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Wayne and I will start a buddy read of In Xanadu: A Quest week of the 30th August. Everyone welcome to join us, the more the merrier!

It''s been on my list for ages, so I'm glad Wayne has chosen it for this year!

Started reading, and ompleted the first two chapters. This will be my third of William Dalrymple's books, having read The Age of Kali: Indian Travels & Encounters (2020) and City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi (2021).

Both were enjoyable four star reads (my review of the latter book: "This is how history should be written: Informative, not shirking from gruesome, shameful events in the past, and how the past impacted on modern lives. Narrated with a non-judgemental youthful curiosity interspersed with regular bits of humour to lighten the doom and gloom brought about by horrendous acts throughout Delhi's existence. Sad to note that a new chapter has been added to the cycle of coexistence interspersed with violence while I was reading the book."

From the two chapters I have read I think we are off on another witty, informative reading adventure.

I keep thinking of what has probably been lost in Syria since the civil war and it is heartbreaking when you realise how old the place is. This is my first Dalrymple and I'm enjoying his style so far.

I enjoyed the trip through Turkey, fascinating details of places that don't make it high on tourist lists. Ayas seems to now be a dot on a map, yet it was an important port. Turkey is just so rich in archaeological places. Troy to Sivas...

Carolien wrote: "I keep thinking of what has probably been lost in Syria since the civil war and it is heartbreaking when you realise how old the place is. This is my first Dalrymple and I'm enjoying his style so far."

Heartbreaking indeed, and it is a statement that can be applied to nearly all of the regions they travelled through. I was actually thinking that instead of the journey becoming easier, it has become even more difficult, but kudos to the Polos for undertaking their journeys when they did, because it was rough travelling.

Carolien wrote: "I enjoyed the trip through Turkey, fascinating details of places that don't make it high on tourist lists. Ayas seems to now be a dot on a map, yet it was an important port. Turkey is just so rich ..."

I like the bits of history, especially those which allow me to connect the dots with other reads. I like the bit where the old man denied that the Turks and Greeks were enemies, but that the animosity was actually between the two respective governments. Pity that "civil obedience" is then responsible for destroying peace.

So we've made it to China. Iran is another place with incredible archaeology that is very rarely mentioned.