One place I particularly enjoyed in Tripoli, because it looked like the setting for a science fiction movie (or at least a photo shoot for Vogue), was the Rashid Karami International Fair which was designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Ribeiro de Almeida Niemeyer Soares Filho (known more commonly simply as “Oscar Niemeyer”). Niemeyer is probably … Continue reading
The port city of Sidon is also commonly referred to as Saida… The city has a rich history stretching back possibly as far as 6800 BC. And this participation in historical events shows no sign of abating as even as recently as the Lebanese civil war, Sidon was fought over variously by the Palestinians, Syrians, … Continue reading
Growing apples in Lebanon? Don’t apples require colder weather? Yes, they do. However, Lebanon has far more diversity than the beaches and banana plantations found along the coast. It gets quite cold up in the mountains and areas such as Bcharre and Ehden are surrounded by apple orchards. Even late in May, the road above … Continue reading
A Lebanese Army outpost in Beirut… The face of Beirut has changed a lot over the past twenty years. During the civil war, the downtown area, previously home to much of the city’s commercial and cultural activity, became a free-fire wasteland known as the “Green Line.” However, someone that was in Beirut before or during … Continue reading
I was rather taken by this motorcycle we came across outside a monastery in rural Syria. It has far more character than any of the motorcycles I have ever owned: Continue reading
Located at the northern end of the Bekaa Valley in the middle of nowhere, this lonely pyramid rises almost 100 feet above the small hill on which it was built. It can be seen from miles around, but no one is sure what this unusual monument is intended to be or why it is alone. … Continue reading
If readers have been following recent events within Syria, they will know that Friday has become the day when things kick off between the government forces and those seeking to extend the “Arab Spring” as it is now being called. So, I was rather curious as to what the mood would be in Damascus last … Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 