? ON THE TUBE TONIGHT-
(all times CLT)

Maestro in Blue on Netflix is the visit to the Greek Islands that you didn’t know you craved. Despite it selling itself as a romantic series, the first episode opens with a very unsettling image that fades into the beautiful backdrop of the island of Paxos. We meet Kleila, daughter to Fanis, a businessman and candidate for mayor, who has a love-hate relationship with the island where she grew up and feels is uneventful. Enter Orestis, a music teacher who has been invited by Fanis to revive the music festival after the pandemic, which should make Fanis earn more points to become mayor. Kleila sees Orestis arrive in Paxos and immediately they are both attracted to each other, which suggests more than just an immediate infatuation. As the episodes unfold, we watch as each character shares their story on Paxos until a murder takes place that puts all the hidden truths into question and shows the ugliness that underlies this Greek paradise.

⚽ The European football season is over, and local competitions are also drawing to a close: Today in the 30th Gameweek of the Egyptian Premier League, Zamalek plays against Al Ittihad Al Sakandary at 8pm. The White Knights (50 points) are still trying to catch up with third place Future FC (54 points) and second place Pyramids (61 points) to secure a qualifying spot for African championships, while Al Ittihad is hoping to land a victory tonight that would bring it closer to the top four.

? Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur is moving on to the quarter finals of the French Open, after defeating the US’ Bernarda Pera 6-3, 6-1 in the fourth round earlier today. Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo and Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia are in a nail-biter, with Sorribes Tormo taking the first set after a tiebreak, only for Haddad Maia to stage a comeback and take the second set 6-3. The third set is currently neck-in-neck.

In the men’s singles, Chile’s Nicolas Jarry and Norway’s Casper Ruud are currently battling it out, with Ruud taking the first set following a tiebreak. Denmark’s Holger Rune and Argentina’s Francisco Cerúndolo are about to hit the court in a match scheduled to begin at 3:40pm. Argentine Tomás Martín Etcheverry is facing off against Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioko at 6:05pm, while Germany’s Alexander Zverev and Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov will play at 9:15pm tonight.

? EAT THIS TONIGHT-

Bake My Day lands in New Cairo: Dutch restaurant Bake My Day is an aesthetically pleasing restaurant that recently opened in Egypt, bringing a range of delicious baked goods to their new spot. We thought we were walking into a breakfast / brunch spot that specializes in baked goods, but were pleasantly surprised by the range the restaurant provides, with everything from breakfast through to dinner. The croque madame was hefty and cheesy, with a perfectly cooked egg on top — everything we could possibly ask for in the sandwich. We also enjoyed the croissant with benedict, and the serving size made us feel better about how much we were paying for it. To round out the meal, we went for the San Sebastian cheesecake and lemon cake, both of which were obviously fresh and hit the spot. We also had our eyes on the Tropical Pull Me Up, but were too stuffed at that point — although a neighboring table seemed to be enjoying it. The restaurant is located in New Cairo’s Zia Mall.

? OUT AND ABOUT-
(all times CLT)

We’re closing in on the last few days of Zawya Cinema’s Cairo Cinema Days: The festival showcases the latest films from the Arab region, with this year’s edition including 16 documentaries and feature films from Egypt, Tunisia, Sudan, Morocco, Iraq, Palestine, Algeria, and Lebanon. Film screenings are ongoing through 10 June — you can check out the schedule and find more details here.

The annual Flower Exhibition — which is typically held at the Orman Gardens — is now open to the public at the Agricultural Museum in Dokki. The exhibition will run for one month until 27 June.

Dive into Egypt’s infinitely rich contemporary art world: The “Traces of Egypt” Exhibition began in late March and will continue until Thursday, 15 June, at the Grand Egyptian Museum. The exhibit is organized by Egyptian-German artist Susan Hefuna and celebrates the country’s Khayamiya tradition through 28 dresses celebrating local artisans and their craftsmanship.

Your next half marathon is coming up this weekend: The TriFactory is hosting another edition of itsMadinaty Half Marathon on Friday, 9 June at Madinaty. You can sign up for the event through the TriFactory website.

Hiba Tawaji is back with her first concert in Cairo after three years: The Lebanese singing sensation will be performing in the Cairo Opera house on Friday, 16 June starting from 8:30pm to celebrate the release of her new album, Ba’d Seneen. The performance will be conducted by Maestro Ahmed Aweida and under the supervision of Oussama El-Rahbani. Click here to reserve your tickets.

Egyptian soprano Amira Selim will perform at the National Museum for Egyptian Civilization on Wednesday, 21 June to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the museum’s inauguration. Doors open at 7:30pm and the performance begins at 9:30pm. You can book tickets here

? UNDER THE LAMPLIGHT-

Motherhood under a new light: Rachel Yoder’s debut novel, NightB*tch, dives into all things womanhood and motherhood but in a more unhinged manner than most. The novel follows a stay-at-home mother, who abandoned her career in the arts to take care of his train-obsessed little one, her life slowly transforms from an art-filled, unpredictable concussion to a deadly routine of park visits, snack times, and bedtime stories until her transformation starts. Her teeth become sharper, her skin becomes harrier, her sense of smell stronger than ever, her urge to kill the housecat takes over and the story unfolds. “Yoder’s peculiar wit infuses new life into the cold, furry flesh of the monstrous femme,” the Guardian wrote.