zoom zoom gracie: June 2012

Frankfurt, Germany

greetings,

i had the pleasure of spending the night in Frankfurt on my way back to the states from Lebanon.
I spent the night with my friend Jens who i spent the summer/winter with at the south pole and his girlfriend, Mary.
i got a quick tour before i hopped back on the plane, such a beautiful old city!
hope this finds you all well and enjoying the day.
take care,
karengrace

street art

skyline

more skyline

flower market in a square

trees in a square

government building

this is a fountain that still spouts apple wine once a year for the annual festival, carried over from medieval times

old buildings, rebuilt to resemble their pre war splendor, in the same square as the apple wine fountain

cathedral

gargoyle

yummy apple wine, the official drink of Frankfurt

Mary, Jens and me enjoying apple wine!

Tyre, Lebanon

greetings,

this is my final entry from my time in Lebanon. i spent my last full day exploring the south of the country, these pictures are from Tyre, founded around 2750 BC. one of the things it is best known for was the production of the Tyrian Purple dye from the shellfish in the region. Alexander the Great laid siege to the ancient city by building a causeway to the island for 7 months by dismantling the old city to build the causeway.
the remains are some of the largest Roman and Byzantine in the country, the hippodrome is the largest remains of its type in the world. Tyre was the farthest south i went in the country, i met many great people on this trip to Lebanon, everyone i met was kind and generous, regardless of their religious affiliation.
i am so sorry for the recent upheaval that has spilled over from Syria into this great country, hoping that the region can find peace sooner than later.
i hope this finds you all well.
take care,
karengrace

entrance to the ruins

these are the views of the hippodrome

the view of the triumph from the Roman side of the ruins

the view of the arc from the Byzantine side

remains of the train tracks that were destroyed in the 15 year war

more train tracks, there are no more trains in the country

remains of the aqua duct structure, the water was gravity fed from 3 spring fed lakes in the area

the doorways that ran under the hippodrome, there are about 440

holes where horses were once tied up

2000 year old human remains

sarcophagi

remnants of the Byzantine church, many mosaics are throughout the ruins

sarcophagi

Alexander the Great on a sarcophagus

more mosaics

many sarcophagi

these were the various stones set at the entrance to each community, instructing people as to who the various local government officials were

store in the town of Tyre

Sidon, Lebanon

greetings,

Sidon or Saida is on the coast south of Beirut and the third largest city in the country.

the site of the city has been inhabited since prehistoric times and is believed to be one of the most important Phoenician cities... it is best known for the Sea Castle built by the crusaders in 1228.
the largest souk (outdoor market) exists here in the city center, there are several layers above and below the street, a testament to the age of the city. there was a large souk in Beirut but it was destroyed during the 15 year war.

i was introduced to a driver by Pierre Debbane, Michael's father, as Sidon and Tyre are in the south of the country and i am not an experienced Lebanese driver! i was able to spend a few days after Hank departed to explore more of the country and stay with Michael...

Sidon and Tyre are mostly Muslim areas, as the central and northern parts of the country have more Christian inhabitants. my guide and i ate the best falafel while enjoying the view of the sea castle before continuing down to Tyre, another 1.5 hours south on the coast.

i hope you enjoy these photos and that this finds you having a splendid day.
take care,
karengrace