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The Sweet Life in Syria

It’s terrible what’s happening in Syria. I have walked through the souks of Damascus and Aleppo, visited the ancient ruins of Palmyra and the Crusader Castle at Krak de Chevalier. It’s difficult for me to reconcile what is going on now with what I saw just over 12 months ago.

But there’s another side to life in Syria. Whilst the civil unrest is raging all around, most people are just trying to get on with their lives without actually losing them.  Like the rest of the Middle East, there is an insatiable desire for all things sweet and sugary.  Daily life goes on.

There’s a visit to the patisserie…

Syria, Aleppo - pastries 1 Syria, Aleppo - pastries 2

a bag of jubes to snack on whilst wandering the souk…

These colours make my eyes hurt!

These colours make my eyes hurt!

a thick, sweet coffee whilst listening to the story teller in Damascus…
Syria Storyteller pair

a chewy ice cream from the famous Bakdash salon…

Syria, Damascus - Bakdash icecream 2

some tooth achingly sweet, syrup soaked baklava…

Aleppo souk - pastry maker 1

rose petals to add to sweet and savoury dishes…

Syria, Damascus - spice souk 3

and gooey chocolate filled rolls, straight out of the oven at 8am, a delicious breakfast whilst wandering the streets and alleys…

Syria, Aleppo Bakery 1 Syria, Aleppo Bakery 2
When I tell people I have visited Syria, they look at me with a mixture of surprise and arched eyebrows that say ‘you’ll never catch me going there’.  That’s unfortunate because although I imagine it will be a very long time before any of us is tripping off again for a ‘destination holiday’ to Syria, it has plenty to offer.
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