Jan 22, 2011

I’m currently living in Beirut for a few more weeks and am using the capital as a basis for further trips all around this fascinating country. Last week, before the bad weather and storm hit, I decided to travel south along the coast to the biblical town of Sidon, called Saida in the Lebanon. Sidon has been inhabited since about 5,000 years and therefore is

Dec 13, 2010

The city of Beirut, capital of the Lebanon, doesn’t have that many museums, but one you definitely should not miss is the Robert Mouawad Private museum. It’s a prime example of the eclectic taste of a private collector who loved art, history and all things beautiful. Some 110 years ago, a prominent Lebanese sportsman, politician and businessman by the name

“You absolutely must tell your driver to go to Taanayel, you’ll love it,” my Lebanese friend Lara said. Our conversation was conducted on a cell phone during a drive in the Bekaa Valley and those were the only words I understood clearly. What followed was: ‘typical mountain village, very pretty, traditions’ and some more fractured

On my way to, and from, the Jeita Grotto, I had the opportunity to visit another famous and, at least to me, quite a moving site. It’s the enormous statue of the Virgin Mary, perched 650m high up on a mountain near Jounieh, facing the sea and Beirut. Her sad face and outstretched hands are somehow reminders of what the country at her feet suffered during

Sadly, I only had two full days to enjoy my recent trip to the Lebanon, but I made good use of the time. Highlight number one was my visit to the Jeita Grotto, truly a wonder of nature. Located approx. 20 km NE of Beirut, the drive is already an experience as I left the sea behind and ascended into the mountains, some with snow caps glittering in the