Although the seat of several Pharaonic dynasties and a key source of Egypt’s historic wealth, the seasonal flooding, changing river channels and agricultural activity have taken their toll on the antiquities of the Delta. Still there is plenty to interest the devoted amateur Egyptologist, such as Tanis, with the shattered remains of a huge Temple of Amun, and Bubastis, where vaults full of mummified cats were found buried in honour of the goddess Bastet. These ruins are atmospheric rather than extensive, and it is the rural life of the delta, with gently flowing branches of the Nile separating green areas of swaying reeds, dense with local birdlife, that is the main attraction. One of the nicest ways to appreciate this scenery is on one of the trains running between Alexandria and Cairo.