So, You Know You’ve Been in Lebanon Too Long. The first time I saw the... (Acropolis - Ακρόπολη)
So, You Know You’ve Been in Lebanon Too Long. The first time I saw the Parthenon, one uncharacteristically cloudy day in September some 30-odd years ago, it took my breath away. Despite having seen it a million times in photos and in film, I still found it magical. So much so, that even before I had made it all the way up to the top and through the Propylaea, I managed to get through almost an entire roll of film. My reaction was similar when, about a month later, I caught my first glimpse of the Pyramids from the window of a bus barrelling along the Avenue al-Haram in Giza. Leaning out of the window to get a shot (much to the amusement of the other passengers), I almost lost my little point-and-shoot as the bus abruptly lurched almost to one side to get past a peasant driving a donkey cart. On subsequent visits, it still fascinated, as slowly I began to learn more about its history – the zenith of which is not, as some Greek guides would have you believe, the theft/purchase of those marbles by Lord Elgin back before time began. This time though, the experience was more fizzle than fizz. Puzzling over why afterwards, my partner and I came up with a number of reasons. Could it be familiarity? Scratch that. My heart still pounds every time I see Stonehenge and I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been awe-struck by Deir el-Bahri, Weltshmerz? Well, I can be cynical about this world, but I’m far from weary of it. And then it struck me. Ba’albak. Or rather, the Temple of Bacchus, compared to which the Parthenon looks like a worthy first attempt. At best. But don’t take my word for it. Visit. I guarantee you’ll agree. The Parthenon will always win on location (I mean, the Acropolis…) but when it comes to awe, it barely holds a candle to my Bacchus.
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