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Is Lebanon safe? A five-day visit showed a vibrant country still worth visiting

Is Lebanon safe? A five-day visit showed a vibrant country still worth visiting

(This is the second of a three-part series on Lebanon.) BEIRUT – In the heart of a country at war, there is Hamra. Hamra is the neighborhood in Beirut where you drink fine wine in elegant enotecas, peruse paintings in modern art galleries, sip coffee in tony cafes, chug beer in rollicking dive bars, see plays in historic theaters. Hamra is Beirut’s SoHo. It’s where […]

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Dahiyeh: Trip through Beirut’s most dangerous neighborhood shows Lebanon’s war isn’t over

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I paid a taxi driver in Beirut $35 to drive me through Dahiyeh, Beirut’s most bombed neighborhood. It was like a mini Gaza. Buildings cut off at the second floor. Blown-out windows. Entire blackened buildings shaved of their outer layer. My driver gave me warnings not to get out of the car or take pictures and at one point, told me not even to take notes. It was a riveting inside look at Israel’s war with Hezbollah where its stronghold is Dahiyeh.

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Armenian wine: A 6,000-year-old tradition becoming a major player from a small mountain village

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Armenian wine is growing on the international wine scene and its center is a small village of only 1,700 people in the south end of the country. The town of Areni boasts not only three of the biggest wineries in the Armenia but also the oldest winery in the world. In 2007, archaeologists discovered a cave that had all the well-preserved remains of a wine manufacturing operation. Areni is a fascinating place and delicious, too.

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Armenia: Surviving and thriving after generations of suffering

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Is there a more persecuted people in the world than the Armenians? After spending 10 days there last month, I suspect there isn’t. But despite earthquakes, genocide, Soviet rule and the recent wars with Azerbaijan, Armenia is growing and thriving. Marina and I loved it, particularly the bustling, lively capital of Yerevan.

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Italy’s cost of living: It’s gone up here, too, folks

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All my friends in the United States are complaining about higher costs. I believe them. I know. But here in Italy, the cost of living has gone up, too. It’s not as bad as in the U.S. but bad enough for Italians to take to the streets and protest. Here’s a hard look at what it is costing Italians and me today.

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Turkmenistan: Toasting marshmallows at the Gates of Hell

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Turkmenistan’s top tourist attaction is a giant, fiery pit four hours north of the capital. The Darvaza Gas Craters, better known as the Gates of Hell, have been burning ever since a sinkhole occurred in 1971. Today it is a dangerous but fascinating sight I was privileged to experience in my recent trip to the mysterious desert country. This is the second of a three-part series on Turkmenistan.

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