Quinze Jours en Égypte

The narrative opens with a bustling departure from Brussels in December 1907, when a new steamship slices the Mediterranean, cutting the journey to Cairo to just four‑and‑a‑half days. Onboard the elegant Héliopolis, the author joins a small press corps invited to witness the birth of a modern Egyptian suburb rising like an oasis in the desert. The first part of his diary captures the rhythm of the sea, the curious mix of English, French and Belgian influences on the ship’s décor, and the quick‑silver impressions of a world in transition.

Once ashore, the writer wanders from the bustling ports to the timeless ruins that dot the Nile valley. His sketches are complemented by striking photographs taken by the renowned Belgian Egyptologist Jean Capart, offering listeners a visual tour of iconic monuments that many have only read about. Through his keen eye, the traveler conveys the awe of ancient stone against a backdrop of modern ambition, inviting anyone who listens to glimpse Egypt’s layered beauty as it appeared at the turn of the twentieth century.