Beirut and South

Yes, it has extremes – directly opposite a flea market in the East of Beirut were showrooms for Bentley, Jaguar and Lamborghini. Then there’s a mosque sharing a site with a church right on what had been the infamous green line.

Evidence of the past troubles were clear but much of the population seemed to be striving for reconciliation – the politicians and outside factions perhaps less so.

Wandering around this cool, glamorous, not-at-all conservative city we were often greeted with a warm smile, “Welcome to Lebanon” and an offer of a drink or a snack and, of course, a chat.
The overwhelming sense of hospitality and openness of Lebanese people took us by surprise every day.
Beirut (and Lebanon ) felt incredibly friendly and safe!

And then there are the museums! There were two, world-class, ones that were on our must-see list.
First was the National Museum – the building is glorious and a marvel in itself.  It’s a showcase for the staggeringly deep history of the area.
The Roman era, although significant, seemed but recent past in Lebanon.
Amongst the impressive exhibits here is a sarcophagus of King Ahiram, the ruler of the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos (10th century BCE), which contains the earliest known inscriptions of the Phoenician alphabet.

Another essential on our list whilst in Beirut was The Mim museum – the finest private mineral collection in the world.

Over a thousand gorgeous, rare gemstones and minerals from different parts of the world, brought to Beirut by Salim Edde, the billionaire founder.  How about a blue topaz gemstone weighing 5kg? Or an uncut diamond of 328 carat? It was impossible to single out the most beautiful gemstone from this man’s “hobby!”

We had a short wander around in search of a stiff drink (definitely earned after our drive) to find that the town was largely dry but, again, we received a wonderfully warm welcome from the locals.
How could we possibly refuse an invitation from a butcher and his brother to join them for tea and some baklava and, of course, a chat about the world. While I was plied with tea and sweets, the brother explained to Katia that she should probably consider moving to Sidon.

But we now know where to go in Sidon for sausages….

Later that day a coffee shop owner pointed out that, around the corner from our guesthouse, there was an archaeological dig that was currently down 7500 years… and not just traces of someone cooking but buildings! The history in this little country is phenomenal, even in comparison to what we saw in Iran a few years before!

This former camp, built on, and substantially into, a hill was a stronghold for Hezbollah as it overlooks both Syrian and Israeli borders and, so, played an important strategic role in the various conflicts over the years. Now, it stands as a p.r. exercise displaying the Lebanese viewpoint, along with audio-visual presentations, very personable guides, a tank buried in concrete, the underground headquarters complex, lots of captured weaponry, gloriously scenic views, a giftshop and a café serving tea and (very nice) homemade cakes. Quite surreal but recommended!

Sur is a beautiful stylish coastal town as far south as we could sensibly go and felt like a perfect place to unwind, look at the sea and gently wander around one of the oldest inhabited places on Earth.
We were treating ourselves to an hotel stay (rare, budget-challenging but the only available option) and this indulgence became even better – out of season the hotel was empty so the manager upgraded us to a suite with balcony opening directly over breaking sea and our own tiny beach…. and, of course, a view to the next door ruins of a C9th fort.
50m down the narrow passage behind the hotel we found a tiny, funky bar and a film crew.

I believe we appeared in the background of some of their shots…. however what with chatting, drinking and being distracted by the ridiculously-good-looking cast, we can’t remember what they were filming! So, don’t be surprised if you see us on screen when you visit Lebanon – but I bet we’re smiling!

We could quite happily have spent many days wafting around Tyre – it’s one of the loveliest “tourist” towns we’ve ever been to. However, this was still fundamentally a work trip and, despite the suggestions of the helpful UNESCO office we’d visited in Beirut, we still hadn’t tracked down the craftspeople and original pieces that we knew were there.

So, rather reluctantly we set off for a long day’s drive up through the beautiful Chouf mountains and their gorgeous villages and forests to cross the famous Bekaa valley, source of astounding food and wine for millennia.
The Beirut to Damascus highway!  There’s a road name to conjure with!
Of course, despite it’s importance, this motorway had, ermm,  no road markings, no road edges  (mountains, precipitous drops, ice etc), no barriers, no indicators, world-class potholes, and was a single carriageway 2-lane road for much of its length and did I mention snowmobiles?
And yet, the driving is strangely polite.
[Sorry, no photos, Kat hid under the seat for most of the way]

Relieved to arrive at our hotel in Baalbek, the famous Palmyra, a stone’s throw from the Syrian border (there’s a tank in the hotel parking space so we’re safe) – old, rickety and immensely atmospheric – and directly across the road from the immense Qalaa.

The hotel’s list of past guests from its glory days is astounding – de Gaulle, Brando, Onassis, Einstein, the Shah of Iran, Nina Simone, Bardot, Cocteau, Kaiser Wilhelm, actually most crowned heads of Europe and afar, etc.  Neglected by the A-list nowadays – can’t think why.
We are the only guests in the hotel but Ahmed opens up the bar and finds us a well-deserved whisky and wine.  It transpires he’s worked there for a while – 67 years!