Another long lunch in Byblos (Jbail) with Roland and Zac discussing love and life over great food and wine. Then we moved onto 'Saydet el Nourieh', a beautiful Marian shrine and Greek Orthodox monastery in Hamat that overlooks the Meditteranean. The shrine is a popular Christian pilgrimage site but also has a most beautiful view of the bay.
I think we are addicted to the magic of the villages in the Mount Lebanon mountains. We drove to Douma, a village located about 1000m above sea level. These beautiful stone houses are surrounded by olive orchards, grape vines and apple trees and have commanding views over the valleys often to other villages on the other side also surrounded by gardens of cypress pine and roses. Too gorgeous.
Looking at the locals and our very own Sydneyside Lebs and it seems that we imported all the hot Lebo look into Oz and left behind a generally nice looking people but they just don't seem to be able to carry off the same swagger and the hottness as our local habibs. Then again Anglos also seem to look a bit better too after a few generations of strong sun, syllable assimilation and weak consonants.
