Tripoli

Gaddafi’s the boss here, no doubt about it. His image shadows you from airport to hotel lobby, from cyber café to medina shop. Swathed in Tuareg turban and robe (along with his signature sunglasses - Ray Ban or wraparound), he is clearly proud of his tribal origins. So it is not surprising to hear it said that he enjoys simple food - and whatever he eats will be washed down with mint tea, as alcohol is forbidden by his Green Book.

Not all Libyans follow their leader’s example, as homemade hooch (similar to Irish potcheen) is far from unknown. However, the big public indulgence, other than hookah pipes, is seafood. Three quarters of Libya’s five million people live along the 2,000km coastal belt, the longest coastline of the Mediterranean. Fresh fish is both a passion and an industry, as witnessed at daybreak when trawlers unload their overnight catch at the old harbour of Tripoli. Buyers from Tunisia and as far away as Japan snap up gargantuan tuna fish, lethal-looking swordfish, sea bass, amberjack, red and grey mullet, skate, squid, monkfish and lobster. The variety, quality and quantity are spectacular.