One of the iconic scenes from the coast of Beirut
This is Axel. I get to write the first stage of our trip to Barcelona. En route to Spain we stopped in Beirut. We have been anxious to get to Lebanon but every time we started the planning, a war broke out or something happened to destabilize the region.
The Lebanese never seem to give up. I think the whole city has been destroyed so many times, that rebuilding comes natural to them. We were picked up from the airport by my 'brother from another mother' Michel Abboud. Michel and I have been friends for years from Alico and even though he is now working for another company, we have remained very good friends. There are a few people I know I will be friends with until I die. Michel is one of them.
Michel and his wife took us on a 4 hour whirlwind tour of the major sites. None would be complete without the main square. Awesome shops, great restaurants and ministry buildings give testimony to the resilience and determination of these great people.
A large mosaic of St George that made it through all the fighting. It was prominently displaced and very cool. I am painting one now and I think I am going to redo it to look more like this.
Our trip to Barcelona had the added benefit of having an option to have a leg stop over in Lebanon which we jumped on. Finally we were going.
The sight Hariri was killed in a car bomb
Lebanon is one of the most unique countries we have been to. Beautiful but unsettled. Historic, but uncertain of the future. Unified in the love the of the land, but cautious in the love of your neighbor. In the five years we have been in the gulf becoming friends with so many people from Lebanon, coming there finally gave us a bit (a very small bit) of an understanding of why the Lebanese people are so resilient. Honestly it reminded us of feelings we felt about Croatia. Both the country and the people.
The Lebanese never seem to give up. I think the whole city has been destroyed so many times, that rebuilding comes natural to them. We were picked up from the airport by my 'brother from another mother' Michel Abboud. Michel and I have been friends for years from Alico and even though he is now working for another company, we have remained very good friends. There are a few people I know I will be friends with until I die. Michel is one of them.
A few years ago these streets were bombed out and you would have been killed standing where we are
Michel and his wife Donna and their new baby girl Claudette met us at the airport and waited for us to get through customs. They then drove us through the dangerous part of town to the downtown area. It was beautiful. I honestly think somehow the Phoenix should be the national bird for Beirut. It has risen from the ashes so many times only to be prettier and more modern than probably any other city on the planet.
One of the coolest parts was seeing the martyr's square. This monument to Lebanese martyrs from all sides was riddled with bullet holes. It was right in the middle of the two territories during the fighting. The story goes that during the war there were certain times the two sides met there for coffee and jokes, only to go back to their respective sides and take up the killing. A fitting place for a peaceful break.
The downtown area is also a testament to the different religions in the city. You had churches a stones through from mosques and everyone seemed very proud of each other's buildings even though they were not from that religion. I have to admit the mosque in downtown Beirut was one of the prettiest I have ever seen. Classic and modern at the same time.
Honestly I forgot which church this one was. I think (think) it is the Armenian Orthodox church. Whichever it was, it was totally beautiful too.
The inside of the St. George's Church. Again I think this is Catholic (though the artwork kind of looked Orthodox), but don't hold me to that. Incredible artwork inside. Both newer and classically preserved ones. It had a great feeling in it.
One of the coolest parts was seeing the martyr's square. This monument to Lebanese martyrs from all sides was riddled with bullet holes. It was right in the middle of the two territories during the fighting. The story goes that during the war there were certain times the two sides met there for coffee and jokes, only to go back to their respective sides and take up the killing. A fitting place for a peaceful break.
The downtown area is also a testament to the different religions in the city. You had churches a stones through from mosques and everyone seemed very proud of each other's buildings even though they were not from that religion. I have to admit the mosque in downtown Beirut was one of the prettiest I have ever seen. Classic and modern at the same time.
The hand carved door on the mosque. Me wishing I had time to carve a piece of artwork this beautiful.
Honestly I forgot which church this one was. I think (think) it is the Armenian Orthodox church. Whichever it was, it was totally beautiful too.
The inside of the St. George's Church. Again I think this is Catholic (though the artwork kind of looked Orthodox), but don't hold me to that. Incredible artwork inside. Both newer and classically preserved ones. It had a great feeling in it.
Michel and his wife took us on a 4 hour whirlwind tour of the major sites. None would be complete without the main square. Awesome shops, great restaurants and ministry buildings give testimony to the resilience and determination of these great people.
Terah in front of a ministry building.
A large mosaic of St George that made it through all the fighting. It was prominently displaced and very cool. I am painting one now and I think I am going to redo it to look more like this.Me and Terah wishing that this country was in our future for a place to live...
It was an amazing few hours. We got the smallest of tastes of a country and people we have grown to admire and love since living in the Gulf. Having Michel show us around made it all the better. He and his wife are adoring parents and Claudette is one of the cutest and best behaved babies we have seen. We told them that when you have kids this beautiful and well behaved you have to have more. It is a rule. I miss not being able to call him up to bounce ideas off of him. I miss him calling me for advice and mostly us having a company in common. But the trip was all the better because it reaffirmed that our friendship was one we would keep for many, many years to come. Being in Beirut was simply a bonus.
1 comment:
I am so jealous! Looks amazing! Can't wait to see that finished painting!
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