Tag Archives: Middle East
My Top Ten Big Cities Outside Europe #6 – Beirut
#6 – Beirut, Lebanon (population estimated 1.3 million) The hardships currently faced by the Lebanese in general and the Beirutis in particular are hard to bear. The devastating explosion caused by negligent storage of fertiliser is symbolic of a incompetent, corrupt and careless regime. One can only hope that this changes very soon. I visited […]
My Top Ten Big Cities Outside Europe #7 – Damascus
#7 – Damascus, Syria (population estimated 1.8 million) I visited Damascus in 2009, two years before civil war broke out. As a government stronghold, the main city has seen relatively little damage compared to the territories that were held by ‘rebel factions’ or ISIS. We travelled by bus from the Roman ruins at Palmyra and […]
Beirut – A Scarred City
The explosion at the port of Beirut and the terrible aftermath is painful to watch. A city and its people that suffered so much in the bloody civil war of the ’80s are in anguish once more. It never rains but it pours – economic hardship, Covid 19 and now this awful avoidable tragedy. I […]
Friday Photo – Taxi Driver, Lebanon
I have recently published a series of posts showing my top twenty travel photos. This one was very unfortunate not to make it. It comes from a superb year 2000 independent tour of Lebanon. We hired this guy to take us from Beirut and through the scenic Bekaa Valley to the Roman site (and Hezbollah […]
Sunday Photo – Father’s Day
Syria For Father’s Day I have chosen some pictures of Syrian dads with their children taken in May 2011. I always wonder how they have fared since………… Please donate a little currency to the UNICEF Syrian Children Appeal if you have some to spare.
A-Z April Challenge (Cities Visited) – P for Petra
Hamish and I visited the ‘Rose City’ of Petra in 2005 as part of an independent tour of Jordan. I pick up as we journey from Madaba near Amman. Journey to Petra, Jordan. We set off bright and early for what promised to be the highlight of our trip – we were not to be […]
Sunday Sunsets – Beirut, Lebanon
I have discovered a blogging family on Twitter who encourage people to post a picture of a sunset on the first Sunday of the month. Mine comes from my 2000 trip to Lebanon. Beirut sits on the shores of the Mediterranean and there is a lovely promenade sweeping around the bay known as the Corniche. […]
A-Z April Challenge (Cities Visited) – A For Aleppo
As many of you may know, Aleppo is my favourite city I have ever visited. We all know the fate that befell this metropolis inhabited for the past 6,000 years that is situated on the ancient Silk Road. I won’t dwell on the horrendous occurrences of the last 9 years though, but will show things […]
