The book is called..." The great Railway Bazaar" ...and it's about a train trip he took from London to the Far East and back...a very fasinating story, well detailed....full of annedoctes, details of local life in the countries he visited...but most heart warming of all is how the author captures minute details of local life, dialect and mentality...
He should've have been hired by foreign policy makers in any country...which obviously did not happen.
His writing should be made mandatory reading for any foreign diplomat or any young man/woman aspiring to work in his/her country's foreign affairss department...
In his book Paul mentions a grand historical hotel he stayed at whilst in Istanbul..so I decided to find out about it ...and it turned out to be a fasinating place...here is what I found out.
Located in the historic Pera/Modern Beyoglu, and overlooking the Golden Horn, the century-old Pera Palas Hotel was once one of the most luxurious hotels in its era.
Mystical atmosphere, element of luxury and grandeur to a "Je ne sais quoi feel" together with its architectural savy makes it still one of the World's most sought after hotels....
The Building was designed and built by Alexander Vallaury, a levantine of French origin...a very talented Architect of his time.....in Istanbul....he was assisted in this task by Henri Duray....
So who was the first owner of this historical hotel and who commisioned the famous architect to design and build it...you would have never guessed it as I also never did...an Armenian named Meguerdich Asayan...
The hotel has undergone recent renovations, but still maintains its original look and feel. and it is owned by local people who extend great service and hospitality
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