CatmanDu: August 2011

Saturday, August 27, 2011

I Amsterdam

Solo Trip to Amsterdam [shadows of self]

I walked through the canals

and journeyed between the row houses-

seeing myself at every turn.

As I walked around my city,

one long jaunt back through time,

I trekked

through past visits

and met

me.

I was the man with the baby
on the bicycle,
my wide-eyed grinning daughters-
with their handlebar clinging, manic laughter
ringing through my ears.

I snuck up on me at Vondelpark,

the couple in their 20's, before kids,

holding hands and strolling.

I saw my somber face emerging from the Anne Frank house,

forever changed by the empathy walk through

the attic.

I was the drunken dancers at the concert-

my moves fluid and steady in my mind-

yet disjointed and flailing on the

dance floor.

Wandering the ever widening spoke,

I saw me as

I priced the pharmacy-

Dads buying bandaids and

a young man with a pregnancy test in hand.

Pieces of my former lives

shined on corners like

shimmering hope reflecting

back at me.

I studied the father explaining the art

at the Van Gogh museum,

hearing my own explanation

of brush strokes

and a tortured soul

poured onto the canvas.

On the way out of town,

training to Schiphol-

the family playing cards was

my unending Uno marathons with Rosie and Bella-

cleverly holding a last wild card,

plotting my win just before arrival.

I walked the canals

of my life-

drifting through time,

collecting the pictures

and memories.

I amsterdam

Friday, August 12, 2011

Lebanon Summer Trip, chapter 8: Tyre and Sidon

On our last day in Lebanon, we traveled south to the city of Sur (which in ancient times was Tyre) and to the city of Sidon. Both of these places have amazing artifacts and long histories, dating back over 6,000 years!

Lebanon Summer Trip, chapter 7: Faqra

Up the mountain, not far from where we stayed in Ballouneh, we journeyed to Faqra to see more Roman ruins and some Phoenician artifacts as well.

On the drive, we saw a natural bridge called Jisr al-Hajar

The arch of the natural bridge spans thirty eight meters!

The Roman ruins at Faqra

Like most of the ruins we encountered in Lebanon, the Roman ruins at Faqra were built atop a Greek temple which was built on the site of a Phoenician sacred place. The Greeks chose the site to keep the traditional location for the conquered Phoenicians, but built larger, more elaborate structures to show the Greek Gods' power. The Romans then restored and elaborated upon the Greek work at the site, leaving their architecture as the newest and best preserved.

Jill at the entrance

Some columns that supported the Roman pyramidal roof

Sun-soaked columns

The view from inside the temple

Some restoration keeps these columns from crumbling further

The size of the temple would have made it visible from all directions in ancient times

Standing tall as columns

Broken columns allow analysis into their construction

The site is on a peak overlooking a valley,

so it is not surprising the site was regarded as sacred.

In the temple

Standing on history

Jill at the entrance to a mausoleum

Burial site

On top of the mausoleum

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Lebanon Summer Trip, chapter 6: The Food

One of the best things we experienced in Lebanon was the food. Our hosts were generous in sharing true Lebanese dining experiences with us. After eight days, we had gained some weight and developed some new favorite dishes. Each morning we had our Turkish coffee and manaeesh (zaatar and cheese breads). Lunch and dinner were filled with incredible dishes to share.

Mezze plates while eating in Ehden

Each meal was filled with many plates of assorted foods to sample

Stuffed grape leaves, hummus, garlic paste and baba ghanoush

Grilled kibbeh

Nyad and Bella enjoy the lunch and meeting up in Nyad's hometown

While dining, we sat in the shade of a 2,000 year-old cedar tree! These trees powered the early Phoenicians and still symbolize Lebanon, most prominently on the Lebanese flag.