Sidon
A couple of weeks ago we drove south of Beirut to Sidon (Saida) and enjoyed a day of sightseeing. Sidon is an ancient city inhabited since 4000 BC and conquered many times over by many different Empires. It is mentioned in the bible and it`s said that Jesus and St. Paul preached there. Isn`t that amazing!? One of the biggest attractions is the Crusader`s Castle, built in the 13th century and located near the port.
After checking out the castle, we walked through the souks (markets) to go to the Soap museum which traces the history of soap making in Lebanon and also shows you how it was manufactured. Apparently the only change to soap-making over thousands of years is that there is now a motor that turns the "stirring" mechanism. The soap is made of olive oil and laurel and very very good for your skin. Many of Tigerpapa`s coworkers sing it`s praises and say that the eczema that plagued them (and their kids) throughout their lives disappeared after using this soap. I bought a bar made with Jasmine and it`s heavenly! Here is a tower of soap as it dries before being packaged:
The Market:
There was a lovely family with 3 little boys sitting at the table behind us (you can see them in the background of the following pictures). One of the little boys kept trying to talk to Tigerboy. :) Anyway, the father gave our kids a piece of corn that he had purchased from the vendor pictured above. I must say that people here are very friendly especially to the kids. They are often given a pinch on the cheek or a pat on the head.
Tigerpapa gets a weeks holiday in August and we were thinking of going to Europe but, with all of the moving expenses (we have to buy furniture!), we have decided to stay in Lebanon this time. Luckily, there is no shortage of great places to explore. We will go to Baalbeck and explore the Roman ruins located there and then stay at a mountain resort with a pool. There may even be time to tour another vineyard.
Oh, and we found an apartment (Sept. 1st move in date). I will post pictures as soon as I can get in and take some. :)
After checking out the castle, we walked through the souks (markets) to go to the Soap museum which traces the history of soap making in Lebanon and also shows you how it was manufactured. Apparently the only change to soap-making over thousands of years is that there is now a motor that turns the "stirring" mechanism. The soap is made of olive oil and laurel and very very good for your skin. Many of Tigerpapa`s coworkers sing it`s praises and say that the eczema that plagued them (and their kids) throughout their lives disappeared after using this soap. I bought a bar made with Jasmine and it`s heavenly! Here is a tower of soap as it dries before being packaged:
The Market:
There was a lovely family with 3 little boys sitting at the table behind us (you can see them in the background of the following pictures). One of the little boys kept trying to talk to Tigerboy. :) Anyway, the father gave our kids a piece of corn that he had purchased from the vendor pictured above. I must say that people here are very friendly especially to the kids. They are often given a pinch on the cheek or a pat on the head.
Tigerpapa gets a weeks holiday in August and we were thinking of going to Europe but, with all of the moving expenses (we have to buy furniture!), we have decided to stay in Lebanon this time. Luckily, there is no shortage of great places to explore. We will go to Baalbeck and explore the Roman ruins located there and then stay at a mountain resort with a pool. There may even be time to tour another vineyard.
Oh, and we found an apartment (Sept. 1st move in date). I will post pictures as soon as I can get in and take some. :)
posted by Tigermama @ 4:35 PM
13 Comments:
At 5:28 PM,
marianne said…
Sidon,yes remember it being mentioned a lot during mass.What a fascinating place and jasmine soap...how lovely!The market looks amazing and what happened to the children?They look so much more grown up than just a few months back and still as gorgeous as ever,of course:)
Baalbeck looks amazing too.I never knew that Lebanon had so much to offer.
At 6:09 PM,
Tigermama said…
Lebanon is full of beautiful places. You should definitely come and see us before we move back to Japan. You`ve got 3 years!
At 12:14 AM,
Lily said…
Wow- tigergirl looks so much like you in that last pic. I can't believe that you live there- it looks so incredible.
At 9:39 AM,
marianne said…
You know,that sounds really really tempting:)
At 11:08 AM,
Anonymous said…
I am so glad you are blogging all your experiences. What a great reference for the kids to look back on. Also, wish I was there visiting you. Hope to see you during the Christmas holidays...Love Laurie
At 4:14 PM,
Tigermama said…
Lily, I can`t believe we live here either!
Laurie, thank you! I hope the blog survives for just that reason. And I hope to see you BEFORE the Christmas holidays. :)
At 5:29 PM,
Gina said…
That tower of soap is just awesome, and the museum must have been really neat as well! And the markets look really really cool! Kids look as gorgeous, as ever as well! This is going to be an exciting 3 years for you guys! : )
At 9:49 PM,
coarse gold girl said…
You know, I absolutely LOVE reading about your life there. And whenever I pause with trepedition over doing something (like dealing with the crotchety old man at the parking garage--or the worst possible thing, attending my DD1's parent-teacher conference) I just think: Tigermama is DRIVING in Beirut! I can do this (small piddly thing, whatever that may be at the moment.)
Laura
At 10:15 PM,
Sheri said…
mmmmm jasmine soap!
The pictures look great (so do the kids!) Hope the move goes smoothly!
At 5:24 PM,
Mary Witzl said…
What an incredible place, and how lucky you are to be able to see it!
As for driving in Beirut, I'm well and truly impressed that you can do this. Even the prospect of driving in Glasgow or Edinburgh makes me shudder.
Now I'm wondering how they can make soap without lye. Surely they need something alkaline like ashes or lye to get it to form? Whatever they use, that soap towers looks fantastic.
At 5:53 PM,
Tigermama said…
Gina, it IS exciting although it`s not home, iykwim!
CGG, LOL! Stress is stress no matter where you are or what you`re doing! I had more stress with those little communication problems in Japan than I do with driving here in Beirut!
Sheri, thanks! It looks like we are resuming the apartment hunt though so it may be awhile before we move. sigh.
At 7:30 PM,
Tigermama said…
Mary, I think they use lye or glycerine. I can`t remember which one. In any case, the soap is fab! :)
At 5:30 PM,
Kappa no He said…
I am so jealous. What a fabulous culture to explore. I can't wait to read more of your adventures.
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