Rarely does one discover such a pleasure as Chez Maguy – not a restaurant, but a place to experience foods from the sea, caught the same day and cooked in Maguy’s home kitchen in Batroun, 45 minutes north of Beirut. It’s an authentic fishing village that is Unesco-protected and one of the oldest functioning towns from the days of the Phoenecians.

The story of Maguy is as old as the sea; she grew up on the shores of the Mediterranean in her parents’ home, which sits directly behind her own. As a young girl, she was a diver, not just as a leisurely sport but also to explore her passion and interest in all fish and sea creatures. As a young woman, she married the love of her life and then lost him just one year later, finding herself alone with a beautiful baby girl, Crystel, and facing the reality of having to move back in with her parents – luckily a situation that is more than welcomed in Middle Eastern cultures.

Maguy lived with her family for four years while trying to figure out how to plan for her daughter’s future and be independent once again. She turned to what she knew best, the sea, and began diving day and night for a broad variety of seafood that she would sell to local fish markets. Because of her passion and deep-rooted understanding of fish and crustacean varieties, she made a name for herself very quickly.

She created a make-shift shack below her parents’ home and began to add to it bit by bit. Initially it was just a place for her to fish, then she added a kitchen, a living room and then bedrooms. All of this was done discreetly since it was illegal, but the local officials turned a blind eye – most of them were her customers. Today, she would technically be classified as a squatter, albeit a welcomed one, but it is in no one’s interest to remove her as she has become an institution in this town.

Catching and selling fish turned into Maguy preparing her many catches of the day, whether it was baking or frying them. She admits that she left home without knowing how to cook an egg, but quickly figured out how to prepare seafood and the many Lebanese mezze, a task daunting enough to overwhelm a trained chef.

In the past five years, Chez Maguy has become the defacto stop for anyone visiting Batroun or docking their boat on a sailing adventure, and with this has come a kind of fame that Maguy shies away from. Anthony Bourdain recently visited for his hit show, and she has been written about in The New York Times, Paris Match and Le Figaro. She seems to offer what many of us yearn for; authenticity.

Today, Maguy and her beautiful young daughter greeted us as they greet all their customers; with warmth and kindness. When you speak with Maguy, you see she is the real thing – there is no pretense. She is not a chef, but a lover of food. You will be amazed by the simplicity and humbling charm of her little operation. No restaurateur anywhere in the world could create something as simple, earthy and magical. There is no recipe for recreating the Chez Maguy experience, because there are too many variables that contribute to its natural existence.

First, Maguy’s home is perched on a large rock growing out of the Mediterranean. The location is an anomaly that defies kitchen logic. To get there, you have to walk through the village along the edge of the sea and ask for directions, because it is unmarked. Once you reach an alleyway that is basically the neighbor’s driveway, you walk along a narrow bridge with a pink-painted picket fence over a gorge toward a wall made by the Phoenecians over 4,000 years ago (on the other side of Maguy’s is a small Roman ruin that used to be a house). Walking by her kitchen and open-air living room, you end up standing on her terrace amid a mish-mash of tables and chairs, looking onto the glorious Mediterranean.

During the winter months, which tend to be very rainy and windy, Maguy serves her guests in her dining room, but the rest of the year you get to dine on her beautiful terrace, which is, in essence, the top of the rock. The views are simply magnificent. Below her home, different kinds of baskets catch shrimp and langoustines, and during our visit, one of her neighbors brought in his catch of the day, which she loved. Then suddenly someone brought her four scallops in their shells, and she demonstrated how she cracks the shell open, places it on a charcoal grill and adds a hint of olive oil, lemon juice and garlic on top. Then it was ready to be devoured.

We came early to capture the setting before darkness and Maguy’s beautiful story. That day, we planned what we would be feasting on for dinner. Maguy showed us a squid covered in its ink, an octopus on its way to be tenderized, a large grouper, small red snapper, tuna, langoustines, shrimp and baby smelts. All were caught by different people that day, right there, from the sea just below her home and restaurant.

The meal that evening was one of our most memorable ever. The stars aligned – we had a gentle breeze, the waves were smashing up against the rock and the food was simple and delicious, each dish prepared to ensure that we could actually taste the freshness of the catch. I will sum this story up by quoting one of her visitors: “While I eat seafood abroad, I feel like I had forgotten the flavors of the sea. Thank you for reminding me of the beauty of our sea.”

Batroun is home to many amazing wonders and landmarks and offers an irresistible selection of sights and activities, from beautiful stretches of serene coastline to water sports such as windsurfing, scuba-diving or sailing. You can also enjoy beautifully prepared local cuisine at Batroun’s many local restaurants, especially its fantastic fish restaurants, serving up fresh fish caught by local fishermen from Batroun’s wonderfully preserved old port. You can also enjoy great bargains and sample the fine, locally made artisan goods available from the rebuilt ancient souk.

Its historic souk underwent a rehabilitation project valued at half a million dollars in 2004 with the help of municipality and World Bank funding, in order to restore the historic public buildings that surround the beautiful city.

The ancient houses above the souk are distinguished by their vaults made up of Batroun’s sandstones. Once home to Phoenician society’s upper echelons of social class its marketplace hosted many shops, stores, hotels and firms, above which were the dwelling-places of Batroun’s industrious people.

Its ancient architecture also offers some amazing photo opportunities, from the Phoenician wall that stretches along the coast to the old Phoenician Castle. The castle was built by the King of Tyr, Ittobaal in the 9th century B.C. in order to defend his kingdom from Assyrian invasion. The castle was destroyed by Lebanon’s historic earthquake in 551 A.D. but was later rebuilt by Batroun’s inhabitants, thus preserving it’s rich history forever.

Heading to Batroun’s beaches means a break from the bustle of Beirut and its hectic bar and pub scene. During the daytime, the crystal clear water and light breeze make for a perfect setting for windsurfing, a popular sport among the Batrounis.

The fun doesn’t stop there however, why not stick around to watch the sunset over Batroun’s gorgeous coastline and enjoy the ancient city’s vibrant nightlife and friendly atmosphere.

Establishments such as Pierre and Friends are hotspots for a night of dancing and swimming, as Beiruti’s eager to get away from the crowds at Hamra, Monot and Gemmayzeh have started flooding in to Batroun during the summer months.

So make sure you pay Batroun a visit. Don’t let this beautiful gem of a town go unvisited, as one of the world’s most ancient cities, it offers a serenity in the day time that can rival the most exotic of coastal destinations and a nightlife that can’t be beaten either!

Source: www.beirutnightlife.com

Source: www.osmoz.com

Lebanon has been popping up on the radar as one of the hippest travel destinations on the planet, and it’s no wonder the two trend-setters who already teamed up for the best-selling Hinoki, Comme des Garçons and Monocle magazine, found inspiration in the Country of the Cedars for their Scent Two. “We wanted to capture the same smell and sensation enjoyed while staying with friends in Batroun, Lebanon. It’s warm, inviting and at times a little sharp – just like the country, ” says Monocle editor in chief, Tyler Brûlé.
Cedar, then, obviously, tinged with incense – after all, “Lebanon” and “olibanum”, another name for frankincense, share the same etymology – and the namesake laurel (the antiseptic laurel bay essential oil is used in Lebanon to make the traditional, olive-oil based Alep soap). A dash of herbs sprinkled with pepper on a warm amber base infuse Laurel with a dry, bracing aroma that redefines the very notion of freshness perfumery. A stunning achievement.
Notes: Laurel, pepper, cedar, patchouli, incense, amber
Perfumer: Antoine Maisondieu

Source: http://flacon.ambaric.net/

In Summer 1993, I went on a trip back to Lebanon. I took a bus trip to The Cedars. This would be my first trip to North Lebanon since 1971, and I dreaded what I might see in the area of Mseilha. A freeway had been built through the valley of Nahr el-Jawz. That, I figured, would have destroyed the splendid isolated setting of the castle. Worse, I had heard that a rock/gravel quarry had been built next to the castle.

The freeway went inland behind Ras Shikka where the bus pulled over to give us a chance to see the castle of Mseilha. I had heard for years about this, but nothing could have prepared me for it. The once-isolated castle in the little valley surrounded by green hills now had a huge rock quarry as a backdrop that, in two separate pits, had all but destroyed the steep hills. Bulldozers had pushed huge rocks to the edge of the ancient arched bridge over Nahr el-Jawz (Walnut River), threatening to bury it. The greenery along the river was gone. A few tourists were climbing the stairway to the castle. A haze of white dust enveloped the sorry scene. As our host complained about the quarry, people were aghast, commenting about in low voices about the horror. I wondered what the French tourists on the bus thought of this, coming from a country where effort went into saving every landmark, no matter how small. I took pictures through the bus window. (E-4, E-5 photos Fareed Abou-Haidar)

Back in Beirut, I wrote a letter to Louis el-Hajj at Al-Nahar newspaper. A copy of it was delivered to the Environment Ministry with the help of Asa’ad Serhal of The Society for the Protection of Nature and Natural Sites in Lebanon (SPNL). It was printed on Wednesday, December 1, 1993. The following is my English translation of it:

“When the first government of the Gemayel Administration was announced near the end of 1982 , I wrote to “Al-Nahar” asking, “Where is the Environment Ministry?” because of its absence from that government after its foundation during the Sarkis administration.

Once again, I ask, “Where is the Environment Ministry?”, this time in reference to its absence from Mseilha Castle. Recently, and after a long absence from Lebanon, I went on a guided trip to The Cedars and saw Mseilha for the first time since 1971. I was shocked when I saw the quarry that had decimated the green hills that used to surround this unique little castle. The bulldozers continue to remove the hills, dumping rocks up to the edge of the historical bridge and threatening to destroy it.

Mseilha castle has become a shame for the Lebanese people and their government, especially in front of tourists coming from countries that seek to protect every historical site, no matter how small. Where is the Environment Ministry? Where’s the government? Three years after the end of the war, I ask of the Lebanese government, and especially the Environment Ministry, to close that horrible quarry immediately and to work to rehabilitate and reforest the place. Also, the government should declare the castle and its vicinity a historical preserve. Then can we call ourselves a civilized country. If we cannot protect our important historical sites, how can we hope to protect the rest of this beautiful little nation and its natural sites from the Bulldozer Blitzkrieg?”

During my stay in Lebanon in 1993, a fight was brewing between the various environmental groups and the government on one side, and the rock quarry operators on the other side. The Mseilha quarry was closed very soon after I saw it. I later heard that it had reopened.

In 1995, I went on another trip to North Lebanon and got another fleeting view of the devastation. I could not see the bridge. Had the careless owner and the indifferent people driving the bulldozers destroyed it (along with the river)? Or was it behind a pile of soil? Or did I look in the wrong place? I could not tell if the quarry was still functional.

By the way, Mseilha castle appears on the L.L. 25 note, which I believe is no longer in circulation or is rarely used.

via Al Mashriq

Source: http://topics192.com/

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