Saturday at Sanayeh Gardens

We spent Saturday morning at Sanayeh Gardens, one of the few public parks in West Beirut.

The park is just a twenty minute stroll up from our apartment and Saturday morning is a great time to take that stroll. The alleyways were quiet as we walked passed some of the traditional architecture that you'd see in Beirut. Buildings in the neighborhood are an interesting mix of Ottoman-style windows, 1950s art deco, and the occasional war torn neglected home.

Sanayeh Gardens is a good sized park -- a whole city block. With straight lines, right angles, and wide walkways, it's got a feel of a Parisian public space. On Saturday morning, the average age of a park dweller is about 70: guys getting their shoes shined, playing backgammon, and middle aged ladies walking for exercise.

Since Jane was the only person in the park under the age of 30, she was quite naturally the most popular girl. At 9 am, around the time people started to wake up and go to the park, it was already nap time for Jane.