The very last day in Beirut

Our very last day in Beirut started with a visit to the small but splendid National Museum. It was shot to pieces during the long and bloody civil war but reopened in the end of the 90's. They show a touching film about how the artifacts were protected in individual concrete covers, casted on spot over them, and how they re-emerged after the war, mostly unscratched. If you are in town, do visit.

Then we had a last go at Beirut's nightlife, starting with a drink at Dragonfly (they make a beautifully spicy Bloody Mary) and then food and friends at Joe Pena's. Some old colleagues from ANERA were in town and one of them even had a birthday - all due causes for celebration!

Thus we continued to flashy Bar 360° on top of Le Gray Hotel. The view was stunning, the DJ good, the furniture cool and the drink prices shocking. We had a good time. Some of the more hardy of us finished it off at very happening Bar Centrale, which very much reminded me of a submarine with a bar.

Then me and Femke hurried into a taxi, grabbed our bags at the hotel and scuttled off to the airport for our night flights back to Amsterdam.

Beirut again

A three hour taxi ride took us from Damscus to Beirut and thew comfortable Tulip Hotel deVille. We also stopped by Olivier's place to pick up some of our stuff and share a bottle of Emir from Clos St Thomas. Very nice.

Olivier and Nadine took us to dinner at a good Armenian restaurant on Rue Pasteur, where Judith and her local architect/journalist friend met up. Tasty food and nice company!

Shopping, roof terrace and local food

Pigeon rocks, the corniche, Holiday in and Bar Ferdinand

Back in Beirut

We are back in Beirut again, this time staying at Femke's French friend Olivier's place (thanks Olivier!). Checked out some shops, had a great lunch with Sami (from the Massaya winery) at cool artisanale restaurant Tawlet. Here we also met the man behind the delicous Beiruti micro brewery 961.
Afterwards, we convinced ourselves we needed a dessert and so enjoyed a milkshake at the rooftop pool bar of swanky Hotel Le Gray.

In the evening, it was time to try some of Beirut's famous nightlife. We started with a beer at the fun bar Torino Express followed by a cocktail at Dragonfly next doors. Dinner was booked at the very happening bar of Joe Penas, again together with Sami. Femke retired early while me and Sami did some more barhopping. In the end I had a beer at the very crowded bar Treesome. Luckily I found a taxi back to the apartment before getting lost in the wild Beirut night.

Finally in Beirut!

A short greeting from Lebanon - we are fine and our flights here went well. Arrived to the hotel this morning at 4-5. Slept to 10, then we spent the day together with Femke's old friend Olivier (who lives here and works as a teacher) and his Lebanese friend Nadine.

They took us on a tour of the city including Nasralla's hoods down south. Very interesting, but I was under no circumstances allowed to take photos there :-(.


Late lunch at a seaside restaurant, then a nap for Femke while I am enjoying an Almaza (local beer) at Cafe de Prague.
I have never seen so many fancy and expensive cars as here. Ferrari, Daimler, Jaguar and piles of German cars in the upper end of the market. All side by side with incredibly battered 70's Mercedes and Volvo's.


In some areas there are still visible trails of the civil war that ended 1990, with lots of bullet holes in the facades. Other parts looks more like Southern Europe than the Middle East. In fact most of the city is very clean and stylish do be down here - first when we drove down to the Southern neighborhoods of Beirut (where Hezbolla and Amal have their stronghold) did it look the way we are used to from other Middle Eastern cities.

Tomorrow we are picking up our rental car and driving North along the coast. First to Chateau Musar, a famous vineyard, for a visit and tasting. Then to Byblos where we will stay over the night.