Tag Archives | byblos

Gustave Bouchon – Liquor, Wine & Cigar Concept Store in Byblos

By Rami on January 31, 2018 in Reviews

Last week I was in Byblos and a friend there took me to a new wine, and cigar concept store in town called “Gustave Bouchon“.

The reason I’m writing about the place is because it has a carefully curated and unique selection of liquors and wines to suit different drinking styles. I personally have little knowledge about pairing spirits with food and I know a lot of people who like me simply settle for whatever the waiters recommend at restaurants, or end up buying the same kind of wine at supermarkets because they can’t tell the difference between all the available ones. It is a rule of thumb for example to go for red wine when having meat, but then again red wine can vary in taste from dry to sweet and to really enjoy your mean you must pick the one that suits your food the most. So what I loved most about Gustave Bouchon is that they have a knowledgeable sommelier who’s specialized in pairing spirits and food, and can even suggest the right bottle for you depending on your drinking style, as well as the type of event/gathering you’re hosting or attending, and you can of course try whatever you choose before buying.

The palce also has a table that fits 10-15 people for those who would like to gather for some fine drinks. So you can choose the bottle you like and they will serve it to you along with bits and bites and a fine cigar if you’re a smoker, and they can offer several dining formulas (Sushi, French, or Italian) if you reserve ahead of time. The decor and setting of Gustave Bouchon make it ideal for group gatherings by the way, with decor inspired by The Austro-Hungarian Empire and bottles organized on shelves in libary style. The lighting and the vibrant bottle colors make it a really inviting place for passers by.

So in brief, if you’re looking to know more about spirits and food pairing or simply want to enjoy a fine drink, then I highly recommend you get the right partner(s) and go check out Gustave Bouchon. And if you’re lucky enough then you’ll probably meet the owner and he will tell you the story behind the store’s logo and slogan “The man the tale”.😉

Awesome Aerial Video From Around Lebanon

By Rami on May 7, 2017 in Videos

I know YouTube is infested with Lebanese drone shot videos but some just stand out and are too good not to share. The one below is produced by Dark Matters and is available in UHD resoultion, so if you have a suitable display and a hopefully fast connection just let it load in 4K and enjoy the cool shots and music.

Five Tourists Lip Synced Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You While Touring Lebanon

By Rami on April 21, 2017 in Music, Travel, Videos

I just bumped into this video on YouTube showing five tourists who documented their journey around Lebanon in an unusual way. They compiled several segments of themselves lip syncing and dancing to the tunes of Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You.

The best thing about the video is that it was shot using a smartphone with no pretentious acting or moves all while showing some nice places around the country, so not much energy was put into it but the resulting video was still pretty cool to watch.

Among the places that show are Raouche, Jbeil, Batroun, Saida Castle, Saida Old Souk, Harissa, and Baalbeck. I believe if this goes viral then it can easily become one of the best promotional videos for Lebanon!

Red Bull RB7 Meets Byblos and The Cedars of God

By Rami on May 23, 2016 in Photography, Racing, Sports

For all of us who have never attended a Fromula 1 race yet, Red Bull made it up by bringing Carlos Sainz Jr. to burn some rubber in his RB7 racing cat at Beirut Waterfront. The event was unfortunately a bit dull for me as I couldn’t attend and watched it on TV instead which sometimes doesn’t give you a sense of how fast the car was going. I hope some professional videos will soon be available online, including some shots from an onboard camera would be cool too!

Anyway, well before the event, the Red Bull team took the RB7 for a photo shoot around Byblos and the Cedars of God. I found this set of resultant photos on motorsport.com and thought of sharing them here because they’re pretty cool.

I couldn’t find the name of the photographer by the way, so if anyone knows it please leave a comment to credit him/her properly.

Tiny Beirut – A Cool Tilt-Shift Video

By Rami on March 2, 2016 in Lebanon

tiny beirut

I found this cool tilt-shift video on Vimeo today with scenes from Beirut, Jounieh, and Byblos and thought it is worth sharing on the blog.

It was made by a photographer named Eirik Evjen and I personally found it quite nice for a change at a time when most of the viral videos lately showing parts of Lebanon are taken using drones.

You can check more of Eirik’s work on his website.

Cool Aerial Video of Byblos Bay

By Rami on June 26, 2015 in Lebanon

Although realtively short, this video shot by Marc Howayek using a DJI Phantom 3 shows some great scenery from the coast of Byblos.

I have also seen a sneak peak of other video he took in different regions of Lebanon and they look really awesome. I hope he uploads them sometime soon so that I can share them as well.

The Ultimate Guide to 2015 Summer Festivals in Lebanon

By Rami on June 19, 2015 in Lebanon

Snow-Patrol-at-Byblos-Festival-05

The good people at Lebtivity have the full program for nearly each and every festival going around the country this summer. So I thought it would be nice to compile them all in one post to help both tourists and locals better know about them and pick the concerts and events they would like to attend. Clicking on each event will lead you to its respective program on Lebtivity.com.

Byblos Festival

The International Festival has been held annually since 2003, in July. It takes place by the seaside in the historic quarter, in front of the castle built by Crusaders in the 12th century.

Baalbeck International Festival

The festivals date back to the mid 20th century with the first organizing activities being held in 1955. After one year, presiden Chamoun named it the Baalbeck International Festival, which became a governmental institution whose goal was to promote tourism and Lebanese culture.

Beiteddine Art Festival

The Beiteddine Festival was launched amidst war and destruction in the middle of the 80’s. It came as an act of faith in Lebanon’s cultural specificity and its power of creativity and artistic freedom. It was a call for normality in the middle of the chaos and madness of the civil war. The festival takes place in the large 200-year old Beiteddine Palace.

Jounieh International Festival

Jounieh International Festival was launched in 2011 is now famous for the opening ceremony marked by the synchronized fireworks show along the bay of Jounieh. The festival takes place at Fouad Chehab stadium.

Zouk International Festival

Zouk International Festival was launched in 2010 and attracts guests from all over the country and abroad. Zouk Mikael is 10 minutes away from Beirut, perched on a hill of Kesrouwan overlooking the Mediterranean. Its roman styled amphitheatre with a capacity of 2500, built for major events, hosts the festival.

Batroun International Festival

The festival had a shy and amateur debut in the early 90’s until it acquired international standards and earned its place among international cultural festivals. In 2009, the Batroun International Festival was born and started hosting leading local and international artist from all over the world.

Ehdeniyat – Ehden International Festival

Ehdeniyat, which started in 2004, flourished from a local and national event to an International festival of Music and Art. But above all this, Ehdeniyat became an experience of glamour, culture and tradition; “An Experience that Never Ends”.

Beirut Holidays

Beirut Holidays is a series of concerts and shows in the heart of Beirut Souks. Launched in 2012, the festival brings together diverse musical performances and talents, local artists and international performers, from East and West mixing varying genres and tastes.

Cedars International Festival

After almost half a century, the Cedars International Festival will return this summer to Bsharri. The northern town will host several of Lebanon’s top artists as part of an effort to revive tourism in the district. The four-night festival will feature a wide range of musical and artistic performances.

Dbayeh Festival

An enchanting event taking place in Dbayeh this summer. An initiative by Tajammo Ahel Al Mahabba for the fifth consecutive year to raise the voice of hope and peace in Lebanon.

Moreover, the below smaller festivals will also be happening.

Lebanon 2012 summer festivals

By Rami on May 10, 2012 in Events

The programs of Baalbeck, Beiteddine, and Byblos festivals has been announced over the last few day, and it looks like Byblos has the most interesting one so far. Below are the three programs as announced.

Beiteddine:

Caracalla Dance Theatre on June 28th, 29th & 30th
Sylvie Guillem & Russel Maliphant on July 7th
A night of Tarab, Muwashahat & Qudud on July 12th
The Cranberries on July 14th 2012
The Dizzy Gillespie on July 17th
La Bohème on July 26th 2012

More information here: Beiteddine.org

Byblos:

Slash on June 25th
Julien Clerc on July 4thB.B. King on July 5th
Ute Lemper on July 11th
Kadim Al Sahir on July 14th
Snow Patrol on July 17th
Tinariwen on July 25th

More information here: ByblosFestival.org

Baalbeck:

Chico and the Gypsies on June 29th
Zucchero – Chocabeck World Tour 2012 on July 5th
Saber Rabai on July 7th
Jessy Normal on July 13th
Mashrou’ Leila on July 15th

More information here: Baalbeck.org.lb

Is Beirut Segway friendly?

By Rami on November 14, 2011 in Lebanon

I just read on Lindsay’s blog that she spotted a group of people on Segways in Hamra, so I Googled it a little and was surprised to find that we already have a Segway dealer here in Beirut, in addition to two companies offering Segway tours in Beirut and Byblos.

But before we get excited about it, how good are the roads in Beirut for a Segway? I personally can’t think of another good place to drive it except in the downtown, I mean some potholes around here are large enough to make a Segway easily disappear!

Out of subject: Wazawiz will definitely figure out a way to do a wheelie with this thing!