Even the names of the Tavernas, Mini Markets, Boat Hire and property services are unchanged, Paxos Property Agency, Thalassa Travel to name a few. But this time instead of just drinking in the bars of 20 years ago we decided to explore around Loggos by walking along the tracks that criss cross above Loggos harbour. Walking along the sea front before heading into the alleyways behind we pass Taverna Vasalis it has full WI-Fi service with a wap key and a notice board showing the weather prediction for the next few days all neatly laid out in BBC Shipping forecast style. Further along is Mini Market Centre on the waterfront run by Babis Dendias (Tel 26620, 31597) they do free deliveries to your yacht handy if you don’t want to walk in the heat with your shopping. There’s also a derelict building with a tall chimney that was once an olive oil soap factory, at one time it employed many of the Islanders, producing aromatic Olive Oil soaps.

Heading into the Olive tree covered hills behind Loggos on our mini excursion, we’re able to skirt around the harbour looking down amongst the roof tops into the bay. Walking past the Villas, Planos Holidays, Simply Travel, Travel a la carte and Agni Travel seem to have the monopoly on the Island when it comes to Villa rentals. Ending back on the coastal road near to Lavrechio Beach we’re back in the harbour front within an hour of leaving, are desire to return to the water was compelling in this heat.

Paxos is ideal for the adventurous traveller, there are plenty of foot paths and dirt tracks that takes the adventurous walker all over the Island and using Loggos as a base to cover the north of the Island would be an ideal choice. However, if you choose to explore on foot – you’ll soon find yourself being drawn back to Loggos harbour and its tranquil location. Ideal for chilling by the sea.

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All that time on his own heightened his appreciation of others, reinforced by the unique cosmopolitanism of international sea travel. He spoke with feeling about a kindly Greek consul in New Zealand, to whom he had gone to execute a legal document. The consul went out of his way to pick him up, was delighted at Piero’s basic Greek, and embraced him after the work was done.Did the trip alter his perspective? “If I’ve changed,” he ventured, “I love people more than I used to.” Everywhere, he insists, “people are nice. That’s my experience. They may speak differently from you, but they try to help you.” Only at tourist spots did the picture dim; there “they have dollar signs in their eyes.”

Yet realistically, he says, “I think at this age you don’t change much,” even after an epic tour. But “I think I have gained a lot of experience, human experience and not just sailing experience.” It’s hard to argue with that.

Full story can be found at eKathimerini.com

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Greece consists of a mountainous peninsula mainland jutting out into the sea at the southern end of the Balkans, the Peloponnesus peninsula far from the canal of the Isthmus of Corinth, and numerous islands (1400, 227 of which are inhabited).  Four fifths of Greece consist of mountains or hills, making the country one of the most mountainous in Europe. Western Greece contains a number of lakes and wetlands.

The range continues through the western Peloponnese, crosses the islands of Kythera and Antikythera and find its way into southwestern Aegean, in the island of Crete where it eventually ends. The islands of the Aegean are peaks of underwater mountains that once constituted an extension of the mainland.

Pindus is characterized by its high, steep peaks, often dissected by numerous canyons and a variety of other karstic landscapes. Most notably, the impressive Meteora formation consisting of high, steep boulders provides a breathtaking experience for the hundreds of thousands of tourists who visit the area each year.

In the early days of the summer of 2007 Greeks awoke to find their country burning with forest fires. Within a week or two they had also erupted with unparalleled fury across wide areas of the Peloponnese, Evia and even as far north as Epiros. Satellite pictures showed a pall of billowing smoke drifting skyward, ash covered many neighbourhoods of Athens, thousands lost their homes and 66 hapless souls their lives.

The culture of Greece has evolved over thousand of years. Greek cuisine which is a part of the Mediterranean diet is an example of a healthy diet. There are variety of dishes like moussake, stifado, Greek salad, spanakopita and the world famous Souvlaki.

Throughout Greece, small dishes such as meze, grilled octopus, small fish, feta cheese, dolmdes, olives and cheese are being enjoyed. Olive  oil is used in almost every dish.  Sweet dessert such as galaktoboureko and drinks like ouzo are also widely accepted and enjoyed even by non-Greeks.

Greek cuisine is always different. They change and vary depending on the location and what island they are from.

Greece is often called the birthplace of European civilization. Greece offers a heady mix of ancient archaeological sites. Greece offers a heady mix of ancient archaeological, chic design hotels, rustic lanterns, rustic tavernas and other family oriented sea side resorts.

Ancient Greece reached its zenith in the fifth century BC when Athens became the cultural and artistic centre of the Mediterranean, producing magnificent works of architecture, sculpture, drama and literature.

There is no denying that the historical and cultural heritage of Greece continues to resonate throughout the modern Western world — in its literature, art, philosophy and politics. In fact, many travellers come here specifically to explore Greece’s ancient wonders, from Athens’ Parthenon and Delphi’s Temple of Apollo, to the ruins of the Minsan city of Knossos on Crete.

Scattered throughout the calm blue waters of the Aegean and the Ionian are Greece’s 1,400 islands — each with its own special story. The serenity of islands like Kefalonia and Amorgos contrasts with the hedonistic party islands such as Mykonos and Paros. Those interested in architecture should visit the medieval fortified towns of Rhodes and Corfu (both UNESCO World Heritage sites), and the whitewashed cubic houses of Thira and Oia on Santorini, typical of the Cyclades.

Greece is a beautiful country and a dreamer paradise. To make your Greece vacation a worthy and educational experience, it pays to know something about where you are going.

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“The most luxurious thing we have here is nature”, says Tassos Gourgouras, welcoming our group to Milia (www.milia.gr/english.html).  This restored mountain settlement is an international eco-tourism award-winner.  Once derelict, these traditional stone farmhouses near the village of Vlatos in western Crete, are now comfortable, rustic eco-apartments, decorated with local furniture and powered by solar energy.

All year round, people come here for alternative holidays, close to nature and away from the crowds.  On the balcony outside the warm and welcoming taverna, we inhale fresh, clean mountain air, sipping infusions of mountain tea sweetened with local honey.  As we admire the scenery, visitors can be seen trekking along the mountainside across the valley.

Organic produce, including wine from the settlement’s farm, is served in the taverna.  Guests can get involved in the agricultural and farming activities. Appetising aromas emerge from the kitchen, where lunch is being prepared, including boureki (courgette, potato and mizithra cheese pie), vlita (wild greens) and salads.

Loaves of bread made from three different types of flour are ready for baking.   We discover why helping in the kitchen is so popular and have great fun manouvering loaves of bread into the wood-fired oven, with a long-handled wooden board.

Afterwards, we walk down to the farm, via the amphitheatre, across a small bridge over a stream, up to terraces planted with olive and carob trees, brushing against pungent wild oregano on the way.

Milia is the Greek word for apple tree; we pick apples to feed to the cows.  Free-range chickens squawk nearby, next to the calves being weaned from their mothers.  A griffin vulture glides overhead, before swiftly vanishing into the blue sky.

Back in the kitchen, the bread is ready to remove from the oven.  Before sitting down in the taverna for our Cretan meal, we chat with some Canadians who are spending a week here, and a Danish couple, here for lunch because they heard how tasty the food is.  Our freshly baked bread disappears as soon as it is put on the table.

As we leave, we turn and look back.  The eco-friendly buildings of local stone and wild chestnut from the surrounding woods blend naturally, almost imperceptibly, into the landscape.

It is a 45-minute drive, past Topolia gorge, to Elafonissi on the southwest coast, one of the most beautiful beaches on the island.  Small particles of crushed pink shells are washed up onto the long, wide beach, turning the sand pink. By the time we arrive in the late afternoon, many day-trippers have already left.

The beach feels very safe because the clear, turquoise sea is so shallow near the shore.  We swim before walking across to an islet, through thigh-high water.  After enjoying the natural beauty of the sea and the surrounding landscape, we leave just after 6.00 pm, when other people are packing up and leaving too.

We return to the calm and peaceful Cavo Spada Luxury Resort and Spa (www.cavospada.gr) on a tranquil beach 18 km west of Chania, where we are staying.  Our day ends here, on a moonlit terrace overlooking the pool and the sea, after a very enjoyable evening meal.

Milia is in the governing district of Chania, about 60 km from Chania town centre.
Our group was driven round the island in comfort by Solmar Tours (www.solmar.gr)

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First, check which airline has the best fares for a round trip ticket, the best was is to use price comparison websites. Some site include local carriers that connect to other European destinations. Greece have their own international airlines Olympic & Air Aegean. So these two carriers are worth checking directly if you cant find them in the price comparison sites. Greece also has an increasing number of enterprising domestic carriers that do inter-island destinations. But their prices can quickly blow your travel budget, however they’re very useful for a whistle stop tour of the Aegean Islands if you have money to spare.

WeGoLo are a price comparison website that includes most of Europe’s budget airlines in its search results… http://www.wegolo.com
Cheapflights is one of the most popular UK price comparison website… http://www.cheapflights.co.uk
Lastminute.com is one of the most established price comparison website around… http://www.lastminute.com

Once your airfares’ arranged, the next most important thing is accommodation. The cheapest places to stay in Athens is around the Port of Piraeus. There are many cheep 2 – 3 star hotels that are ideal as a stepping stone to the Islands and also handy to visit Athens historical monuments. Although some miles from Piraeus there is a modern metro that links Piraeus to Athens City Center making a budget hotel in the area worth while. Rafina the second major port that serves the Islands is too far as a base to discover Athens.

A link listing cheap hotel accommodation around the Port of Piraeus
A link listing Hotel accommodation around Athens International Airport (ATH)

Once you’ve arrived on the Islands try doing what backpackers have done throughout Europe and use various camp-sites. All you need is a tent & a sleeping bag, many offer accommodation on their camp-sites in little huts, so you don’t necessarily need any camping equipment with you to go camping, but then the price of these huts are virtually the same as renting a room. Renting rooms as you explore the Islands is probably the best value for comfort option. You don’t need to book in advance as there’s always something available, and there will always be plenty of English speaking touts recommending this or that accommodation as you step of the ferry.

You can buy ferry tickets from Piraeus or Rafina in advance at Greek ferries http://www.ferriesingreece.com

Hotels near Pireus and Camp-site accommodation will save you a lot of money. Even renting self-catering rooms can be quite a saving as the best part to this is cooking your own food most of the time (saving money) and only eat out in the evening.

The various sights to see on most Greece islands are far apart. If you don’t want to spend for a cab, taxi or rent a car, why not rent a bicycle? You can get to almost every place in Greece by bicycle just be aware of the heat.

Everyone has an idea of what a Greece vacation should be. Whilst how much you are willing to spend is always high on the agenda you don’t have to spend a lot to get what you want.

The ideas mentioned will really save you money whilst travelling and can be helpful as long as you are willing to make some sacrifices. Travelling this way will give you time to spend your money on other things like enjoying the local cuisine or buying some souvenirs for loved one back home. You just have to do some research to make it happen.

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So how do you travel in style by sea at a price you can afford? You hire an independent company that specialises in luxury yachts. The guest aboard divides the expense so sharing the accommodation with others is the key to an affordable luxurious holiday at sea.

When you go on a holiday afloat, which would be better a yacht or motorboat? You might think that they’re both the same but they’re not. The yacht has a mast and sails in addition to its engine and generally looks that more inviting in comparison to a motorboat. A motorboat guzzles diesel buy the gallon is noisy and smells. On average a motorboat will have more accommodation space than a yacht due to a yacht needing to accommodate its mast and sails. But then simply going for a slightly larger yacht can offset this.

If you plan to have an extended stay on board, by all means rent a yacht. They are available in various sizes and most of these can even accommodate a large sized family. You can easily book online through numerous charter companies based in Greece, most come with a skipper and hostess so there is no need for you to have any sailing experience. Another advantage of a yacht over a motorboat is that a yacht when its sails are up has a steady motion through the sea compared to motorboat.

But how much will the hiring of a yacht cost you in Greece? The price varies and this is calculated based on the size of the yacht, the number of passengers sharing the yacht and the cost of the skipper and hostess.

For an up to date price visit ‘Sailing Europe’ it has a comprehensive database of charter companies in Greece that operate luxury sailing yachts at competitive rates. So if money is a concern but you still fancy some luxury, check out…

http://www.sailingeurope.com

If you compare the cost per week in a luxury hotel to a cabin on a luxury yacht this will give you an idea of the expense involved. So why book for a hotel on the island when most of the time, you’ll be visiting the various attractions in other Greek islands? Perhaps you’d be better off stay on a yacht and discover the Islands in luxurious style.

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The peak season for tourists coming to Greece is between June and September. This means that getting a plane ticket especially from the US is very expensive especially during weekends. You can save money by comparing the rates of the various airlines and see if there are any special offers. Another option will be to take charters as these are much cheaper than regular flights.

Greece has 15 international airports. If you have made reservations to stay in one of the Greek islands, you will have to transfer from the international airport to the local airport. The only way to do that is to land in Athens.

Another way is to do a flight transfer within Europe and fly directly to your chosen Island. Why? Europe and surrounding countries are the home of Cheap no frills airline travel. There are over 35 No frill airlines that fly all around Europe with direct links to the Islands. Wegolo.com are a specialist flight comparison company that specialises in Low Cost Airlines. There comparison site lists over 20 of the most established Low Cost European Based airlines.

You should know that Greece is apart of the European Union so their currency is now the Euro not the Drachmas. You better convert your dollars once you get there because there are some places that do not have ATM machines or banks.

There is a possibility that you could get robbed while on vacation so instead of carrying cash, bring along some travelerís cheques because it is useless should someone get it. If you need to change this to cash, go to a ticket agency.

Greece is a big place and the different sights are scattered all over the 2000 islands. This means that you wonít be able to see all of them by riding a bus or driving a car. There are times that you will have to travel by boat which shouldnít be a problem since you can join a group or charter a shipping company.

There are different types of lodging arrangements in Greece. You can stay in a luxury hotel, in a villa, in a campsite, caravan or in a room near the village or port. This makes it ideal for anyone to enjoy their time here regardless of how much they have in their wallets.

You can also try staying in a boat because there are charter companies that will allow you to rent a yacht for several days.

Most of the local speak English so you wonít have a hard time communicating with them. If you want to speak in their dialect, do some research online so you know some basic words like ìhow much?î and ìthank you.î

The local transport system in Greece is excellent. You can rent a car the minute you land from the airport, travel around the island by taxi or go with the group in a bus. If you want to explore things on your own, you can even rent a bike.

Greece is a great place to visit any time of the year. You can come in during the lean or the peak months so it depends on your schedule. You can come here alone or with your family and friends. With the different attractions both on land and at sea, no one will ever get bored.

Now that you know have vital information about a possible Greece vacation in the coming months, you wonít have a hard time planning your itinerary. All you have to do is make the travel arrangements by yourself or through your travel agent.

The recce
It all starts with a ‘recce’, going out to make an on the ground reconnaissance of the sites in a proposed tour area. To me this is like a marvellous adventure, I’m like a child in a sweet shop trying to decide where and what I should start with, perhaps something Greek or maybe Byzantine, perhaps a small but untouched temple standing romantically lost in olive groves or a giant Roman city, like Ephesus, packed with tourists. I love the energy and buzz of visiting new sites, but on a recce I am preoccupied with all the practical things that need to be thought through, especially how to pick and then unite the most special of sites into a compelling and cohesive tour.

Know your way around
I remember the first time I ever led an archaeological tour back in the spring of 1996. I was asked by a UK travel company to step in as tour leader eight days before a trip exploring ancient Caria in Turkey. At first I declined because I hadn’t visited half the sites on the itinerary and wouldn’t dream of taking a group anywhere I hadn’t been. When they called the next day and asked me again, I agreed provided they fly me out the next day and hire me a jeep with driver so I could tear around the sites on a whirlwind recce. It was a baptism of fire, but one that has stood me in very good stead. One of the most important lessons I learned was it doesn’t matter how much you know of a site’s history if you don’t know your way around.

The best approach
In fact the first thing I do when I get to a site is let all the history disappear from my head. For me the first walk around a site is all about practicalities, not least where do I want to begin. More often than not I choose to avoid the specified main entrance and approach a site from a different angle — both physically and historically. I like to enter on an ancient road if possible, like the sacred way leading to the temple of Apollo at Didyma. I like to create a sense of drama, as at Stratonikeia, a Hellenistic foundation in Caria.

A mile away from the main entrance I take groups on a small path through trees, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, which suddenly caves away into a vast theatre with a breathtaking view. If the site is overgrown, and in rural Turkey one goat path looks pretty much like the others, sometimes it’s just a case of finding the best way around.

Round and round
Once I’ve figured out my route around the site, I rewalk the whole route again, and again. Navigation around a site is paramount. When I’m showing a group around I don’t want to be spending my time trying to find my way, and I certainly want my route pre-planned to the best historical and dramatic effect.

Research
After that it’s a case of scouring the libraries to pull out the latest excavation and survey reports. That’s where a top quality tour guide comes into their own, fresh knowledge and a lively perspective, rather than a spiel learned by rote, or material regurgitated from age old guide books.

The sense of journey
Back in the office maps are pulled out and it all comes down to matching up the sites, the story, and the logistics. Many of the tours I arrange are archaeological cruises in Turkey aboard handbuilt wooden gulets. They’re a marvellous way to step back in time, not only do you avoid the hotel changes, the roads, and traffic, but it’s often the best means of exploring ancient civilisations, like the Lycians, who were essentially maritime, geared to the sea.
Gulet cruising along Carian coast, Turkey
What finer way to visit a city like Knidos, where Praxiteles infamous naked statue of Aphrodite once stood, than to sail straight into its old commercial harbour and drop anchor beside its ancient mooring stones. Travel is a key element in the stories I tell, and whether a tour is based on roads or the sea I always try and make a virtue of the transport, by drawing on ancient parallels — be it shipwrecks, travel writing, or the classical tourists and pilgrims who visited the same sites and even bought tacky souvenirs.

A story unfolds
When creating the final tour itinerary, geography and logistics often carry the deciding vote, but if possible I love to start small and build. I think our Lycian cruise works that idea almost perfectly. The first few sites are in breathtaking locations, but in themselves the ruins are scant. They give everyone a chance to get their bearings, to settle into the landscape, and perhaps marvel at one broken tomb, a few inscribed stones, or the odd piece of sculpture lying on the ground. As the days go by, the sites get bigger and more impressive, one has a Byzantine church, the next has a theatre, another has a baths… so each location adds another layer of understanding, another facet of ancient architecture and city life. By the time we reach some of the greatest sites in the world — Aspendos, with one of the best preserved Roman theatres and aqueducts, Perge, a city with great boulevards and agoras lined with columns and baths swathed in marble — the group has already seen the basics and can revel in such size and magnificence.

Timing
Perhaps the other essential element in creating an archaeological tour is timing. Above all don’t cram in too much. I’d much rather give everyone a chance to sit in a theatre and savour the scene, nevermind the view, the birdsong, and the atmosphere, than cram in three sites a day on a whirlwind mission. Don’t travel in the hottest months, and even when it’s a cooler season, avoid the heat of the day, for a start the light is all the better early in the morning and later in the afternoon.

Always more to see
Whether it’s getting to a restaurant for lunch, making sure the drives aren’t too long, or something unique like swimming at Patara where St Nicholas was born, as the sun sinks like an orange orb into the sea, timing is paramount. If that means leaving some great sites out of a tour itinerary, that’s fine, I always think it’s a good rule of thumb to leave some places unexplored so there’s always something special to come back for.

“For further information visit Archaeological tours and cultural travel

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Here’s a few top tips when looking for an archaeological holiday.

Who’s the Guide?
They can make or break your trip so find out a bit about them. Some local guides are excellent but many have no real training and simply follow a dull repetitive spiel. Academics may be the leading light in their profession, but that doesn’t mean they are effective, enthusiastic, and passionate communicators. If the tour guide is all these things and knowledgeable to boot, you’re probably in for a marvellous trip.

Examine the itinerary
Some tours try to cover too much ground and can be quite exhausting. Is it a case of long drive, out of the coach, into the site, back on the coach…a veritable check list of ancient landmarks that customers can tick off? Is there time to pause, take in the scenery, and soak up the atmosphere? Look for an itinerary that has been carefully thought out and that doesn’t try and cram in too many sites and too much driving.

How big is the group?
Cheap might mean large group sizes where you’re just one in a large herd ferried around like cattle, barely able to hear the tour guide. If this is the case, it’s unlikely that the guide will have the time or energy to listen to you, talk to you personally, or make you feel special in any way. I think 16 maximum seems to work best.

Find out about the company
Make sure that they are reputable and that they comply with the Package Travel, Package Holidays, and Package Tours Regulations 1992, which ensures they offer protection for customers’ money. What’s the company’s history? Some of the bigger travel companies, used to dealing with large numbers, now run cheap ‘cultural’ tours. Compare what these trips have to offer with those run by smaller companies that may be more passionate about archaeology and experienced with escorted tours.

You pay for what you get
The old adage is often true, so it’s not necessarily best going for the cheapest option. Cheaper packages often use big faceless hotels and involve charter flights with departures in the middle of the night. Take the time to choose the right archaeological tour for you. Many travel companies offering archaeological tours are true specialists, so talk to them. Then sign up for what will almost certainly be a unique and exceptional holiday.

“For further information visit Peter Sommer Travels

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Alexander offered to defray all the costs that had been incurred in the rebuilding of the temple on the proviso that they would dedicate it in his name, but the citizens of Ephesus politely declined his attempt at PR and propaganda ‘because it did not befit one god to do honour to another’. Not far south, however, he found a far more willing recipient for his largesse. The town of Priene, always a poor cousin to Ephesus, was only too glad to take his cash and allow him to dedicate their new temple to Athena.

Today Priene stands like a veritable time capsule to the Hellenistic period following the death of Alexander the Great. Designed on a rigid Hippodamian grid square pattern, named after the architect from nearby Miletus, the stepped streets march up the steep hillside almost oblivious of the geography, to Athena’s temple.

Standing here, looking out on a breathtaking panorama high above the vast alluvial plain of the Maeander River, the passage of time is instantly obvious. 2,300 years ago, all the land below was sea. Islands which were once witness to great naval battles are now mere bumps in a seemingly endless flat. Yet strolling around Priene, almost always empty of tourists, it’s almost possible to hear the marching feet of Macedonian soldiers amongst the sound of cicadas.

Heading further south, Alexander reached Halicarnassus, the glistening capital of the Hecatomnid dynasty, built on a lavish scale by Mausolus, whose tomb, the ‘Mausoleum’, was ranked as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It was also a key naval base occupied by the Persians, who manned the city’s 6.5kms of fortifications. These giant walls, bristling with towers, were a technological masterpiece and only a few decades old. They still snake their way over the hillsides above Bodrum. One can get a real sense of their majesty at the Myndos gate on the west, which stands well preserved and resolute not far from a newly built supermarket.

Halicarnassus’ walls were built to defend in a bygone age. For Alexander was equipped with a new type of weapon, the torsion catapult. Designed by engineers at the court of Philip, his father, it was powered by animal sinews that could unleash far more power than anything previously seen. Until then siege warfare had generally been a case of surrounding a town and starving it out. Now a new arms race had begun.

With these catapults Alexander could actually knock down walls, and literally smash any cities that stood in his way. One can almost imagine the look on the faces of the Persian generals, encamped in Mausolus’ old palace probably beneath the city’s Crusadar castle, as Alexander’s troops wheeled up siege towers several stories high, and let rip the first volley of stone boulders.

Three months into my expedition, I walked through the depths of central Anatolia, a never-ending patchwork of wheat fields, to the city of Gordium. Situated on the Persian Royal Road just west of Ankara, this was the capital of Phrygia, a kingdom founded by Gordius in the 8th century BC. It was expanded by his celebrated son, Midas, whose touch according to legend turned everything to gold.

It was here that one of the most celebrated moments in Alexander’s career occurred. Alexander was attracted by the story surrounding a ceremonial chariot that marked Gordius’ grave. The wagon’s yoke was attached by a knot no man had ever been able to undo. Not unlike the story of Arthur and the sword in the stone, people believed that whoever undid the knot would become Lord of all Asia. Surrounded by a crowd of onlookers Alexander struggled to loose the knot. Growing frustrated he drew his sword and slashed through it. Apparently Zeus himself approved of Alexander’s actions, for “there were thunderclaps and flashes of lightning that very night”.

In the baking heat of August, I headed southeast via Cappadocia, across the Taurus mountains, and on past Tarsus. Where the coast of Turkey turns south to the east of Adana, a great mound lies, excavated in recent times. This earthen ‘huyuk’, like many scattered around this part of the world, marks an ancient settlement, in this case, the town of Issus. It was here that Alexander left his sick and injured soldiers before moving south hot on the trail of the Persian Great King, Darius. Unbeknownst to Alexander, however, Darius’s army was actually wheeling around behind him. When Darius reached Issus, he cut off the hands of the Macedonian sick he found there.

Today the area is far removed from its ancient past, an industrial zone crammed with smoking factories. But it was here that one of the most significant battles in history was fought. On the banks of a small river, Alexander assembled his force. He had chosen the site carefully, a narrow plain hemmed between mountains and sea, to prevent the Persians from using their vastly greater numbers. I remember walking around the area, armed with the ancient writers who described the battle, trying to make sense of the landscape.

As was usual, Alexander himself led the charge at the head of his finest cavalry, a true leader who showed his men the way. He aimed right at the heart of the opposing army to Darius himself. The scene is immortalised in a mosaic found at Pompeii. Alexander gallops steely eyed straight for the Persian Great King, who turns tail and flees as fast as he can. One of the ancient authors, Diodorus Siculus, wrote:

“More than achieving victory over the Persians, Alexander wished to be the personal instrument of victory”

It is a telling insight into the nature and personality of this legendary figure.

My walk finished just a few miles south of the site of the battle at the city of Iskenderun, named after a city Alexander founded here in commemoration of the battle. Four and a half months and 2,000 miles after setting off on foot from Troy, I could not believe my journey had finished.

The myriad ancient cities I had seen were embedded in my memory, but what remains foremost in my mind is the sincere friendship of the Turkish people, extended constantly to a weary traveller far from home. Every single day I was welcomed into their homes and showered with kindness and hospitality. Though just a brief affair, it was passionate in the extreme, and left me madly in love with the land that is Turkey.

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