Beirut and Baakline Day 4 – postcard

Beirut: Traffic.  Tanks.  Windy.  Helpful people.  Cars pipping.  Soldiers with machine guns.  Rough Mediterranean Sea.  Armenian food.  Exceptionally fresh tabbouleh.  Palm trees.  Derelict buildings.  Barbed wire.  Lively.  Potholes.  Uneven pavements.  Wasteland.  Apocalyptic rain.  Stripy lighthouse.  Fancy modern flats.  22 degrees celcius.

Beirut to Baakline:  Pedestrians crossing the motorway.  Oranges for sale.  Mountain roads at motorway speeds.  Olive groves.  Run-down mountain villages.  Crazy driving.  Mountains.  Trees.  Rocks.  Abandoned structures of new buildings.  1970s-looking shops.  Tanks.  Road blocks.  Wild flowers.  Druze towns.  Busy, dusty, poor-looking towns.  Banana palms.  Fresh broad beans, peas, artichokes for sale.

Baakline:  Druze.  Amal Clooney look-a-likes.  Mountain stone buildings.  Valley views.  Old buildings.  Almond blossom.  Decrepit cars.  Old stone and iron work.  Mount Lebanon.  Peaceful.  Red poppies.  Very step-back-in-time shops.  Rock steps.  Pine nut producing trees.  Thunder, lightning, hail.  9 degrees celcius.  Distinctive stone.