Much of my newest novel takes place in an abandoned Egyptian palace I've named High Lake Palace. The inspiration for the setting comes from a beautiful palace I saw when I lived in Alexandria, called Montaza Palace. It sits on the coast, surrounded by acres of gardens and with a view of the sea.
Alexandria is a place where Egyptians go to get away from the heat of Cairo in the summer. In my book, King Farouk (1920-1965) built High Lake Palace to have a more private vacation home in the desert with a lake filled by spring water. (There are lots of natural springs in Egypt.) Above is King Farouk having dinner at Montaza Palace.
If you ever visit Alexandria, go to the Montaza Gardens, which are open to the public, and enjoy the lovely view and scenery.
What a lovely place. I remember someone who went there told me about the city's beauty. Thanks for sharing these pictures. I'd love to go one day.
ReplyDeleteWow, simply gorgeous! I'd love to go there and see that in person.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing all the sights of Egypt. I love it!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great place to tell a story. I'm a sucker for exotic locations. :)
ReplyDeletethose are some great pictures. and the setting for your new story sounds so mysterious:)
ReplyDeleteNutschell
www.thewritingnut.com
What a fantastic setting! I can picture so many life events unfolding in the spaces of such a magnificent place, and for horror writers such as yourself I can picture so many potential nooks and crannies for creatures to hide.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful building! And you must have done a fantastic job describing it, because apart from the big tower at one end, that's almost exactly what I imagined the palace looking like when I read the book!
ReplyDeleteThat is gorgeous. I have some cards my brother sent back from Egypt when he was stationed there during WWII. They have camels, of course. He also met his wife in Egypt and their first child was born there. It sounds like a fascinating country and a lovely setting for a story.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous inspiration!!
ReplyDeleteHi. Thanks for visiting my blog and for signing on as a follower. It's a pleasure to return the favor. Really. I'm excited at the prospect of learning more about Egypt, and straight from the horse's ... er, camel's mouth, too. So to speak. Count me in as your newest groupie. Nice to meetcha.
ReplyDeleteEgypt has been on my list of places to see for many years! What a beautiful setting for a novel. Thanks for visiting my blog!
ReplyDeleteI so would like to visit Alexandria. What an awesome inspiration for writing. I'm glad I stumbled onto your blog! :)
ReplyDeleteThe palace looks fantastic... I could picture his in your story:) Great setting.
ReplyDeleteI would love to visit the Gardens sometime. Whenever I travel, those are one of my hotspots. :)
ReplyDeleteI love that you're using this as the setting for your story. I already want to explore the grounds and the interior. Hope you're writing fast! :-)
ReplyDeleteHow very cool!!!
ReplyDeletehow pretty the palace looks at night!
ReplyDeleteWonderful images, Lexa. Love your setting for your novel. The Near East/North Africa is such a beautiful area, rugged and romantic. I've a novel/novella in the wings that will be set in the rocky deserts of ancient Lebanon, so I'll be trolling your site for images and such. It's great to meet you! I see you are also a member of IWSG and look forward to following.
ReplyDeleteWow! I had no idea how detailed it was. Gorgeous!
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