On the third day of our road trip, we did a ton of walking. We got an early start and drove north to the Qadisha Valley, which I think is the most beautiful place in the country! The drive took us along winding, twisting roads with amazing views, reminiscent of Switzerland, with buildings, churches, and homes perched right on the cliffs. We made several stops to snap photos.
While figuring out where to start our hike, a man in a doorless, windowless, roofless Volkswagen Beetle pulled up beside us. It looked like a funny little dune buggy. We followed him, and he showed us where to begin our hike.
After climbing for a while, it was time to descend. We carefully drove along the cliffside, with no guardrails, and parked halfway down the gorge. From there, we started our walk. The scenery was breathtaking, set entirely in nature, with only one restaurant along the way.
For lunch, we had a picnic by the rushing river, surrounded by pine trees and flowers. We enjoyed sandwiches and a Snickers bar for dessert. Continuing our hike, we took more photos and admired the valley views. Near the trail’s end, we explored a rock monastery carved into the cliffside and visited a cave church. It was fascinating. The walk was perfect, with stunning scenery and pleasant weather. We all had a fantastic day and then headed back home.
The next day was our last with the rental car. We drove to the Bekka Valley to see the ruins of Baalbeck, also known as Sun City in ancient times. It’s one of the most impressive Roman sites in the Middle East, with settlement history dating back to 3000 B.C. Initially occupied by the Phoenicians, it was later conquered by Alexander the Great, followed by Pompey the Great in 64 B.C., and then Julius Caesar established a Roman colony here in 47 B.C.
Roman soldiers occupied the city and began constructing temples, a process that took about 120 years to complete just one temple. Over the centuries, around 100,000 slaves worked on these temples. We wandered around the complex, amazed, for about half an hour before heading back to the car.
We hoped to visit the Ksara Winery, Lebanon’s oldest and most famous, before returning the car. Surprisingly, Lebanon is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world, with internationally recognized and awarded wines. Intrigued by our guidebook’s info, we decided to stop for a tour and tasting. Nick, having never been to a winery, was especially excited. The winery was originally a medieval fortress, and grapevines planted in the 18th century still thrive there. The most interesting part was the underground caves, used as cellars where the wine matures.
Discovered during Roman times and expanded during WWI, these caves now extend nearly 2 kilometers. We toured the winery and tunnels, tasting five wines. They were all delightful, except for the dessert wine, which was too sweet for our liking. We bought a bottle of red wine and enjoyed it that night.
For the next couple of days, we relaxed, walked around the city, took naps, hung out with Toni and Bernie, and researched other countries. On our final day, we woke up at 5:30 a.m. to catch our 8:30 a.m. flight to Athens, Greece. Although Greece wasn’t on our initial itinerary, other travelers had highly recommended it. With Syria off-limits, we had three weeks to spare, and Greece seemed like a fantastic place to spend that time.