This is Beirut???

Wow! I was expecting something of the bombed-out, bullet-ridden war zone that I remembered from the years of the Lebanese civil war. Granted, the war ended about 10 years ago but I don't think I've seen any pictures of Beirut since so I hadn't updated my mental image of the city. Today it's a beautiful, vibrant city hugging a scenic Mediterranean coastline.

I got into Beirut before my tour started so I had a day to wander around and soak up the atmosphere. They have a wonderful promenade that runs along the Mediterranean (like San Francisco's Embarcadero, for those in the Bay Area). It was a sunny Sunday and lots of families were out for a stroll. There were also lots of people out walking, running, cycling and even a couple of rollerbladers. It reminded me of San Francisco's marina area on a sunny weekend. (Hmmm, that's two references to San Francisco in one paragraph. Perhaps I'm a bit homesick.)

But the real surprise was Beirut's city center. They have invested enormous amounts of time, energy and money to restore the center to its former glory. And they have succeeded marvelously. Most of the buildings have been renovated with their 19th century facades and small wrought-iron balconies surround many of the windows. A large portion of the center is a pedestrian zone with wide boulevards and an abundance of sidewalk cafes. High-end clothing stores, furniture stores and art galleries fill most of the ground-level retail spaces. I'm even at a loss to find as nice a section of San Francisco to compare it to.

Apparently, Beirut was the Monte Carlo of the Mideast before their civil war and they are striving to restore that reputation as a liberal, cosmopolitan playground. I'd say they are doing a fine job so far. Now they just have to change that association between 'Beirut' and 'war zone'.