Byblos—history, haute cuisine and a harbour to remember

This is exciting. No Crowds first post from Lebanon from intrepid travelers, Gary and Lorraine. I can't wait to follow.

So here is a quiz: where can you sit with a world-class view of the Mediterranean, drink local wines made in the French style, in a setting that reminds you of a French farmhouse, while looking at the ruins of a wonderfully preserved Roman-era castle...all for about $70 for a lunch for two? The answer, of course, is Byblos.

All the way down at the end of the Mediterranean, past Cyprus, the Greek Isles and the Turkish coast, sits a beautiful, but star-crossed country. Over its 4000 years of history, Lebanon has been invaded and/or occupied by Crusaders, Ottomans, Mamluks, Syrians, Israelis and of course the French (for 25 years, no less). In some cases, they were worse off for it, but amazingly, their culture has been enriched, deepened and made more tolerant in most instances. Today, the country gets stronger every day, building on 20 years of relative peace following the end of their civil war. Minarets stand next to baptisteries, crosses and crescents on neighboring religious buildings. Frankly, it’s inspiring.

Going south from Beirut is not recommended, but if you head north up the coast, after 40 km of a drive that will remind you of the best and the worst of the Cote d’Azur, you arrive at Byblos (also called Jbail). The birthplace of the modern alphabet and arguably the longest-standing continuously occupied city in the world, Byblos is thriving. Perhaps it’s hankering to return to the days when Perry Como and any number of European starlets plied its country lanes. Despite a recent piece in the New York Times, however, the town remains a quiet haven of incredible antiquities, accompanied by what appear to be some of the finest restaurants we have found in the Middle East.

Our meal at Locanda (09 944 333), nestled on a bluff overlooking the sea between the old souk and the castle ruins, was simple but incredibly elegant. First up was the necessary bottle of a dry, crisp rosé, this one from Chateau Musar (one of the three main Lebanese wineries). Our first courses were fattoush (chopped salad with wonderful little deep-fried raviolis mixed in) and Shrimp Osmalieh (fine sized prawns wrapped in vermicelli and sizzled in hot oil just enough to cook them through). For mains, we had a thin-crusted pizza rocca (fresh rocket and mozzarella and just a touch of tomato sauce), and something called “fish and aubergine”, which was an amazing experience. Basically, this is what fish and chips have always wanted to be, but will never become. The white flaky fish (I suspect snapper, locally called Sultan Ibrahim) was expertly battered and deep fried, so well that you would swear it never touched the oil. The chef used two sauces, first a lemon cream concoction that added a hint of sweetness, then a dark, piquant balsamic reduction (far more cultured than malt vinegar, frankly!). A pickled baby eggplant accompanied, marinated with flavours of Eastern spices I couldn’t begin to identify. To finish, the espresso was of course excellent, and we topped off the meal with a dram of Armagnac which said “hors age” on the bottle--I took that to mean that nobody could tell how old it was, but it was pretty old. Awesome, although that single choice was the most expensive item on our menu.

I can’t begin to do justice to the Byblos ruins. For a few dollars we were allowed into the compound, and had the chance to closely examine sarcophagi, Doric and ionic column capitals, the well preserved ruins of the ramparts and buildings, and a complete amphitheatre—no ropes, no rules, just us, a half dozen others, and a massive castle originally built by the Phoenicians. All this with a million dollar view of the sea just behind (and a couple of million dollar yachts cruising by, of course).

I would not want to conclude without mentioning the Jeita grotto. Not in Byblos proper, but rather about 20 minutes off the main road between Beirut and Byblos, the grotto is a natural limestone cavern with the dimensions of a small football stadium—you just can’t imagine the size and beauty. Dramatically lit with a walkway carefully constructed through the middle, the grotto is a collection of the most beautiful natural designs you can imagine. Stalactites are not just icicle shaped, but many resemble an undulating curtain extending several meters from the ceiling far above, or heavy curtains covering the walls. Others are finely detailed tubes with many sections inside, with an almost biological feel to them. We were told that the cave is the result of 12,000 years of drip, drip, drip (gives you an idea of what that leaky tap could create if it never got fixed). There is a lower level to the cave, which we didn’t have time to visit, where the tour is conducted on a boat down an underground river that ultimately supplies a significant part of the drinking water for the city of Beirut. The grotto is on the long list for the Seven New Wonders of the World, and voting is under way. It will get my vote.

If you go...you should check your country’s diplomatic website for warnings and precautions. Lebanon is still not a destination for the faint of heart, and the UK Foreign Office and US State Department still have current traveller warnings, despite the recent calm. On our trip, we found little or no evidence of unrest—no checkpoints, little evidence of soldiers outside of the national capital area (parliament), and a flurry of rebuilding and investment everywhere.

Photo of Gary + 5 Pillars taken by Lorraine.

48 Hours in Alpine Arcadia

Salzburg. I will never tire of this town.

I was there recently thanks to the Hotel Auersperg who had not been able to honour a reservation we made last year because of a delay in renovation work. After my doing the mad scene from Medea on Trip Advisor about it, this customer-savvy establishment quickly offered us a two night stay on-the-house to make amends. We thought, let’s go mid week in January 2010. We’ll have the city all to ourselves and flights will be cheap.

We were right on both counts. Our British Airways flights from London were a reasonable £108 return and despite all their problems, I’d still rather fly BA than the discounters. Plus, I’ve never seen Salzburg so deserted or so beautiful. We arrived in the middle of a snow storm which would have brought London to a chaotic standstill but only served to make Salzburg more cozy and picturesque. On our first night, we walked in snow through the illuminated and deserted piazzas of the old town centre. It was archly romantic.

What to Do

Only in town for 48 hours, we decided to dip quickly into the three areas for which Salzburg is renowned: nature, history and culture. To commune with nature, we took a long snowy walk up the Kapuzinerberg mountain and enjoyed the spectacular views of Salzburg. To satisfy our interest in history we spent a morning in the Salzburg Museum. Newly renovated and brilliantly curated, this museum does a superb job of explaining Salzburg’s rich past. An evening of opera performed by students at the Mozarteum University was our culture highlight. Tickets were a snip at EUR 14 and it was incredibly fun to see such a young and talented cast deliver a sexy and energetic interpretation of Monteverdi’s baroque masterpiece, L’Incoronazione di Poppea.

Where to Eat and Drink

As for dining, we still think the informal Hertzl restaurant in the Goldener Hirsch Hotel is hard to beat and our new favourite when you have a hankering for good beer, large portions, small prices and a fun atmosphere is the Alter Fuchs (Old Fox) on the Linzer Gasse.

Shopping

We love to shop in Salzburg for traditional clothing, textiles and ceramics and January is the perfect time to do it. We bought beautifully made loden jackets and coats at Hanna Trachten on the Linzer Gasse, all reduced by 50 percent.

Where to Stay

And what about the Auersperg Hotel? Are we friends again? We most certainly are. This is a WONDERFUL hotel in every aspect. Quiet, well located with excellent service and comfortable rooms. The breakfast is superior. Not to mention that when things go wrong, this family-owned operation make things right. As I said in my new Trip Advisor report (still 'pending' ) - when in Salzburg, I see no need to ever stay anywhere else.

Addendum – Getting Home

Because of snow in London, out return BA flight was cancelled but we were able to race directly from Salzburg main train station to Munich Airport on an efficient and inexpensive train where, after several more BA cancellations, we were rebooked on Lufthansa and made it home – which is why, for all their problems, I still prefer to fly BA.

No Crowds 2010 Travel Resolutions

More Wonder

Webster defines ‘wonder’ as a cause of astonishment or admiration. For 2010, we’ll be trying to recapture that sense of wonder about the world that got us interested in travel in the first place. We’ll be focussing more on the things that have helped make our trips surprising, mysterious and outside our normal experience and less on how to avoid the 1001 hassles of travel – we’re fed up with that topic. Aren’t you?

More Conversation

Last year was not a high production year for No Crowds. We found lots of excuses not to write. This year we’ll do better. And we hope that No Crowds will receive more insights from contributors such as Gary, Lorraine and Sandy who enjoy sharing their experiences with like-minded travellers.

And that’s it – more wonder and more conversation. Those are our travel goals for 2010. What are yours?

Thanksgiving in London

We run the best Thanksgiving Soup Kitchen outside the United States. It’s a bold claim but let me offer some supporting metrics. During our time in London, we have served over 370 pounds of turkey to an estimated 420 people. This year we anticipate feeding thirty-three pilgrims hailing from France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, the UK and the United States. And I’m confident that everyone who will celebrate with us this year would agree, London is the ultimate Thanksgiving destination.

For the uninitiated, London might seem like an unlikely place to eat turkey with friends and family but in fact, with roughly 150,000 hungry Americans living in greater London, along with tourists and curious Londoners, it is relatively easy to find an excellent turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Villandry in Marylebone, Christophers in Covent Garden are good options. Hotels such as Browns, Claridges, the Chesterfield, and the Royal Garden all have special Thanksgiving menus with more informal places like Bodeans (with live NFL action for diehards)  offering a more down home options.

If you were to rent an apartment and prepare your festivities yourself, the best butchers such as Lidgate in Holland Park and Randalls in Fulham can source you a fabulous turkey at even more fabulous prices that puts the American butterball to shame. Just be careful about size, most English ovens are smaller than in the States. If you don’t want to cook, Whole Foods in Kensington can supply an traditional meal for up to 12 people with all the fixings.

If you are not yet sold on the idea to come to London for Thanksgiving, here is some more ammunition. Late November is a relatively inexpensive time to fly to London. By contract, moving around the United States over Thanksgiving is congested and expensive. In fact, being at least 5,000 miles away from the 25 million Americans who travel on Thanksgiving Day is a pretty good idea. Also, the day after Thanksgiving is a quite normal shopping day in London. You can have a very pleasant time wandering around the stores which are already beautifully decorated for Christmas and not particularly crowded. Compare that to the riots taking place in malls across America.

In addition, you will receive the warmest welcome from your London hosts. Londoners are rather intrigued with the whole notion of Thanksgiving and they are a bit envious of the fact that Americans take the day off just to ”count their blessings” with family and friends who eat themselves silly and all of this without having to buy any presents. Of course, there is always the story that the Friday after Thanksgiving is the only day a poor Brit with a hyper-active, vacation- hating American boss won’t notice if he is late to work. Well, you can’t win them all. In my experience, just like the original pilgrims, if you invite representatives of the indigenous people to join you, they are always happy to oblige.

And finally, you can achieve the ultimate Thanksgiving experience by paying a visit to the Mayflower Pub in Rotherhithe in southeast London from which the original Pilgrim Father set sail for Plymouth in 1620. This historic pub is authorised to sell both British and US stamps so come armed with postcards to confuse your family and friends.

After hoisting a pint at the Mayflower, pay a visit to Southwark Cathedral to see the memorial to the Mohegan tribal chieftan, Sachem Mohamet Weyonomon who had travelled to London in 1736 to complain directly to George II about British settlers encroaching on tribal lands. Sadly, Weyonomon died of smallpox before getting to see the King and was buried in an unmarked grave on the banks of the Thames near John Harvard and William Shakespeare. Weyonomon’s letter to George II finally reached the hands of a British monarch on Wednesday, November 22, 2006. Yes, one day before Thanksgiving.

So forget the traffic jams, the football games, the shopping malls and the Butterballs. For free spirits who want to “connect to their inner Thanksgiving”, go back to where it all really started and have the time of your life celebrating America’s greatest holiday - in London.

Photo Credit of Queen and Indian Chief at Southwark Cathedral AP

Why is Lucca so Lucky?

Driving through the imposing medieval walls into the small Tuscan city of Lucca, we asked ourselves three questions:

Why does everyone look so happy?
Why is everyone on a bike?
Where is all the tourist hoopla?

Over the course of our three-day break, we found answers to all our questions.

First, everyone looks happy because they live and work in one of God’s green acres. According to Forbes magazine, Lucca is the second most idyllic place to live in Europe (after Patmos, Greece) and “has all the charm of Tuscany without the crowds … This is a quiet, though classy town, with lawyers and housewives peddling the narrow cobblestone streets past thousand year old churches and made-in-Italy fashion boutiques.” OK, that explains the contentment but …

Why does everone ride a bike? Because the busses don’t fit through the walled entrance and because most of the perfectly preserved historic centre has been pedestrianized. Locals and visitors alike find it more fun and easier to wiz around on bicycles. Bike rentals are everywhere and prices are reasonable (inquire at the tourist office). A highlight for visitors is to cycle the 4 km circuit around the broad, tree-lined ramparts.

But what about the tourist hulabaloo? As Lucca is a classy town and seems to appeal to a more discerning kind of tourist, the “tour bus, fake handbag and warped post card” options you find all over Florence and Pisa are in short supply. We did find lovely and fairly priced Italian linens in a shop called Butterfly on the Piazza S. Frediano and our daughter was able to find beautiful but affordable Italian paper and notebooks at the tobacconist on Via Santa Croce. Cultural offerings including churches, museums and ‘climbable’ bell towers were equally impressive and uncrowded.

Finally, we were delighted with our hotel and the restaurants. Thanks to the suggestion of Italian friends, we stayed at the mid-priced Hotel Ilaria, which was a great recommendation. This hotel benefits from an excellent location, charming staff, and lots of freebies including parking, WiFi, bicycles and drinks and snacks. Our rooms in the annexe, a former 14th century church, were large, nicely appointed and dead quiet. Rates include a generous buffet breakfast.

The best meal we had was at the Buca di Sant Antonio. This romantic restaurant has been a Mecca for the great and the good since 1782. The food and service were excellent. Also good was the Antica Locanda dell’Angelo where we feasted on budget busting truffles. We had a tasty €10-a-head lunch at Ristorante Gli Orti di via Elisa and the Café di Simo, with its belle époque interior, is a great place to see and be seen.

All in all, our three days in Lucca was hard to fault on any count. This town is indeed lucky, and we’ll be back.

Photo from Rex Maximillian's photo stream on Flickr.

Take a Two Minute Trip to the Arctic

Who knew freezing your butt off could be so much fun?

When I heard that National Geographic had opened a store on London’s Regent Street, I thought:

It will be worthy

It will be well done

But exciting retail?

I doubt it.

Well, I was wrong.

Yesterday, on the way to look at kitchen counters at John Lewis (speaking of worthy but boring retail) I stumbled into the Nat Geo emporium and had a blast – literally.

Of all the things to do and see in this huge, glossy, dare I say it, sexy store, it’s hard to beat taking a spin in the testing chamber where you can try out your expedition gear in simulated extreme weather conditions while a thermo camera takes a pictures of your body’s temperatures. Even though I was in street clothes, the friendly member of staff was happy to let me have a go. Oh yes, it was super windy and cold but where else in London can you take a two minute trip to the Arctic?

In addition to the testing chamber, the store is filled with nifty products that would be great to have whether you are venturing down the block or around the globe. I found the shoes, boots, bags and backpacks particularly seductive. As you would expect from Nat Geo, there are inspiring pictures everywhere, a gallery, a space for presentations, a section for children, and a groovy looking café (the only busy place in the store) with world food and music.

It’s hard to imagine that this enormous store filled with relatively esoteric stuff will make lots of money but as an exciting retail destination and as an expression of the brand, it is a runaway success. In the guest book for the store’s current special exhibition on Finland, a young visitor, who obviously had a great time on his visit, put it this way: “I LOVE National Geographic” and that about sums it up.

The National Geographic store can be found at 83 – 87 Regent Street. There is another store in Singapore.

The photo of the testing chamber taken by Philip Meech & Tim Kavanagh is from the store’s website.

Is Your Hand in my Pocket Because You're Glad to See Me

Yesterday, the UN ranked Norway the best place to live based on education, wealth and life expectancy which reminded me that I had an instructive email from Gary languishing in my inbox about the need for travellers on the road to be vigilant with valuables ... even in the best place to live in the world!


Soon after we rendezvoused with our friends on arrival in Oslo, one of them somewhat randomly mentioned multiple signs they had seen mentioning the need to stay vigilant about pickpockets.

Ah well, our friends don’t travel that much, I thought, and haven’t endured multiple “pickpockets are working this area” announcements at innumerable London tube stations. Isn’t that sweet (and maybe a bit naïve) that Marianne is concerned about such things?

The next day we had decided to join the tourist crowds, which we occasionally do, and go to see the astounding sculptures of Gustav Vigeland, Norway’s most well known (and randiest, if you take a moment to study his work) sculptor. Vigeland Park is a huge outdoor museum, and we enjoyed ourselves, despite, or maybe because of the steel grey weather. Recommended, in spite of the crowds.

Heading back to our apartment, we decided to make use of our OsloPass, which afforded us free travel on the entire trolley system, we headed to the station just outside the park gates. I was a tourist among tourists – cargo shorts, backpack, water bottle, camera. Waiting for the trolley, I took this random picture of a couple of people, one of whom (not facing me) would become more important.

The crowd built up, so by the time the train came, there were a couple of dozen of us waiting to get on.As we scrummed to board the train, said guy, newspaper in hand, thoughtfully motioned me and my backpack ahead of him. Interesting I thought, because I had seen him talking earlier to his friend, the guy who was now in front of me. Maybe they’d had enough of each other. No biggie.

Slowly, the guy in front of me stopped, and even backed up a bit, appearing to be waving others in ahead of him. Meanwhile the guy in back kept moving forward, jostling me and poking me with various elbows and knees. Was he just impatient or was that…a hand in my pocket? Suddenly, Marianne’s words came back to me as my mind spun with visions of spending the vacation cancelling credit cards and replacing driving licenses (after all who cares about the cash?)

What I did next came directly from my amygdala – no cerebral cortex involvement, I assure you. I screamed loudly “Hey, give me back my wallet!” and grabbed his newspaper arm (having understood the purpose of the paper now). Tellingly, he did not react at all, which was probably better for both of us, since I was ready for a fight and he was 20 years my junior. Everyone looked at me and waited to see what would happen. By that time I realized that he had not been successful – my wallet was still in my pocket. I know I should have dragged him to the local constabulary, but I was so relieved that I let him go and he melted into the crowd.

SO there is a moral to this story, which by the way, is not about Oslo, since it could happen anywhere. Yes, it’s about being vigilant, but more than that, it is about what a wonderful idea it is to make a scene. Acting like an obnoxious American has its advantages, and it was clearly the right thing to do here. Lorraine tells me that women, especially are taught not to call attention to themselves, even in such circumstances. I can tell you that the vacation would have been a very different one.

The image is from Viegland Park (thanks to http://www.ilovephilosophy.com/) and pickpockets or not - I really want to go there!