Getting the flavour of…
The ancient secrets of Jordan There can be few guides capable of bringing Jordan’s ancient sites to life like Professor Konstantinos Politis, says Alice B-B in the FT. Amid the rock-carved ruins of Petra, the veteran archaeologist and “ace” raconteur evokes the rose-coloured city’s heyday as a first-century Las Vegas, where frankincense traders from southern Arabia would party after their long journey across the desert. Following an air-balloon flight over Wadi Rum, he leads you to the ancient Bedouin petroglyphs hidden deep amid this great valley’s “burnt ochre” cliffs. And most haunting of all is the cave he discovered in 1991, in which the name of Lot was carved three times – suggesting an ancient belief that this was the hideout from which the Biblical patriarch watched the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Cazenove + Loyd (020-7384 2332, www.cazloyd.com) has a group tour from £4,433pp (excluding flights), departing 4 October 2018.
Walking the Thames Churchill called it “the golden thread of our nation’s history” – and on a walk along the Thames from its source in Gloucestershire to the sea, you’ll discover “a tale or two” in every mile, says Tom Chesshyre in The Times. The river is 215 miles long, but add the most tempting diversions and you’ll cover nearly twice that, so set aside three weeks for the adventure. A stone marks its source in a field near Cheltenham, and by the time you reach nearby Cricklade, the history – and the river – is flowing thick and fast (think battles with Romans and fortifications built by King Alfred). Persevere through London to one of the most beautiful sections of all – the marshes of the Hoo Peninsula, where herons “stand sentinel” by ancient dykes. Tom Chesshyre’s From Source to Sea: Notes from a 215-mile Walk Along the River Thames is published by Summersdale (£16.99).
Summer in the Rockies Think of Aspen and chances are “snow and celebrities” spring to mind – this is the resort into which the Kardashians sweep each January. But it is beautiful in summer too, and more peaceful, says Georgina WilsonPowell in The Independent – with outdoor concerts and famers’ markets, festivals, and endless hiking, biking and rafting to enjoy. Perched at 2,400m in one of the most “stunning” parts of the Rocky Mountains, it has swanky shopping streets, but also a counter-cultural history and a “rebel heart”. To celebrate this, go for a drink at the Hotel Jerome, where Hunter S. Thompson (a past Aspen resident) often held court, ordering “weird” dishes in order to test the chefs. Scott Dunn (020-8682 5400, www. scottdunn.com) has a seven-night trip from £2,525pp, including flights.