LLP (Recuperating... Extended Away)'s photostream

When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf Heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself, and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featur'd like him, like him with friends possess'd,
Desiring this man's art, and that man's scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least:
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee,--and then my state
(Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth) sings hymns at heaven's gate;
For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings'.

William Shakespeare

This shot is dedicated to my friend Milica for the moving testimonial she wrote for me.
Milica is an extremely talented photographer with a keen eye for the unusual and the unique. If ever photos told stories, it would be in her work. You can view her stream here:
www.flickr.com/photos/lady_lush/

Mili, this dedication is the only way I know how to thank you. I only hope you find it worthy.

Explored at #142!
Thank you

This is the village of Bsharri on the shoulder of the valley of Kadisha.

Kadisha Valley:
In 1998, UNESCO added the valley to the list of World Heritage Sites because of its importance as the site of some of the earliest Christian monastic settlements in the world, and its continued example of early Christian faith.
The valley is a deep gorge carved by the Kadisha River. Kadisha means "Holy" in Aramaic, and the valley, sometimes called the Holy Valley, has sheltered Christian monastic communities for many centuries.
The sides of the valley are steep cliffs that contain many caves, often at more than 1000m and all difficult of access. The most scenic section of the valley stretches for approximately twenty kilometers between Bsharri, the hometown of Gibran Khalil Gibran, and Tourza. It is here also that the Holy River, Nahr Qadisha, flows, its source being in a sacred mountain celebrated in the Scriptures.
The Qadisha Valley’s many natural caves have been used as shelters and for burials back as far as the Palaeolithic period. The Aassi Hauqqa (cave) in particular, near Hawqa, Lebanon, has yielded archaeological items indicating Palaeolithic, Roman, and medieval periods of use.

Bsharri Village:
Bsharri I have introduced you to earlier on my stream :-)

Please view this image large and on black, here:
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Alternatively, you can view this large, here.

Explored at #288!
Thank you!

Just some rolling hills :-)

This is the city of Jounieh, a port town on the Mediterranean, captured during my recent visit to Lebanon. This is taken from the shrine of Our Lady of Harissa which we reached by riding the cable car (look at the lower left corner of the shot for 2 cable cars).

From Wikipedia:
Jounieh is a Mediterranean coastal city about 15 kilometers north of Beirut, Lebanon. It is known for its seaside resorts and nightclubs, as well as its old stone souk, ferry, and cablecar (le téléphérique), which takes passengers up the mountain to the shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa. Above Jounieh, and on the way to Harissa, a small hill named Bkerke, overlooking the Jounieh bay, is the seat of the Patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church. Its inhabitants are predominantly Maronite and it's thus known to be the largest Maronite city in the world.

Explored at #440!
Thank you