We finished with a tour of the magnificent Palmyra ruins.We really do need a hefty history book for Syria as the country is steeped in so much history that we could never remember it all but I'll do my best.The Palmyra ruins, dating from 130 AD are centred on a main street colonnaded by 200 Corinthian columns on each side.The street is entered from the temple and leads to the rest of the ancient city.The street was fabulous and we were shown what must have been incredible dwellings lining the road.There was a complex of baths, the so-called baths of Diocletian, complete with a swimming pool 2 metres deep but it was filled-in with sand and concreted over last century by the French to protect the still intact mosaic that decorates the floor of the pool. We were shown the intricate water and sewerage system, both of which were constructed using interconnecting male and female pipes to retain the water and effluent and it seems to have been a real feat of engineering.

The street has a monumental arch dating from the early 3rd century AD and is rich with decorations. Next we went to the temple of Nabu, of which little remains today apart from the podium.We then entered the second most noteworthy remain in Palmyra, the theatre, which even today has 9 rows of seats but most likely had up to 12 in its time.It has been dated to the early 1st century AD and our guide told us that it was discovered relatively recently by a pregnant dog trying to scratch out a 'nest' in the sand in which to give birth.Each time the dog tried to dig it hit rock so couldn't go any deeper and moved on to try again.All told, this persistent mutt uncovered 12 metres of the theatre wall!Behind the theatre was a small Senate, where the local nobility discussed laws and political decisions, and the so-called "Tariff Court", which bears an inscription which details the custom for caravans' payments.Nearby is the large agora with the remains of a banquet room.The agora seems to have been a highly organised environment, with tablets inscribed in Arabic and Greek explaining the rules of the market and the taxes that were to be applied.Although traders were subject to 4 separate taxes, they were offered protection if they stayed in Palmyra which is why the city population grew ten-fold at its peak.

The first section of the excavations ends with a largely restored tetrapylon "Four columns", a platform with four sets each of four columns, of which only one of the originals in Egyptian granite is still visible.Finally we went to the eagerly awaited column of Zenobia.I now need to divert to some history as the story of Zenobia is quite fascinating.Beginning in 212, Palmyra's trade diminished as the Sassanids occupied the mouth of the Tigris and the Euphrates.Odaenathus, a Prince of Palmyra, was appointed by Valerian as the governor of the province of Syria but after Valerian was captured by the Sassanids and died in captivity Odaenathus launched a campaign of revenge.When Odaenathus was assassinated by his nephew Maconius, his wife Zenobia took power, ruling Palmyra on behalf of her son, Vabalathus.It was alleged at the time that Zenobia masterminded the assassination and was accused of such by the Romans.Thus, the pillar of Zenobia bears an inscription proclaiming her innocence and her undying love for her husband Odaenathus.

We finished the tour and Maria told me later that when she was chatting with Ali, he bent over, picked something up, dusted it off and gave it to her.It was a piece of genuine painted pottery!