A day in Jbeil (Byblos)

What a beautiful sunny morning I woke up to. Living in Lebanon for the past 7 years, getting close to Christmas time, I appreciate it when the weather is sunny, fresh and what better way to spend a lovely midweek adventure because of a public holiday; a day in Jbeil is what the Dr. recommends.  Now getting my mom excited with the notion of my so called adventure was surprisingly easy – I mean who would say no?!

Ok so let me give you a bit of a history lesson: Jbeil or the Greek name Byblos which the word Bible is also derived from. Byblos has the reputation of being the oldest city in the world dating back to the 3^rd millennium. The Phoenicians also known as ‘purple traders’ built their city in Byblos which was one of the most popular ports on the Mediterranean.

Going back to my 40-minute drive with traffic up to the coast of Jbeil, I was happy to have my mum with me telling stories of times passed.

Although sunny, the soft cool breeze reminded me we had to bundle up for our walk. It was a wonderful marvel to stroll amongst ruins of a lost civilization; they created the alphabet, the color purple and majestic ships.

Continuing on to the old shops, restaurants and cafes, we kept walking down the cobblestoned road where you can spot the castle built by crusaders.  Remembering it now just takes my breath away, especially when the view cascades all the way down to the port of Jbeil bordered by the blue sea, which reflected the suns rays. The only disappointing thing is the decrease of tourists in the wintertime but other than that it was a picture perfect moment.

Hoping that next weeks weather will be as wonderful, a trip to Saida/Sidon to explore the old souks as well should be interesting as I’ve never been. Until then!