Sur la route de Palmyre

A vivid travel memoir that follows a young woman’s journey across the Levant, from the bustling streets of Damascus to the sun‑bleached ruins of Palmyra. She moves through verdant valleys, ancient cedar‑clad mountains and the stark desert, her automobile and the occasional airplane offering a modern speed that contrasts sharply with the slower, foot‑borne pilgrimages of earlier explorers. Along the way, she weaves together the striking architecture of crumbling temples with the lingering echoes of Zénobie’s rebellious reign, letting the stones speak of centuries of triumph and loss.

The narrative balances meticulous description of the landscape with reflections on the people who inhabit it—both the present‑day locals and the ghosts of history that linger in the sand. By merging personal impressions, cultural observations, and a keen sense of the region’s evolving identity, the book invites listeners to feel the tension between past grandeur and contemporary life. It is as much a portrait of a changing world as it is a love letter to the timeless allure of the Syrian desert.