Spring fling
It’s no wonder that many of Lebanon’s nature lovers, hikers and rural wanderers mention spr ing as their favor ite season. The weather is idyllic, flowers begin to blossom and forests come to life. It’s a time of new beginnings that extends beyond the natural world.
This issue we speak to the innovators and activists behind recycling initiatives that are calling for change and searching for a solution to Lebanon’s garbage cr isis. They are fighting for a more sustainable future through collecting, recycling and composting our waste. We tour the Lebanon Mountain Trail – the histor ic hiking trail that covers the length of the countr y from nor th to south. We take a tr ip nor th to Jbeil and br ing you a roundup of what to do in the city, crowned the Arab Tour ism Capital for 2016, and continue to Bcharreh, to visit the museum of Khalil Gibran, the third most published poet of all time. And we go on a tour of the countr y by night, meeting Lebanon’s af ter-hours community of astronomists and astrophotographers.
Culture wise, we meet young calligrapher Ghaleb Hawila, who is breathing life into an ancient art form and taking it to the streets, we visit the studio of Lebanese mosaicist Dana Adada and head south to meet a family of craf tsmen continuing a long tradition of firebird cutlery in Jezzine. We also sit down with prominent figures such as Andree Maalouf, who has just released a second cookbook of Lebanese cuisine, and Michel Elef teriades, the characterful owner of Music Hall to get his tips for discovering the country.
As usual, we’ve crammed our guide section full of tips to explore the countr y from top to bottom, from guesthouse recommendations to a boutique wine trail of Batroun. Now it’s up to you to lose yourself in Lebanon – send us your photos!
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