April Ambles
2 May 2022 09:52 pmWith April came more clement weather in Lebanon, so we did a couple of day trips as well as our most recent overnight stay in Batroun (actually Kfar Abida) and then camping along the Nahr el Jaouz River.
We kicked off the month by joining some friends for a visit to the Aammiq Wetland. Sadly, there weren't many fowl to be seen, and for those present, I did not have the right lens for wildlife photography. We also saw stripe necked turtles, including adorable babies, snakes, toads, frogs, a very large centipede, and an awesome praying mantis (empusa pennata). I really need to find a good nature guide to the country's flora and fauna. The French cultural center's library does not have one. :(
Since I have no nice fauna pics, enjoy some a snap* of place instead:

We did a little outing to Araya Pine Park up the mountain, and then one to Pigeon Rocks, down on the coast:


Then we spent a day at Anfeh, a village south of Tripoli:

And of course, there was Batroun. Here is a (bad**) photo of the the Phoenician Wall (you can see better ones and an explanation here):
And after Batroun, our camping expedition, where I suffered a horrible allergy attack due to all the plane tree pollen in the air, but still thoroughly enjoyed the scenery:

I see a common thread of water throughout all these pictures, which reminds me how very different the country is to Egypt. I could also make a post of all the lovely wildflowers. :)
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* This is a very short version of what I wanted to do because I realized I was selecting photo after photo to share. :-/
** It was already after noon, and the sun was beating down on a very hungry family who wanted to find a place to eat lunch. And yet, though hungry and hot, that family has children, children who need to examine this tide pool and that...and that...and that, making it necessary for the parents to act like shepherds (while feeling more like yippy herd dogs) who felt guilty about taking time to position themselves just so for a perfect photo. ;)
We kicked off the month by joining some friends for a visit to the Aammiq Wetland. Sadly, there weren't many fowl to be seen, and for those present, I did not have the right lens for wildlife photography. We also saw stripe necked turtles, including adorable babies, snakes, toads, frogs, a very large centipede, and an awesome praying mantis (empusa pennata). I really need to find a good nature guide to the country's flora and fauna. The French cultural center's library does not have one. :(
Since I have no nice fauna pics, enjoy some a snap* of place instead:

We did a little outing to Araya Pine Park up the mountain, and then one to Pigeon Rocks, down on the coast:


Then we spent a day at Anfeh, a village south of Tripoli:

And of course, there was Batroun. Here is a (bad**) photo of the the Phoenician Wall (you can see better ones and an explanation here):
And after Batroun, our camping expedition, where I suffered a horrible allergy attack due to all the plane tree pollen in the air, but still thoroughly enjoyed the scenery:

I see a common thread of water throughout all these pictures, which reminds me how very different the country is to Egypt. I could also make a post of all the lovely wildflowers. :)
_______
* This is a very short version of what I wanted to do because I realized I was selecting photo after photo to share. :-/
** It was already after noon, and the sun was beating down on a very hungry family who wanted to find a place to eat lunch. And yet, though hungry and hot, that family has children, children who need to examine this tide pool and that...and that...and that, making it necessary for the parents to act like shepherds (while feeling more like yippy herd dogs) who felt guilty about taking time to position themselves just so for a perfect photo. ;)
no subject
Date: 5 May 2022 06:18 am (UTC)The photo with the Phoenician wall looks like an otherworldly landscape, same with the Pigeon Rocks.
no subject
Date: 8 May 2022 12:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 8 May 2022 12:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 8 May 2022 12:14 pm (UTC)I have a very artistic B&W photo of Sprout with those stripes, but it didn't fit with the color and mood, so to speak of the others. I'll email you.
As I was telling our friend in the comment below, Lebanon has great variety and diversity of place.
no subject
Date: 9 May 2022 10:48 pm (UTC)