“We travel to learn; and I have never been in any country where they did not do something better than we do it, think some thoughts better than we think, catch some inspiration from heights above our own.” ~ Maria Mitchell This photograph taken in Lebanon feels like a good choice for this quote about ... Read more »
The World’s Best Apricot Jam (and Other Tasty Produce)
Every time I eat some of Nidal Rayess’ apricot jam, which I’ve eked out with unusual willpower, I chide myself for not having shared the experience of our day visiting Nidal at his factory in Lebanon, last spring. So, extremely late though it is, I am finally sharing another Lebanon highlight. Nidal Rayess is the ... Read more »
Phoenicia Rising
We had a marvellous fortnight in Lebanon, as will already be clear from my recent posts about the overall trip and our day with Abu Kassem. After our Taste Lebanon tour was over, Pete and I stayed on in Beirut for 3 extra days, basing ourselves at The Phoenicia hotel, part of the InterContintental group. ... Read more »
Talking Za’atar in Zawtar with Abu Kassem
Southern Lebanon is not much visited by tourists, given its volatility. Only a few days ago, six Italian soldiers were hurt in a bomb attack on the main highway near Saida (Sidon). Less than two weeks before that, there were 11 fatalities and many injuries, during clashes at the Lebanese Israeli border. The region is ... Read more »
We Tasted Lebanon… And We Loved It!
What comes to mind for you when I ask you to think about Lebanon? Is it the mass exodus of Palestinian refugees into Lebanon during the Arab-Israeli war of 1948? Is it the Lebanese civil war, which lasted from 1975 to 1990, during which Beirut in particular was so often on the news? Internal conflict ... Read more »