Beirut, Lebanon – Different Than You Thought

I have to admit – I’m a Beirut firsttimer. But I have heard so much about Beirut and about Lebanon (the good and the bad) that I couldn’t wait finally getting my own views and opinions. I’ll certainly stay out of politics and religion – although these are two topics you could right books about. Let’s focus on what you should do in Lebanon: have fun!

Beirut

Beirut is facing a major reconstruction. The downtown area, Solidere is now finished and full of expensive high street shops and restaurants. Another area that’s coming up is Hamra with the American University of Beirut (AUB) just next door. Achrafiye and Gemmayzeh are old time favorites. I wasn’t too impressed by the Corniche. You can have a stroll and a look at the Pigeon Rocks, then rather head to La Plage. The St George Yacht Motor Club is up and coming again, however I wouldn’t necessarily recommend going beyond the Bay Rock Cafe. The Movenpick is no longer in an area you want to be in.

I can recommend the hotels we stayed in: Hotel Casa d’Or in Hamra and the Park Tower Suites in Achrafiye. Expect about double the price for the Park Tower, however you’ll get a spotlessly clean one bedroom apartment.

There are tons of restaurants, bars, nightlife. Listing anybody is almost unfair to all the others great places in town. I’ll add locations when I update this page.

Beyond Beirut

• Jeita Grotto: One of the best caves I’ve ever seen. Well organized half-day tour from Beirut. Bring your own car – no need to do this with an organized tour from Beirut.
• Jounieh: Although not recommended in basically all the travel guides that I’ve seen (Lonely Planet etc), I found it certainly to be a nice spot. Stroll through downtown and especially visit some of the beaches further south. Have a look at the Casino du Liban.

• Byblos (Jbail): One of the highlights in Lebanon with a very nice port, a Crusader castle and restaurants. Great day trip from Beirut – or stay here as nightlife is picking up.
• Bakaa Valley: Visit Baalbek for sure. Amazing ruins that match what you see in Italy or Turkey. I was a bit disappointed by Aanjar – rather spend time in Zahle. Zahle is a very nice little town in the hills before going back to Beirut. Stay here at least one night – lots of hotels and restaurants around. Don’t forget to visit the Ksara Winery which is close to Zahle.

Unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to visit other highlights like the Cedars, Tyre (Sour) or the Beiteddine Palace (Beit ad-Din). But Lebanon is full of surprises – some of the nicest people on Earth, great food, an amazing nightlife – and I’ll certainly be back soon.

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Madrid, Spain

It’s good to be back in Madrid. Lovely city. I stayed as usual at Hotel Quo Puerta del Sol and ate at La Finca de Susana. Just a short trip though. Some photos below.

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Munich, Germany

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What a lovely tour through Munich. It’s good to be home. Thanks to my father we rented a horse-drawn carriage which took us through downtown Munich and to the English Garden. Ending at the Chinese Tower. If you are interested – try Kutscherei Hans Holzmann. Unfortunately we didn’t make it for Oktoberfest – but we’ll be back next year.

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Love this hike

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Google My Tracks is amazing. Love this app on the G2.

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Best restaurants in Barcelona

You’ll probably be surprised if I say that I think it’s difficult to find a great restaurant in Barcelona. There are thousands – but really good ones just a few. I have to say that a good restaurant for me is not just the food – it’s about the service, the atmosphere, the people – and of course about the food as well. Well, here is my list – I’m sure there are lots of different opinions. Happy to read comments about my personal selection. Thank you! (BTW – the restaurants listed are *NOT* ranked by order, rather just as they came into my mind):

1. Cinc Sentits

http://www.cincsentits.com/

Good service, excellent taster menu – and very good food!

2. Bestial

http://www.bestialdeltragaluz.com/

If you are in the Puerto Olímpico, that’s the place I would go to. Although quite touristic, it’s still a wonderful area. There is also ‘Agua’ from the same group (Grupo Tragaluz, http://www.grupotragaluz.com/) just along the beach.

3. Cal Pep

http://www.calpep.com/

This is *NOT* the place for the romantic dinner, but the food is unbeatable. Not easy to get a space – some knowledge of Catalan / Spanish helps. Atrue Catalan experience.

4. Pla and Re-Pla

http://www.pla-repla.com/

A long-time favorite. This is the place for a romantic dinner. Good service, good value for money.

5. Abac

http://www.abacbarcelona.com/

They just moved locations and are in Avenida Tibidabo, 1 now. Book in advance.

6. Salero

http://www.restaurantesalero.com/

Some people say that women like this restaurant better than men. In any case, it’s an excellent restaurant – close to Estació de França.

7. Al Contadino

http://www.biancomassaro.de/site/barcellona.html

The best “Italiener” Italian restaurant in Barcelona.

8. Cervecería Catalana

9. El Bulli, Roses

10. La Vinya Nova, El Bruc

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Best Places in Sitges

Having lived in Sitges (Barcelona), Spain over the last three years, I’d like to share my favorite places of this very special village on the Mediterranean.

1. L’Atlàntida

Not only a night club. It’s “la vida” in Sitges and the place to be on the weekend (and during the week). Check the program so you end up on the right day.

2. Pic Nic

Don’t worry about the service here. It just sucks, but it is the best place to have a beer and some tapas right behind the beach. Or come for coffee.

3. La Santa Maria

My favorite restaurant in Sitges. It’s not really the best one, La Fragatta for example is much better, but the price / quality at Santa Maria is just better. They have a hotel as well. I’ve never stayed there but heard it’s quite nice. Come here for lunch (set menu on weekdays) or dinner. Always lots of people.

4. Sports Bar

Actually just a franchise restaurant and it just serves the usual hamburgers plus some “Mexican” dishes, but it’s just the best places to warch a soccer game in Sitges. If Barça is playing – get here early.

5. Calle del Pecado

Well, you need to come to Sitges to understand why there is a Calle del Pecado (Street of sin). It’s very short but lined of bars and restaurants. Just get here after dinner on a Friday or Saturday evening and you’ll have lots of fun. Around 1 or 2am head over to L’Atlàntida or Pacha.

6. Pacha and Sweet Pacha

It all started here in Sitges. The first Pacha opened in 1967 and now there are Pacha’s all over the world. Since a few years there is also a Sweet Pacha at Port d’Aiguadolç

7. Playa San Sebastian

My favorite beach in Sitges: Playa San Sebastian.

8. Buddhist Temple Sakya Tashi Ling near Sitges

You’ll be surprised to find a buddhist temple just 15 minutes from Sitges in the Garraf natural park. It’s a great place to relax and a nice trip for half a day from Sitges (with car or bicycle).

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Best Beaches in Spain

1. Sitges (Barcelona, Catalonia)

Not just because I lived there for many years… Sitges just has the right combination of a lovely beach, a beautiful town, great nightlife and the most liberal people in Spain. Don’t forget to visit the smaller beach behind the church: San Sebastian.

2. Tamariu (Costa Brava, Catalonia)

The most beautiful beaches in Catalonia. The Costa Brava was and is a perfect vacation spot. Lots of people from Barcelona have their vacation home here. Some excellent beaches to point out:

• Sa Tuna and Aiguafreda
• Tamariu and Aiguablava
• Calella de Palafrugell

3. Los Caños de Meca (Barbate, Andalucia)

Lots of construction in the past years, but still one of my favorites in Andalucia. Also some nice ones along the coast to Zahara de los Atunes.

4. Chiclana de la Frontera (Cádiz, Andalucia)

One of the nicest areas in all of Spain: the coast from Cádiz to Tarifa with its nice white washed villages. Several beautiful beaches: La Barrosa in Chiclana is a favorite one, but there are many others in Conil or Barbate (see above).

5. Matalascañas (Almonte, Andalucia)

Right next to the Parque Nacional de Doñana, Matalascañas has seen many famous visitors. It’s also next to El Rocío – the craziest fiesta in Spain (Pentecost).

6. San Sebastian (Basque Country)

A breathtaking sceneriy with one of Spain’s most beautiful cities: San Sebastian. La Concha is an all time favorite.

7. Formentera (Balearic Islands)

Lots of pros and cons of the Balearic Islands. My favorite is Formentera and its most famous beach is: Ses Illetes.

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South America bottom up – I am ready for the big adventure…

I have been traveling through South America for four months in 2005: Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, etc…

I will try to integrate my travel blog into this blog, but for the moment find it here: http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog/mtantow/southamerica-05/tpod.html

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