Spring in Beirut

We went to a concert in an old church, Eglise de Saint Joseph, having been invited by the talented and lovely young lady (makes me feel old to use that term, but what else?) who leads hiking trips each weekend for an ecotourism NGO. I asked how old the church was. "Oh its not old," she said. "The French built it when they were trying to make everyone French. After the Ottomans." Old being relative.

The concert was the Lebanon National Symphony Orchestra playing a Bach double piano concerto (2 baby grands--how had they survived the various conflicts??) and two other peices. Very nice. One featured a clarinet soloist from Hungary and a Romanian bassoonist. Both were into it, swaying with the music and sharing a smile from time to time. There is a free concert here almost every Friday night! Rich donors.

Spring seemd to burst out in about one day. Suddenly the jasmine, roses, bougainvillea, hibiscus and more were in full bloom. In the countrside it was apple, almond, apricot, walnt and cherry trees. Mind you we don't see plants on every block like you might in other cities. Somehow, in the otherwise sterile, grey, walled, and prison-like UNRWA compound there are a dozen or more rose bushes, and even a flowering tree.