after quite some time this summer. If it gets to hot and stuffy on the coast, the Chouf Mountains are a good bet to get out of it all. Always green with a few streams running throughout the year, it was good to visit the mountains. The air is clean and fresh, actually it was so fresh up at around 2000m, that one could have used a sweater. It is normally quite up there, with great views towards Beirut and the sea, but of course today a crowed of locals spoiled the tranquility. With so much noise, no birds were to be seen, let alone any other animals. I have to come back a few times, maybe during the week as the are some great photo oportunities. In winter it would be good for snow showing or even cross-country skiing. With the recent temperatures, who is thinking of snow now. The cedar cones, that grow upwards, were in bloom and green. The really old cedar trees are majestic, wide circumfence and impressive. In the old times, when the whole mountains were covered with these trees it must have been fantastic. The smell is great, a mixture of pine forest and meditarrane vegetations and smells. Of course if one is going with friends who are not really into photography it is difficult to do some serious work. Lot's of butterflies around, which looked really pretty, but the time of the day was to late, it was already warm in they were moving all around. Certainly a place I need to come back again and again, the Cedars of Barouk.

Only few places remain were there is a real forest, most of the mountains looks like this. The even higher elevations are beyond the treeline with no or little vegetation. What can be noticed in the Chouf once driving up from the coast is the relative cleanliness as further one climbs into the mountains. One notices all the greem trash can's placed everywhere, and people seem to use them. The feeling one has up here is so different from the coastal plains, especially in the south, were one mostly feels chaos and mayhem.

The whole area is full of places to be discovered, villages, hills, forests and valleys. I think there are lot of photo opportunities there, and since the area has some tourism, a camera is not so suspicious as in the south. This week saw some demonstrations in the south, along as other cities and places in the region, but they were all peaceful and well organized. The 'H' has it all in the grip, very organized and managed. So nothing of writing about this as nothing happened during those demonstrations. In the south, the German Navy came close to the coast, sailing in tropical waters. Otherwise nothing new from the camp or work, same story all the time. Countdown to retirement is still the best motivation these days. One of my old colleagues of 26 years finally took the plunge and retired. Lucky him, wishing him good luck, don't look back or come back, it's aint worth it anymore. He and I joined a different organization then what it is now. Anyway my time will come. :)

German Navy Patrol boat sailing on the coast of South Lebanon. This is actually the view I have from the office, of course the patrol boat is not there all the time.:) If I can't complain about one thing, it is the view from the office. What I would need is a deck and a lounge chair to round of the experience.:)

Your's truly below, holding my breath to keep my belly small. :)) That's it for now, good bye.