Wednesday, June 19, 2013


But urgent business saw me on the 5am bus returning to Djenne two days later: Philip Boyle, the British Ambassador  was coming to stay  at Hotel Djenne Djenno with his large personal security team! His main objective was to visit the Djenne Manuscript Library. So of course I hurried back to prepare the place and meet him. It was a successful visit I think: everything was accomplished: visit to the library, the mosque, tour of  Djenne’s  small back streets to admire the unique architecture- this part rather muddy and unpleasant underfoot with the beginning of the rainy season already upon us- official private meetings with Prefect and Imam.

 

5 Comments:

Blogger mary said...

Sophie - you look stunning. And I am so pleased that at last the Brits have an ambassador who is wise enough to take himself out of Bamako and sensible enough to choose DjenneDjenno as a place to stay. He has good taste!Great news too for the future of the manuscript library and an accolade for you. well done.H
Mary

10:32 PM  
Blogger toubab said...

Thank you Mary for all of the above!
Very thrilled about it, and I know it was good for the project and the Libary.

5:48 PM  
Blogger toubab said...

PS. More of the ambassador's visit on http://www.facebook.com/DjenneManuscriptLibrary

5:50 PM  
Blogger David said...

He looks, erm, a little unrelaxed beside the Swedish goddess in that photo. Hope he was fun as well as ambassadorial.

Apropos of nothing, the mangos I bought in the Co-Op today came from Mali. That surprised me, I don't know why. Some trade links must work.

12:09 AM  
Blogger toubab said...

When I was at the Air France cargo depot to send off a parcel the other day, I might well have seen those very mangoes winging their way to the Co-Ops of England- there were hundreds of mango crates being sent off somewhere...
And Phil, the ambassador, is very nice and relaxed and we had a lovely time. I think he enjoyed the Djenne experience.

1:26 PM  

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