To Beirut and beyond

Sipping a cool drink as waves lapped 
the beach nearby, 
I breathed a sigh of pure contentment. It was that feeling you experience on day three of a holiday, the moment you finally click into relaxation mode and the stresses
 of real life gently fade, replaced by new conundrums – like what restaurant to choose for dinner, or whether to go
 to the beach or pool today.

Luckily, all I had to do was sit back and soak up the beautiful glowing, orangey haze of the sunset while freshly caught fish sizzled on a grill nearby. I was on the idyllic coastline of Batroun, north Lebanon (about 50km from Beirut) at Chez Maggie’s seafood restaurant – the area’s best-kept secret (until now, at least).

You feel instantly at home at Maggie’s, mainly because it is her home. Not wanting to keep the beautiful scenery and sunsets to herself, Maggie moved in and shoved two extra tables into her living room, found some chairs and opened the doors out on to her balcony. Then, as now, there was no menu and the food varied, depending on what the smiley host had pulled out of the sea that day.

Over time more tables have spread to the balcony, with another squeezed inside. I imagine every visit to Maggie’s is like one big family get-together where there are never enough chairs, but everyone is welcome.

This was just one of the gems I was introduced to on the Taste Lebanon tour. Now, to me the word ‘tour’ isn’t conducive to a happy holiday: Coach-loads of grumpy, silver-haired tourists, long stuffy journeys and mumbling guides. Not very appealing. But with Taste Lebanon I took a leap of faith. Why? Well the chance to eat your way around Lebanon doesn’t come around often does it? And I had read a review on the company’s website that reeled me in: “It doesn’t feel like a tour, more like a holiday with a friend who knows the area very well.” I was sold.