Looking back on the past twelve months: family time, travel, celebrations, love and nature
Meeting my sister at Amsterdam airport Schiphol. The feeling you get when seeing a loved one after a long time (a year or so) is an overwhelming happiness.The new addition to the family: Wolf (a She wolf). Needless to stay, she is the cutest thing ever! A Stabyhoun, originally from Friesland in the north of The Netherlands, this furry friend follows me everywhere I go and watches every move I make. Wolfie (her nickname) is sweet, smart and a little stubborn on occasion.King’s Day in Amsterdam in April. Everyone is celebrating the birth of the king. Some parade on boats in the canals with music, beer and orange accessories or clothes (Orange is the national color here – the color of the Dutch royal family – unlike in Lebanon, where it represents a certain party, which I don’t particularly favor – not that I favor any other).This is a great book: light, fun and pretty straight to the point. That was not a bookstore. For some reason, the shop owner decided to display random items / objects in the vitrine. Nothing made sense and he just did not give a f**k. If Amsterdam was a season, it should definitely be Autumn. It constantly feels like you’re walking in a painting. This photo was taken in Vondelpark, a must visit for a stroll, a bike ride, a book read or just to sit on the grass and enjoy the silence (as long as it lasts; it’s pretty busy in summer) Maastricht, what a beauty. It is one of my favorite cities in The Netherlands; old and picturesque. The red stones of Saint John’s cathedral make it unmissable. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… Around the Rijksmuseum, you can smell hot chocolate, sausages, pea soup, glühwein and maybe skate. Using a chair is not frowned upon; no one expects you to skate like the Dutch. I was riding my bicycle that day and for the first time I saw that the lakes were frozen. Small ducks were actually walking on ice. Again, I took this photo in Vondelpark. The first time I was at the gay pride in Amsterdam was by chance in 2008, during a trip around Europe. It was amazing to see how free people can be, to be able to express themselves so openly. I am all for “extreme” (as a friend called such an event) celebrations of love if only to counter hatred towards the gay community in so many parts of the world. May love always win!Salzburg, twenty years later. This city holds a special place in my heart. It is where I spent a three-months holiday with my sisters, met many interesting people, made friends and put on a lot of weight (thanks to schnitzels and potato salads). Those were incredible times.Amsterdam by night. Doesn’t it look magical? I was told that all these lamps on the many canals of the city used to be lit by hand back in the eighteenth century. A walk by night here is a must to discover this place under a different light. Save the best for last: the Bekaa valley. It is a high plateau between Lebanon’s two mountain ranges that serves as the country’s primary agricultural district. It is definitely worthwhile to visit the various towns and villages in and around it, to have lunch at a winery and enjoy the view. This photo was taken from Tawlet Ammiq restaurant.
Life in Orange 