Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, the most populous of the three Caucasian capitals with around two million inhabitants, has come a long way since the unlamented collapse of the U.S.S.R, and having come through a period of bitter war with Armenia (over Nagornno Karrabach - which they lost) and power struggle in the 90's it is now run effectively, if somewhat undemocratically, by the self-appointed Aliyev dynasty - who don't so much govern Azerbaijan, as own it. It is ...

TBLISI Flying in, the first thing you see is the TV mast: a huge, flashing monument which President Sakashvili has, for reasons best kept to himself, decided to light up like Blackpool tower with flashing neon lights, a kitsch 200m symbol of modernity, of the city's reaching for the skies, and yet symbolic of its over-eager attempts to westernise at the same time. A bumpy descent - twenty minutes of being buffeted about - had brought on a bout of silent pra...

Back in good old Poland again now, having got back last Thursday. I finished last time writing about Sinai, which for me was unquestionably the highlight of the trip. The scenery, the people, the general ambience and way of life there were quite different, it seemed, to the rest of Egypt. After we left there, we had quite a few more hassles and day to day travelling was slightly more stressful. Also, once you're in the Nile Valley, you're in package/coach/boat...

Jordan. What springs to mind? A tasty, crunchy, though somewhat difficult to eat breakfast cereal? A blonde bimbo who used to go out with Dwight Yorke? An ex-basketball player? All true, and I think fair to say all more in the public consciousness than the country itself which they may all be named after. The country is, much like Syria and Lebanon, pretty much out of the international spotlight most of the time, even as far as tourism goes. Jordan is in a very t...

There are some cities in Eastern Europe which defy logic. Lviv to Ukrainians, Lwow to Poles, Lvov to Russians, Lemberg to Austrians and Germans, the city is a microcosm of Central European history, a battleground for centuries, truly a meeting place of the east and the west. A city whose name derives from the word 'lion' should be indomitable and indeed many have fought over this city, and many have lost it. At heart, it's Ukrainian, though the Poles in partic...