On the ground

After a long circling approach, the wheels hit and held on runway 17/35 of Rafic Hariri International Airport and we were suddenly in Lebanon. The airport could not have been any calmer and immigration was over in minutes. I do not know what I had expected but within an hour we had checked in at our hotel on a backstreet in downtown Beirut. Though the hotel seemed completely empty (with the predictable exception of some other Swedes on the rooftop terrace) there was no mention by anyone of what is obviously a very difficult time.

This morning, as I woke up before Ally, I could not resist the temptation of my signature move and go for a city morning run. Until I know the city a little better though, I decided to stay fairly close to the hotel but, again, I must say that what really stands out is the normality of things.