We landed at Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku in the afternoon, and our Airbnb host had arranged a car to collect us — a nice change from the usual public transport struggle.

Our apartment was right on the edge of the walled UNESCO-listed Old City, the historical heart of Baku. The age of the old city is a little hazy, but researchers believe it dates back to the 7th century. It is very old, very beautiful, and full of hawkers trying to sell you something — which we dislike immensely. It felt a little reminiscent of Istanbul.

We had a good look around the Old City, which has great views across the Caspian Sea, and ate one overpriced meal there. But after that we mostly avoided it and plunged into the newer part of the city, with its lovely sandstone Italianate buildings and restaurants charging normal prices.

Azerbaijan and Baku have enormous oil and gas wealth, which is evident in the striking new buildings going up around the city — many of which people compare to those in Dubai.

By now it was very hot, so we decided to catch a bus to Sheki, a town at the base of the Caucasus Mountains, hoping it would be a little cooler. Our friends chose to hire a car and driver to tour around Azerbaijan. We didn’t. We have an absolute aversion to rushed tours. We prefer to find a nice town, stay a while, drink coffee in local cafés, visit the markets, and talk to the locals.

The journey to Sheki took most of the day. We travelled along the coast of the Caspian Sea dotted with oil rigs, then through kilometres of dry, flat, sandy desert filled with hundreds of pumping oil derricks. Eventually we arrived in a green valley with trees, grass, and rivers — a huge relief.

Our guesthouse in Sheki was more like a homestay run by a delightful Nona who served cups of tea and cake all day. The thing we loved most about Azerbaijani houses was that while the streets were hot and dusty, once you walked through the gate you entered a lush oasis of fruit trees, flowers, herbs, vegetables, and running water.

Sheki is a charming town built in the 1700s by a rebel Khan. It was an important stop on the Silk Road and a centre for silk-weaving. We spent our days wandering, catching random minibuses to see where they went, visiting the castle, caravanserais, and parks where men played backgammon.