the Middle East and Northern Africa. The spark of this spring was Tunisia, a tiny country nestled between Algeria and Libya - prompting friends to comment, wink, wink, how strange that Santiago’s arrival in Algeria coincided with tumult in Tunisia, and then of course Egypt, Bahrain, Syria, Libya…
Anyway, The NYT has a daily summary page about the goings on in the various Middle Eastern countries — Algeria made this summary once, maybe two days. The country is actually quite stable and open, and they have had a whole gaggle of presidents since their independence from the colonizing power, France, back in the 1960s. Remember de Gaulle and the existentialist Camus (“Mama died today. Or maybe it was yesterday”). Sorry, sometimes I have a huge urge to put my liberal education to use – or at least on display! Anyway, Algeria possesses a charming combination of things French (think baguettes) and things Moslem, and boasts a beautiful Mediterranean coast. It is an undiscovered tourist venue.
Interior of an Algerian Mosque
Meet me at the Casbah
Famous Roman Ruins at Tipaza on the Mediterranean
The Arab Spring may be drawing to a close but there is still plenty of time to capture the Maine Spring. Come on by and we’ll show you more pictures.
adieu,
Diana
The White House Inn
