Visitors and Holidays

We've waved goodbye to our visitors, and just returned from a great holiday in Jordan when my parents and sister Jo and her husband James came over to see one of our near neighbours and what it has to offer. Other sister Siobhan unfortunately couldn't come owing to a small matter of exams. Good Luck to her!

We had a great time with all our guests. Katy has done Beirut proud and written a couple of great pieces about the place here and about a new bar, 961, here. 961 is a great bar, second only in my heart to the wonderful, stuck-in-the-1970s-with-an-owner-who-prefers-the-bar-to-only-have-a-few-customers Captain's Cabin. Indeed, people are so keen to get to 961 that it appeared that one girl had, in her haste, forgotten to get dressed properly on the night we were there, and turned up wearing something that was best described as a top that just covered her bottom. Clearly, we are getting old.

Simon and Phil indulged in wine-tasting, as promised, and we also saw the sights of Baalbeck, Byblos, Faqra and Beirut's sea front where I, the native, got completely eaten alive by mozzies where they, the foreigners, emerged unscathed. There is no justice. We also went to Dom's favourite bar, Cocktails and Dreams, where Simon unfortunately got 3 vodka cranberry drinks poured over him by a dozy and new barman. Phil had an absolutely revolting Long Island cocktail and swiftly switched to beer. I was quite surprised, as were all my friends, when Dom announced that C&D was his favourite bar, as we all thought it would be one with karaoke in, but he assures me that he likes the music, and it's not so loud that you can't hold a conversation, like many bars here. Also, it has a big open window allowing people-watching (and tented city watching, it's right on the edge).

And, as I said, we've had a great week in Jordan, seeing the sights, and taking it nice and easy. We visited Petra, Karak (crusader castle, very complete and loads to explore), the Citadel in Amman (amazing museum with parts of the Dead Sea Scrolls and some of the earliest statues, strangely reminiscent of Rugrats, ever found), and the Baptism Site, where you are no more than 10 metres away from Israel!

A great few weeks! And now I take up my Lady of Leisure post, continue to do a bit of freelance editing, and bask in the glorious sunshine that is still beaming on these parts.