Wooden doors. Preferably old and very used. I think I must be quite obsessed (it started years ago, when I went to Zanzibar to see the doors) and I still love them and door knockers, handles, any decoration... In Syria, I really noticed the door knockers - the difference between these gorgeous, feminine shapely hands with all their detail and the occasional ones you can find in London's east end, and around Spitalfields - those ones are much less detailed and virtually androgynous. Can't help thinking that the lack of sensuality and passion in the 'London hands' says somehing about us....have put in a photo to compare....... read more

The King's Highway is a spectacular winding road - 335 kms - that traverses endless desert through most of Jordan, north to south. As we were with Mr A, there was no such thing as just zipping through as quickly as posible, which was great by us ; we stopped at Madaba, to see the famous mosaic map, had a breezy restaurant lunch regaled by Mr A's stories of the blood-thirsty , historic past that took place literally under our feet and drove through a tiny place -Mazar - where there are holy Islamic tombs. The journey took over 10 hours and if we could do it all again with our lovely, knowledgable Mr A, we would...... read more

Aqaba and Taba Bay Aqaba has an astouding location: minutes to Saudi in one direction and very close to Egypt and Eilat in Israel. However, it is also a bit like seaside towns everywhere...lots of restaurants, shops selling diving gear and tourist tat and a few 'luxury ' hotels... Not being divers (so no amazing fish and coral photos...)and by this time, just wanting to lie flat on our backs on the sand, we didn't do very much except laze around, swim and eat....but relaxation at last: no deserts to traverse, no shaking out of shoes in the morning, hoping to dislodge lurking scorpions...just a luxurious ( comparitively, anyhow) hotel and the sea and sand....the only exciting event was Rob coming face-to-face with a giant manta ray (although Rob in full snorkelling gear is a fairly ... read more

Wadi Rum: Well. part of it. None of the trucks were air-conditioned and being asthmatic, I couldn't risk a two hour plus journey out to the desert in the August heat - disappointing! And I wasn't the only one who decided not to - wonder how much it would cost to get better trucks and how much money is lost by tourists deciding not to go? But at least we did get to see a tiny bit of it. Just have to wait for another trip...... read more

Click on Full View for photos.... We spent quite a lot of time here in the end - especially as we didn't get to Beirut ( don't get me started on that one...) but we did fall in love with this city and the people we met. We stayed in a fab little hotel - the Afamia - ten minutes walk from the old town and the huge souk, and a few minutes walk in the opposite direction to Central - the more modern district, with all the chemists. Important fact, that. Remember it if you go to Damscus - you'll find out why. We stopped every day at a leafy corner cafe, raised up from the pavement - the equivalent of an English pub garden without the booze. We loved that too. And the fact ... read more