TRAVELING IN SPAIN

To Family and Friends,

Some of you know I am in Spain, and for others this is my time to inform you that after a year sabbatical, I have return to Europe again for a month of traveling this time in Espana.  I am visiting Madrid, Cuenca, Valencia, and Barcelona.  I was to travel with two Ecuadorian friends, but due to visa problems that did not happen.  While I wish they were with me, there is a lot to be said for traveling solo as well.

Most of my posts will be relatively brief for me.  I am psychologically removed from a career in education long enough now, not to feel I have to educate anyone (lol).  Since I am traveling alone, I signed up for a number of day tours.  I arrived in Valencia today, and it has been the first I have had time to post.



MADRID

Madrid has already come and gone.  The week went so fast that I feel like I passed through a time warp.  I will return for two nights at the end of the month before I return to Ecuador.

Madrid appears to be very clean.  It is quite attractive in the area where I stayed.  There are many museums and public buildings of traditional and modern architecture, most of which are flooded with lights in the evening.  It's quite spectacular to see.  The one thing I have not seen anywhere in the parts of the city I have visited are totally glass high-rises and office buildings.  

The city reminds me of Paris with wide boulevards, paralleled with expanses of lanes for bikes and walking, with each lane separated by  many trees that make the boulevards feel like parks.  Paris has a conformity of the same trees along their boulevards, and all appear to be maintained at the same heights.  Madrid has a greater variety of trees along the boulevard parkways, and are less concerned with the monotony of equalized heights.  The architecture is more early nineteenth century and thereafter, which is like Paris as well.  Madrid, even in the historic districts doesn't have the feeling of antiquity like, for example, Rome does.


Below are street scenes of Madrid:

 Below is the Atocha Train Station.  I was staying directly across the street from it.

 


Below is not a botanical garden, but the interior of the Atocha Train Station.  I had to rent a machete to cut my way through the jungle to find the location of my train platform out of the city.  I was feeling just like Teddy Roosevelt.

A tour of Medieval Madrid was interesting, which included photos below of the cathedral.  The colors were added in the twentieth century.  The designs, two dimensional figures, and colors appeared very Byzantine in style.  We also visited the Jewish quarters where the Jews lived before King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella expelled the Jews and the Moors from Spain in the fifteenth century.  The area did not appear to be all that Medieval compared to other cities in other countries.

The pipe organ in the two photos below:

After the tour, the twelve of us stopped with the guide at a tapas bar, and five of us remained for another two hours just talking and comparing trips and vacations.  I especially enjoyed the nice young couple from the United States, and their eagerness and enthusiasm for traveling.

Prado Art Museum

I was not overly impressed with the Prado Art Museum, which was a collection of traditional art and endless paintings of Spanish monarchs and family nobles.  The museum is heavy into traditional Catholic world view Renaissance paintings, which obviously was typical of the time period.  I generally have seen better works in other countries.  The tour, however, was worth the price for one painting in particular, which was the Venetian master, Tintoretto's, 'Lavatorio', one of those awesome paintings of perspectives as one moves to view the painting from different angles.  Unfortunately, the Prado Museum, does not allow photos to be taken.

Another art museum was the Tyssen.  Compared to other museums, I wasn't overly impressed with its collection either.  They had a very large collection of early American art, which was never my favorite period of American art, but here are photos of my favorites from the Tyssen American collection, which is of early Irish immigrants of what looks like too sweet of characters to be ragamuffins:

One treasure among the collection was this Kandinsky shown below.   I could study this one forever.  There is so much taking place in this painting.  Anyone who remembers the movie, "Six Degrees of Separation", will remember the goldmine that the Donald Sutherland and Stockard Channing characters had in their attempts as art dealers to sell the Kandinsky in their possession, and which became the focal point of the entire story.

Dia A Fuera De Madrid


I traveled with a couple of young Swedes in a private small group tour to the countryside led by a couple of Brits, who have lived in Spain since the 90's.  (Swedes, Brits, an a Americano, and not a Spaniard in sight.  Oh the world is shrinking.) Madrid is about a half a million more people than the current population of Chicago, which is approximately 2,700,000.  Yet we traveled from the center of Madrid, and within fifteen/twenty minutes we were outside the city into the countryside.  I was surprised.  One minute we were in the heart of the city, and the next minute we were in farmland.  Madrid's metro population is 6,500,000, while Chicago's is about ten and a half million.  One must travel a good thirty to forty miles from Chicago to get outside the metro area and pass all of the suburbs to strike distance into the rural areas. 


We visited different sites away from the tourists.  One town was preparing for the run of  los toros that weekend.  A number of towns offer the running of the bulls, not just Pamploma, which was news to me.  Well, I am never too old not to try something new.  I was at the front of the run when 200 other dudes stampeded over me, before the bulls could even get to me.  Maybe that had something to do with why Madrid felt like I was rocketing through a time warp (lol).  Here are a few quickies of what we visited:

The town had their banners spewed about for the weekend festivities. 

Notice the temporary wooden barricades along the road where the passive participants stand behind, while the runners and the bulls roar down the street.

We continued onward to a castle built by the Moors.  Half of it was basically a ruin that was not safe to enter.  The other half gave us some nice vistas of the area, and we could walk around the interior.  The castle was not as impressive as the Crusader castles I experienced in Beirut and its environs in 2017, but was a great find for someone who had never seen the castles of that time period in the back and forth wars between the Crusaders and the Moors.

Below is the entrance to the church which is located after one enters the walls for the castle.  The church was built when the Moors had lost final control of the castle.

The castilla (castle)

 

Have you ever read the novel, or seen the musical, "Man of La Mancha" and its character, Don Quixote, or remember the song "To Dream the Impossible Dream"?  Well, this was "Man of La Mancha" territory.  I looked far and near, but did not see the fine caballero on his gallant caballo anywhere.

I was surprised to learn that only eighty people are permanent residents in the town, although there are folk who stay for temporary residencies as well.

The highlight of the tour was dining at the home of the two Brits, who prepared a gourmet meal for us.  We feasted on two day old lamb, in which absolutely no spices and seasonings were used.  The distinctive flavor of the lamb was accented and needless to say very tender.  We learned a great deal about and dined on Spanish olives and cheeses; and enjoyed our first Black Pudding--a specialty in England, which is called blood pudding in the states, and is made among other things from the use of pig's blood.  My blood was also included in the mix from when I was stampeded in the Running of the Bulls.  Can you tell bull when you read it?  

I also had the absolutely best Vermouth.  I never liked Vermouth, dry martinis, or Manhattans.  The Brits said this Spanish Vermouth is nothing like what is made in the states.  It was exceptionally smooth, and with an orange slice and an olive was slightly sweet and not dry at all. I don't do a lot of drinking, generally.  One of the hosts was wise enough to subtly stop me at two Vermouths.  Half way through the second one, it suddenly hit me right between the eyes. 

The day was absolutely gorgeous, and after dinner and investigating some tunnels that the Moors would use to escape when rebellions against their presence became a tad much for the locals; we made our way to the local pub for brew.  We spent an additional two hours beyond our stay on the veranda; conversing, enjoying the river scene, and trying new beers before we traveled back to Madrid.  I never had the opportunity to visit with people from Sweden like this before, so it was a real plus to the day.  I didn't take any photos of the dinner or the pub visit.  All of us were just happy to be enjoying the afternoon.  For those of you from Cuenca, it doesn't get dark here until 9:30 pm this time of year.


My favorite day in Madrid was the last evening.  I went of a tapas crawl with a dozen other folk.  There were four guys, and six lasses from Scotland.  The other three guys were Israelis who moved to London about eighteen months ago.  Everybody was out to have a good time, and so we did.  I would recommend this tour to everybody.  We went to about five very good bars/restaurants.  We had excellent ham, as the Spaniards excel in the breeding of pigs and the processing of ham.  The cost of ham varies by a wide range dependent upon the quality.  The best quality ham is the result of feeding the pigs acorns, which appears to very much affect the flavor.  Just like when I was in London, the ham in Spain tastes nothing like Virginia style ham in the states.

Spanish omelettes, croquettes, the varieties of seafood on various canapes and breads were all outstanding.  The tapas were out of this world.  Finally, the tapas were living up to everything my son, Marc, said they would be.  There was so much to eat at each stop.  I  never liked anchovies.  In the states, they were always very salty.  For me, it was a great way to ruin a pizza.  Here, the anchovies are so fresh.  I thought the saltiness was due to the sea water, but it must have been the brine for preservation in the states.  They are not salty here at all.  At least not the anchovies I have eaten to date.

I had glasses of red wine; white wine; sangria; vermouth which this time was too sweet; double cerveza, which is a grand cerveza about a pint size (British style); and ended the night with gin and tonic.  I left at eleven.  Everybody partied on, but I still had to return to my apartment, pack, and get ready to leave Madrid the following day.  Luckily, I ate a lot.  I was afraid from mixing so many different alcohols, I'd be sick, but not this time, and we had plenty of hours together to consume the alcohol.

NEXT:  CUENCA, SPAIN

MY PERSONAL STORY FROM PAIN TO WELLNESS: OZONE THERAPY: DR. SANTIAGO ROMO

Physical pain can adversely affect the quality of life.  Pain related to the neck, back, knees, hips, joints, and to disc inflammation can over time become quite acute. 

Oftentimes, the remedy first sought during times of chronic pain is surgery.  Over the last forty years, particularly where back surgery was concerned, a clear majority of the people I talked with were dissatisfied with their surgery, and either experienced little if any improvement, or the surgery made their back problem and pain worse.

This is my personal story from pain to wellness:

I endured lower back and neck pain since July of 2014.  Problems that had silently accumulated for years had suddenly erupted all in one month.  My neck pain resulted in my use of a soft neck collar to relieve the pain as I looked down.  I also stopped using my laptop directly and connected my computer to my large television screen.  This allowed me to look straight ahead as I read, which took a great deal of stress off my neck. 

I went to an Orthopedist Surgeon in Cuenca, who I would never recommend to anyone.  This “doctor’s” diagnosis based on my x-rays was dire and disastrous.  I eventually found an excellent chiropractor by the name of Mike Pettella (0995779533), who made a believer of me in chiropractors, after enduring several negative experiences in the states. 

Mike totally relieved my chronic foot pain of my heel spurs or plantar fasciitis after just two or three sessions of body alignment adjustments. None of the podiatrists or orthopedists over the years ever agreed when I met with each of them, as to which name was even appropriate for my foot problem, nor could they remedy the problem short of instructing me to give up my running.  That worked, but by July 2014, I was experiencing chronic problems in my heels from just extensive walking.

When I discovered Mike Pettella, he also helped my neck problems a great deal.  I was at the point if I stood at a street intersection, I had to turn my entire torso to see if traffic was coming, because my neck was too stiff to simply look to my left or right.  Mike restored flexibility to my neck.  My generally once per month adjustments also relieved my lower back pain.  However, while the pain was lowered, it never went completely away.  Finally, in July of 2017, I went through a downward spiral when the pain became much worse.  Multiple sessions with Mike that month finally stabilized me again, and I could return to my once a month session.  I now traveled business class on my European trips; so I could stretch out, and like at home, sleep on my sides in my flight chair. 

I had reached the point where I could not sleep on my back or my stomach, and if I sat in a chair for twenty to thirty minutes I was doing well.  However, I had to get up, move around, and touch my toes for twenty to thirty seconds to stretch my lower back from the spinal compression.  Since I socialize a great deal, such movements were not ideal when I was in other people’s homes, or out for an evening in a restaurant, and I could all but forget about attending concerts or the theater.

Luckily for me, walking relieved a great deal of pain.  I thank my parents for making a walker out of me from the time I was little.  Walking two to seven miles per day and averaging sixty to eighty miles per month is still my modus operandi, and Cuenca is truly a walking town.

Finally, through my three-year trek of half-way measures to wellness, I heard of Ozone Therapy for various arthritic, disk herniation and inflammation, and related problems which involved knees, hips, and joints.  Nonetheless, I was skeptical of anything related to alternative medicine.  I never used any alternative herbs that ever did what they proposed, and there are many alternative therapies which are bogus.  Some Ozone Therapies are bogus.  For example, Ozone Therapy will not cure cancer.  I was never going to move in the direction of Ozone Therapy based upon online testimonies of its effectiveness as a treatment. 

However, I had friends and acquaintances who were undergoing Ozone Therapy using the services of Dr. Santiago Romo right here in Cuenca.  One friend underwent treatment during the summer of 2017.  He was in worse shape than I.  He could not walk more than 100 feet without being in acute pain from his lower back herniated disc.  In fact, this friend had gone earlier to Mike Pettella (0995779533), the Cuenca chiropractor. When Mike viewed my friend’s x-rays, he would not treat him because of the high risk; which is what I like about both Mike and Dr. Romo, they will not take a client as a patient if they believe treatment will put a patient at risk or if they think the treatment would be ineffective.  My friend was very satisfied with the treatment, and not only can he walk greater distances, but also began riding an Italian Vespa, a motor bike which is a thing of beauty.  One day, this guy in a helmet pulls up to the curb while I am walking, and it's my buddy on his new bike.  Not bad for a guy in his 70's, who suffered from herniated disc before his Ozone Treatments.

A lady acquaintance told me she was also very satisfied with Dr. Romo’s therapy, which treated her hand and wrist which was greatly hampered with arthritis.

Then a friend who at age fifty is still doing triathlons, suddenly was having a lower back disc problem.  He underwent treatments with Dr. Romo, and while he told me that he was still having a slight problem at that time, it did not prevent him from running past me the next day as I was walking along the Rio Tomebamba. 

While I was still skeptical about the cost and whether treatments would have a lasting effect; as one friend said to me, “Well, Jim even if the effects of the therapy only last two or three years, would it not be worth the cost of further treatments to be relatively pain-free for that time period?”  He had a point.  Now that I had actual people that I knew who successfully went through the Ozone Therapy and had a few months of continued relief, I reached the point of psychological readiness to take the plunge.

Dr. Santiago Romo is the only physician in Cuenca and in Ecuador who practices Ozone Therapy.  Dr. Romo is a medical doctor in Sports Medicine, and is also the team doctor for Deportiva Cuenca, the professional futbul team here in Cuenca.  Dr. Romo has a great deal of experience dealing with muscular, skeletal, and joint pain injuries. He received his training in Ozone Therapy from New York University Medical School in New York City, which is one of the top medical schools in the United States, and which also has a reputation for pioneering alternative medical treatments.
   

Dr. Romo speaks fluent English, takes the time to explain the treatments and responds to all his patient’s questions, and he performs the Ozone injections either in his patient’s home or in his office.  Dr. Romo also provides new patients with links about Ozone Therapy on the Internet.  Dr. Romo’s diagnosis is based upon personal MRI’s, which will indicate whether he can be of help to a patient.  He has also provided therapy to patients who had previous surgeries for which they were not pleased with the outcomes, and he has often been able to improve their situations as well.  Dr. Romo, both as a doctor and as a gentleman, is an all-around first class act.

First, there is an application on the surface of the area to be treated to deaden pain, and second, the Ozone Therapy injections are applied.  The actual therapy takes approximately ten minutes.  There is little pain associated with the treatment.  Dr. Romo applies an ice-pack to the treated area, waits about ten minutes to be sure the patient is responding well, and observes that there are no adverse side effects.  Normally, people can then go about their business for the rest of the day.

The number of treatments varies from patient to patient.  I had three lower back inflamed discs, two on the left and one on the right side.  One on the left was especially painful and stubborn, and required more treatments.  My neck was treated separately.  Improvement can be detected after just three or four treatments.  When the treatments were completed, I experienced major improvement not 100% but a good 90%.  

What amazed me is that I never expected over time after the completion of the treatments that I would continue to improve.  After almost four months since my last treatment, I am pretty much at 100%.  I can sit for very long periods of time, and I can sleep on my back and my stomach.  One day, without a thought, I had been sitting on the sofa reading a book.  I was looking down for an hour before I realized what I had done, and my neck had not adversely reacted.  I don’t want to tempt the fates, so I don’t consciously attempt to read looking downward for long periods of time unless I put on my soft neck collar.  Although I was dancing in discos here in Cuenca until late 2013, I still won’t risk jerking my neck and body around, although I now enjoy a great deal more of painless mobility.

Another great benefit for me was the fact that I know longer take two Aleve everyday.  It is rare for me now to use Aleve at all.  At my worse, especially in July of 2017 and whenever I traveled abroad, I was taking up to five and six Aleve per day.  I knew I could not continue such a practice.

Dr. Romo told me that some patients return for an additional two treatments after about six months and never need to return.  Other patients return after about a year from the completion of the initial treatments for two more treatments and they are finished, and other patients never need to return. 

If I could climb to the top of Chimborozo here in Ecuador, the highest peak in South America, and shout across the Andes to the world how delighted I am with my Ozone Therapy treatments, their effectiveness to my health, their major contribution to the improvement of my life style, and to the excellent work of Dr. Santiago Romo; I would do so without hesitation:

Dr. Santiago Romo

Edifcio Diagnostico Medico, Office 202

Ave. Paucarbamba 4-117

Cuenca, Ecuador

Cell Phone:  098 027 2399 

Click on the link below to read recommendations and various symptoms patients of Dr. Romo have been treated with Ozone Therapy:

https://www.gringopost.com/search?q=recommendations+for+Dr.+Santiago+Romo   

In my opinion, anyone who has any of the medical problems discussed in this post should really explore Ozone Therapy, since to my way of thinking, any kind of surgery, and especially surgery on the back, should be a last resort. Not to mention, that many people use strong addictive pain relievers, which in some cases can be lessened or even eliminated.  For many, Ozone Therapy in the long run can save a great deal of money for some, and a great deal of agony for others who were dissatisfied with the results of their surgeries.  Because Ozone Therapy is considered alternative medicine; IESS, Medicare, and private insurance companies will not cover it.  For many Americans who are not old enough for Medicare, and have big deductions before insurance provides medical coverage, the price of Ozone Therapy may not be any more and even less than the cost of your policy's high deductible. 

Ozone Therapy has been practiced for decades in Europe, especially in Germany and in Canada.  Below is a link, which will provide you with links in Canada and by each state in the United States where Ozone Therapy is provided.  The information includes local offices, doctor names and telephone numbers, and brief descriptions of the doctors and their services. However, check what is offered carefully, not all are treatments for discs and joint problems.  If you are not located near a medical facility which offers treatment, since dependent upon your need and number of treatments required, it may pay to rent an apartment in Cuenca for a month.  I would suggest making a vacation of it in Cuenca while being treated by Dr. Romo, and it will be more cost effective than renting a location in the United States too distant from your home location, in order to procure treatment:

http://www.oxygenhealingtherapies.com/my_ozone_doctor.com.html  

BEAUTIFUL NAVIDAD (HOLIDAY) SEASON IN CUENCA

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

FROM CUENCA, ECUADOR

I have lived in Cuenca almost seven years now, and this was no doubt my overall most enjoyable Christmas Season, since I first moved to this enchanting city in the Andes.  The Christmas Holiday Season in Cuenca can be divided into four parts, which begins approximately two weeks before Christmas with El Noche de Luces, followed by Pase de Ninos on the Day before Christmas  and Navidad (Christmas Day), the third stage is Vespera Anos Nuevo (New Year's Eve) celebrations, and finally, the big parade of El Dia de los Innocentes on January sixth.

A tourist could come to Cuenca for a month over the Christmas season, and would have a great first time experience in the appreciation of much of what Cuenca has to offer at the zenith of its year, and of all of its holiday festivities, in what also provides the warmest temperatures of comfort during the year.

I haven't posted in quite awhile.  Assembling this Christmas season post and album truly was an act of love for me.

https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipN54STQwEboUSVVRySycdamnYrhG3RKagjjUql3

The link below is for the Pase del Nino or the Parade of the Children.  The photos of which are not provided in the above album link.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/111741036841400152108/posts/R2N2UFU5sJD?pid=6097707542767061938&oid=111741036841400152108

BEIRUT FINALE: ZAYTUNI BAY, JEITA, BYBLOS, AND HARISSA

One of many nice things about Beirut is that when a tourist isn't going outside the city for many archaeological trips, the city's downtown is in walking distance to Zaytuni Bay.  The downtown is also strategically located to so many other restaurants and attractions in adjacent neighborhoods. Therefore,  people who enjoy walking have little difficulty exploring the main areas of museums, shops, galleries, restaurants, bars, and discos within relatively close proximity to one another, and without need of public transportation.

Below is the Beirut skyline looking from Zaytuni Bay on the Mediterranean.

As I mentioned in a previous post, there is a great deal of wealth in Beirut, and it was well represented by the large numbers of yachts anchored in the bay.

The esplanade along Zaytuni Bay had been constructed since the Civil War. I was amazed, as I walked along it, how I would continue to discover additional  large food courts providing seating with a mix of high-end restaurants along with restaurants of everyday fare, as well as endless shops.  From my perspective, thank God, there were no international fast food places present, except for Starbucks.

In the background, below, is a remnant of a crusader's castle.

Beirut has a very lively and sophisticated restaurant, bar, and disco scene.  You won't find a more exciting scene in the Middle East.

JEITA

On my last Sunday in Beirut, Marc and I first went to Jeita Grotto, which is an underground cave of Stalagmites and Stalactites, some of the largest and most beautiful in the world.  Colored lights enhanced the experience, which was quite impressive and a definite for tourists to visit.  Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures in the cave.  

BYBLOS

This entire Sunday was the most outstanding day of many good days in Beirut.  After touring the Jeita Grotto, Marc took me to Byblos, which has a number of excavated archaeological foundations, but what is best preserved are remnants of another crusader castle that was part of a chain that extended across Beirut during crusader occupation of Jerusalem and its environs. 

The one day that we had less than an hour of a downpour, we had visited the Harissa Souks.  Another open historic market, which was well worth the visit.

Below was one of the very nice restaurants we had gone to, just on the tail end of the storm, while the wind was still blowing.

HARISSA

After Byblos, we made our way to Harissa.  

Photos of the Bay of Jounieh in Harissa, which is twenty kilometers from Beirut.

We are in a gondola taking us up the side of the hill and the views are spectacular.

The gondola lets us off partially up the hillside as we continue the trek upward along wide open staircases that meander up the side of the hill in a circular fashion.  The planted flowers along the way are beautiful.  They reminded me again of how the use of the right kind of flowers in large quantities, which cascade and overhang, could do so much to make my hometown of Cuenca more attractive, and further enhance itself as a destination for tourists. Unlike Beirut, Cuenca is blessed with warm temperatures with every season, which makes it perfect to serve as a wall-to-wall tapestry of flowers throughout the city the year long.

OUR LADY OF LEBANON

As you may have noticed in previous posts about Beirut, the Lebanese Catholic groups have a great devotion to the Virgin Mary.

As we ascended to the top of the hill, we our met with one of the biggest tourist attractions in Beirut with the Church and the Statue of Our Lady of Lebanon (Maronite Catholic) upon its huge towering pedestal.

The church is done in a contemporaneous style of architecture, and the photo below is an interior shot of the church. 

Millions of pilgrims come to the site to pay homage to Mary, the mother of Jesus.  These pilgrims include many Druzes as well as Muslims, members from both groups who have a special devotion to the mother of Jesus.  

This sixteen foot bronze which is French-made is the highest  pinnacle on the hilltop.

As we made our way down to the gondola to our return to flatter ground, I knew I was saying goodbye to my last opportunity to enjoy the scenic views of coastal Lebanon.

Marc and I were hungry. He took me to a big restaurant that was not his favorite for the best food in the Beirut area, but would offer a totally different experience. I found the food good, although Marc had been spoiling me with some of the best restaurants in the city. The place was humongous. It easily accommodated at least 500 people in various rooms and open courtyards, and the place was filled at 3:00 or 4:00 p.m on a Sunday afternoon.  It was definitely a scene that I would never experience in a restaurant in Cuenca.

People generally sat at long tables, and there were so many large families there. Once the food started to be served, it just kept coming.

These are what almonds look like in their pods.

As usual, I begin to eat well before I think of taking photos.

Below is an avocado smoothie.  Into the blender goes yogurt, banana, avocado among other things, and it is then topped off with a variety of fresh fruits.  It's a thick, heavy drink, but to die for.  It was so good, and is a meal in itself.

This was my last time that I would be eating out in Beirut, and I must say, the food really was exceptional almost everywhere that I ate.

  

Monday, I would pack up and have a quiet meal with my son at his place in the evening.  Say my goodbyes to him and his great dog, Jimmy, who appears to be doing his imitation of a kangaroo.  

The next morning, I would fly Air-France to spend the next two weeks in Paris.  The planes in the photo below, with the evergreen emblem on their tails, are part of the Air Lebanon commercial fleet. I hated to say goodbye to Beirut, and especially to my son. He truly went out of his way to make it a great trip for me.

POSTSCRIPT

The foremost and repeated question that I was asked before my travel and after my return from Beirut was, "Is it safe to travel there?  Actually, as long as there is no war taking place involving Israel and Hezbollah, which could suck in all of Beirut; the city and its environs are quite safe to visit.  In fact, one could make a case that Beirut is safer to visit and walk around in areas which the vast majority of tourists visit, than visiting Chicago and many other cities in the United States; and there is far less terrorist action in Beirut than currently taking place in London, Paris, and Sweden and Germany.

If you want to experience a Middle Eastern culture with European trappings, extremely rich in history, and with excellent food--both Middle Eastern and European--Beirut is an unforgettable experience. I chose the early month of May for my trip, because it was warm and dry after the spring rains, without yet getting hot and humid, as it does by June.