We were at the airport early in the morning and I wound up talking to a local man I met in our hotel yesterday because he was wearing a t-shirt of a band I knew. So, we sat and talked for an hour while waiting for our flight, about music, the country and his job at a local guide working with international tour groups. Really a nice guy but I never learned his name. Our early morning flight took us from the ancient cities of the M'Zab Valley back to Algeria's bustling capital. The aerial vantage point provided a dramatic reminder of this country's scale - the Saharan oases giving way to Atlas Mountain ranges before the Mediterranean coast comes into view. Back in Algiers, we tried to make our way to the majestic Church of Notre Dame d'Afrique, but unbeknownst to the guides there was a bicycle race through town and we got stuck in traffic for about two hours. As a result we missed the closing time of the church. So we went for lunch and then continued on to the church where we could wandered around the outside of the impressive building. It is perched dramatically above part of the city, a soccer stadium and the Mediterranean. The colonial architects married European ecclesiastical design with North African sensibilities in a structure that continues to draw pilgrims of all faiths. The church's inscription above the altar, we were told, is addressed to "Our Lady of Africa" for "the Christians and the Muslims," captures something essential about the religious complexity of this city. Later we went for a mixed grill meal at a local restaurant Islam recommended. The food was delicious and we all left stuffed.
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