I continue my list of curious similarities between Albright and me, this time looking at his travels in the 1920s and mine today. If you missed the first post introducing this series, read it first. Quotes are from his biography, with page numbers in parentheses. My comments are in brackets.
6. “We avoided the automobile routes and’tourist ‘ points as much as possible, in accordance with the system of trips which I have outlined before. I succeeded in keeping all costs, including fees, tips, hotel bills, where incurred, etc., down to a pound a day” (113). [Well, it costs me a little more than that, but the idea is the same.]
7. While traveling, Albright found little time for research, study, or writing (136). [So true.]
8. Upon his return from an exploration trip, Albright wrote that they were “all the more convinced than ever that horses and tents are still indispensable to successful exploration in Palestine” (166). [I prefer a 4×4 when possible; tent is optional.]
9. “In Egypt they did not go south to Luxor—the weather was too hot and in those days that trip was too dangerous” (97). [Yes, it’s still dangerous today, but you can do it, with a police escort :-)).
10. “With not much time for sightseeing in Cairo, the three of them went up to Alexandria, where there was not much sightseeing to do” (98). [Alexandria ranks first on my list of most impressive cities were they to be excavated. I’ve been once and have no desire to return unless the modern city is somehow destroyed and the ancient ruins uncovered.]
11. “At Ader we discovered the first Moabite temple known thus far, though only the foundations are preserved” (120). [In the summer of 2004 I “discovered” a Moabite temple at Ataroth. To be sure, it had recently been excavated, but I had no knowledge of its existence, but just stumbled upon it and correctly identified it.]
12. His trips were usually in the spring months of March and April. [The land is so green and beautiful at this time of year.]