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July 17, 2005
Another day, another dollar
A full day's work today. No meetings, but plenty of research going on.
Sunday is a normal working day here, everywhere is open. The market below my window is in full swing, the plums bloke is flogging 4 kilo bags to beat the band.
We passed the city's main Mosque, the Omayyad, last night. It's surrounded by Roman ruins, you can even see where some of the Roman stone has been reused in the building of the Mosque.
As for eating, I've been following the Lonely Planet's recommendations for restaurants, and they've been on the money so far. There are only about 10 recommendations, and I've been in 3 to date, so I'll have to eat without guidance soon. Of course I've been picking the places which serve alcohol, many restaurants don't.
Friday Night's choice was the best so far, it's in a well preserved 400 year old house in the middle of the Christian quarter.
There are plenty of grilled meats on the menus, no pork of course, but steaks, chicken and veal aplenty. The starters, or mezze, are where you see most of the arabic influence, with hummous, aubergine, chickpeas and pomegranate popping up everywhere. A meal with one or two mezzes to start, a main and 3-4 beers costs about 12 euro. Toto, I ain't in Dublin anymore..
Actually the local brew isn't half bad. I'll have to bring a bottle or two home. I wonder if the Porterhouse are still doing that deal whereby if you bring in a bottle they don't have, you get a free beer?
Posted by Richard at July 17, 2005 05:08 PM
Comments
Sounds great, what's the FM band like there? Much in the way of "western" music?
Posted by: Gaz at July 24, 2005 02:50 PM
The music, as heard on car radios, is nearly all arabic. The TV in the hotel has a fair number of music channels, which are pretty indistingushable from the stuff you'd get at home.
There might just be an opening for a lounge-core jazz program that's interspersed with the odd bit of Napalm Death.
Posted by: Richard at July 24, 2005 08:25 PM