Travels on Planet Earth - A blog
Earlier today I passed a small but passionate protest in Sydney’s Martin Place. There were a few men in the group but most of the protesters were women, wearing the modest garb and head coverings that marked them out as Muslim. Waving the Syrian flag, their voices rang loud and clear and their accents were [...]
Violence and political instability made weddings in Baghdad virtually impossible in the years following the Iraq War. In July 2008 I joined one family who crossed the border to celebrate. Hind Al-Rubawawi twirls on the dance floor with her groom. Dressed in white, including the obligatory hijab, the 22-year-old university student from Baghdad beams as [...]
Today brings another bumper collection of links to great travel content on the web. I hope you enjoy it – let me know in the comments. If I link to you below, please pay it forward and give link love to someone else. Debates, trends & reflections Island caretaker. I was less than complimentary in [...]
Krak des Chevaliers, Syria; July 2008 Okay, they are not actually Crusaders and Saracens – they’re my friends and actually they’re both Arabic. The ‘swords’ in question are bits of blade grass. But we are at a genuine 11th century crusader castle in Syria. How cool is that? It took a long time to get [...]
The top 10 most popular posts at the end of 2008. 10. Recipe Road Test: Nigella’s rhubarb tart Guest blogger Pixie tests out Nigella Lawson’s rhubarb tart recipe from How to be a Domestic Goddess. 9. Recipe Road Test: Fried aubergines with chilli and salad onions I test out Simon Hopkinson’s aubergine recipe from Waitrose [...]
I was lucky enough to go to Syria earlier this year, to write about an Iraqi wedding in Damascus for G2. As well as staying with an Iraqi family and experiencing Arab culture from within, I also took the opportunity to explore the fascinating, ancient city of Damascus. I’ve written an article on the highlights [...]
* If you ever travel with children, be prepared for a few embarrassing moments dealing with the culture clash. Kayt at Travel Savvy Mom shares her own hilarious, cringe-making moments. * Autumn is here and in rural England, the apple harvest is underway. Anthony from the Smith Travel Blog helped make cider in Herefordshire. * [...]
Damascus, Syria; July 2008. Where the Great Umayyed Mosque is about peace and sanctuary, the Sayyida Zainab Mosque is about pilgrimage and intense religious fervour. In a Shia part of town, about 10 kilometres from the centre of Damascus, this beautiful mosque is patronised by many Iranians and Iraqi Shiites. I had to cover myself [...]
Bad Behavior has blocked 689 access attempts in the last 7 days.
Recent comments