Villa Ambron

Committed fans of Lawrence Durrell's Alexandria Quartet might like to search out the Villa Ambron where Durrell lived and wrote during the last two years of the war. Gilda Ambron, whose name appeared in the Quartet's 'Balthazar', painted with her mother in a studio in the garden, shared with their neighbour Clea Badaro, who provided inspiration for the character of Clea in the Quartet.

Durrell's room was on top of an octagonal tower in the garden, though sadly the place has deteriorated badly over the past couple of decades. If you're in for a pilgrimage anyway, from Misr train station walk southeast down Sharia Moharrem Bey, then at the little square at the end turn left onto Sharia Nabil al-Wakad. Sharia Maamoun is a couple of hundred metres along on the right. The Villa Ambron is No 19.