Beirut was Beautiful

So, we had a short vacation for school and I went to Beirut and visited Will. I had a wonderful time and it was so nice to spend time with him and take a break from Lucknow. The city was beautiful and reminded me a lot of European cities with beautiful buildings, narrow streets, and lovely cafes. I also saw two beautiful mosques in the downtown area - which was suprisingly alive with people eating in cafe verandas, children playing on bicycles, and window shoppers. (at the risk of sounding shallow) The shopping in Beirut was wonderful and it was nice to be somewhere that I could were jeans and a t-shirt without harassment.

Beirut is also a very old city and ancient records of its existence go back to the 14th century BC. One of the coolest things I think I have ever seen was the archeological sites that are located almost in the center of the downtown. Because the city has been building in the same area for so long, in this below picture (I think) one can see 4 stages of history. The first is the modern buildings built after the Civil War, the second is from a reconstruction ca. 1840, the third is from the late Medieval Period (1000 - 1700 A.D.), and the last from the Roman Hellenistic to Byzantine Period (300 B.C.- 600 A.D.). I find this overlapping of time periods in a relatively small space (and its existence in the present) to be quite fascinating.

Beirut also has the added luxury of being situated on the Mediterranean. The ocean was beautiful and the sunsets over it were spectacular sites. Every day, Will and I took a walk along the ocean, which had a nicely paved sidewalk and nice places to stop and grab a bite to eat or cup of (delicious) coffee. I left Beirut nicely overstuffed on baklava (a sweet), zatar bread (pita bread with spices and, if I was lucky, fresh vegetables), and good quality expresso.

Along with satisfying my food obsession, a walk along the Mediterranean allowed a view of some very awe-inspiring rock formations that arise out of water. With the perfect temperature (70s) and sunny days, I really felt as though I was on a relaxing holiday away from the chaos of Lucknow.