A day by the sea

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Since Sophie stayed over night with her cousin Samo I was free to go with Sami and Louisa to their friend Paul's villa by the sea for the day. Paul is one of Sami's partners in a project called El Rancho (www.elrancholebanon.com) and has a beautiful villa/condo by the sea. There were 3 large swimming pools and one kiddy pool beside the sea. However the red flags were out since it was so windy that day that we couldn't go swimming in the sea.
It was a large gathering (approx 20) but we could have called a meeting of the UN. A couple of the people were Muslim (not only that but there were some Sunnis as well as Shiites represented there) and we were the Christian contingency and yet everyone got along! One of the guys looked lik George Hamilton with his sunglasses on. I told him that so from then on we called him George!
The women were thin (not only because they didn't eat but because they smoked like fiends!) From what I gathered (since I don't speak Arabic) they are obsessed with fashion and one of the women that was there had a shop that had just received a shipment of clothes from Paris and she happened to have them in her car. So she brought the clothes into the condo so the women could have a private showing and pick out the things they wanted to buy. If you thought that everyone in Lebanon was poor, think again!
Paul was the bartender and he loved nothing more than introducing new drinks to everyone on the hour. I have no idea what I was drinking most of the time...all I know is that it was no different than a day by the lake in MN...drinking and swimming.
Lunch was served at 4 (I don't think I mentioned before that breakfast is around 10, lunch at 4 and dinner is served around 10!) Lunch was a feast of Lebanese delicacies and sweets. Its difficult not to gain 10 lbs while I'm here since I know I won't get this kind of food back home.
Sami, Louisa and Sara (their 17 yr old daughter) and I played a card game called Tarnib after lunch while everyone else relaxed in the sun. It was a wonderful day of fun in the sun with friends!

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Photos

A day by the sea
Looking out from Paul's villa

a day by the sea
Paul's villa; Sami and "George Hamilton"

a day by the sea
The mediterrean