"Desert days fade into Nile nights. The ever-present heat nudges a restless chamber of my soul. A pleasant delirium descends. Desert, sea and sky. Pyramid peaks, lotus flowers and palms swirl and mingle. I’m teetering on the edge of the tangible and imagined. Somewhere between this world and the next, the past and the future, I find home."

"Dexterous fingers move with the rhythm of a maestro. They tap and bang, conducting and creating as rugs roll from the loom. Shapes appear. Lotuses, palmettes and arabesques in earthy brown and soft green. There is magic in the making, in the motion. Will they take flight like my imagination since arriving in this desert necropolis? Jump on board. Let’s try. We might swoop into the star-filled sky.​"

"Camilla Franks and Roeqiya Fris first met in Amsterdam. They bonded over a shared love of art, colour and creativity, and a beautiful partnership was born. In this collaboration, the CAMILLA artisans reinterpret Roeqiya's unique designs, blending her signature aesthetic with that unmistakable, iconic CAMILLA flair to create one-of-a-kind wearable artworks."

"From up here, I could hold the Valley of the Kings in the palm of my hand. A shrine within a snowglobe. The monumental made minute. Sand. Fire. Water. Gold. Light. As the hot air balloon descends, the world comes into focus. Sounds soften and flames subside. Suddenly I am small, miniaturised by the mighty who shook the heavens and earth. Royalty recorded in rock and centuries of stories set in stone. How could hands so small ever capture something so vast?"

"It’s November in Marsa Alam, but the air is balmy and the Red Sea is warm. The fish dip and weave through curling coral. Their kaleidoscopic game of hide and seek tugs at memories and conjures up mirages: animal headed gods, wings, feathers, iridescent scales and snakeskin. The primal presence of Egypt manifests in a vivid vortex of electric colour, somewhere between daydream and delirium."

"My footsteps echo on the tiles as I enter the Jewellery Palace. Alexandria’s museum of sparkling wonders is a magnificent fusion of Islamic and European architecture. Cherubs flock overhead, gilded arches and cornices frame frescoes. Stones, pearls, gold and silver. I drink it in, until my soul sparkles and my eyes dance. This was once a royal residence, and for a twinkling moment in time, I imagine, it is mine, too.​"

"The late November sunlight casts a rosy glow over Alexandria's Jewellery Palace as it sinks slowly behind the palms, lighting up frescoes and finery, cherubs and treasures one by one in scintillating colour. Each delicate flash and shimmer is both a memory and a promise. In another life, we were queens and goddesses. In another life, we will be again."

"The air cools as I descend beneath the Valley of the Queens, into the tomb of Nefertari. ‘She for whom the sun shines’ is very much alive. On walls and columns, flanked by ankhs, scarabs and Egyptian phoenixes. In chambers and corridors, bringing gifts to jackal and falcon-headed gods. The stars hover knowingly overhead as guardian spirits guide her into the afterlife. Reveal your secrets to me, celestial ones."

"I’m swept into a heady flurry of sweet scents and spices as I enter Cairo’s Khan el-Khalili market. From a hidden corner, string instruments pick out an unfamiliar melody – a new rhythm for my footsteps to learn. For a nomad like me, navigating the chaos comes easy. I linger for hours, transfixed. Savouring rich golds, intricate lines, watercolour landscapes and textile treasures. I buy a postcard on my way out: a token from a special place, addressed just to me."