I have travelled to many historic sites, but until recently I had never even heard of the colossal statues of Mount Nemrut in Southern Turkey. It was on a trip to Cappadocia that I picked up an old copy of the Lonely Planet in a cave hotel which had one of the weathered heads on its cover. Since then I have been planning to visit.
A city of two million with a history that goes back many thousands of years before it became an important trading post on the Silk Road, with incredible museums and unique tasty food, Gaziantep should be swamped by tourists. The reality is that is almost completely devoid of them. Why?
Narrabeen is a beachside suburb of Sydney, perched midway between
cosmopolitan Manly and the uber-rich hangout of Palm Beach. Known more for its
famous surf breaks, immortalised in the lyrics to the Beach Boys sixties summer
hit 'Surfin
USA', it has a sleepy feel, which suits me just fine, as this is my
favourite part of Sydney, and is where I have chosen to live.
A great new travel book published just in time for Christmas. A selection of travel stories from the more unusual parts of the globe that you can explore from the comfort of your armchair. These are places that you will never see advertised in a travel agent's window.
What do you get when you mix fresh newly picked green pistachio nuts, syrup and layers and layers gossamer- thin pastry? Baklava, the wonderful sticky sweet pastry that it is almost impossible to say no to, and Gaziantep, in far southern Turkey, is the world capital of this dessert.
Zeugma was one of the Roman Empire's most important and prosperous cities outside of Europe. Situated by a bridge over the River Euphrates it was a vital hub on the Silk Road linking the empire with Asia. Following an invasion and then a devastating earthquake it was abandoned and forgotten.
