Staying true to Syria

The Silk Road. Spices. Souks. Is that what you think about when we say Damascus? Is Lawrence of Arabia ambling about on a camel in your brain right now?



We found Damascus just as atmospheric as we expected…once we’d made it in. Coming perilously close to being sent back to damp old England, we negotiated our way past customs officials in a mere two hours and, shunning the air-conditioned cocoon of our hotel, struck out between meetings in search of a Syrian idyll.



It soon became clear that Damascus has a style all its own (and so did our Polly – just check out her nifty hooded cloak. Very Star Wars).



International brands are few and far between. In place of homogenous high streets, we found tiny stalls in sprawling souks. Instead of art galleries, we took in exquisite mosaics and a shrine to St John the Baptist (reputedly containing his head) in the Umayyad mosque.



We didn’t see Lawrence. But we did discover an incredible city doing its own exotic thing.