SCRIPT

Ploughed fields, olive groves and mountains. Fields ploughed as they were in biblical times. A nun walking with her charges through mountain villages.

Cable cars passing each other in the middle of nowhere. Orange trees, lemon trees, and shepherds.

Ploughed fields, olive groves, biblical times, mountain villages, cable cars, oranges and lemons, in a land of 300 sunny days.

[Credits]

6000ft above sea level, in the land of Lebanon, stand the world famous cedar trees. The emblem of the country, and one of its most precious relics.

Standing in this quite fantastic setting, once part of an enormous forest, so old are they, that the trees provided timber for the sun ships of the pharaohs of Egypt and wood for the Temple of Solomon.

The Cedars are situated today in the middle of a paradise for skiers.

Snow clad villages nestled at the foot of the mountains.

The scene is strictly alpine.

And the Gorge of Kadisha is a wonderland of nature and as pretty as a picture.

Here on the roof of the world, there's fun for all seasons. Yet it's hard to believe that down below, the sea is blue, the sun is hot, and the coast lies shimmering in the Mediterranean haze.
Lower down the slopes, the cedar trees shake off their snowy mantle as summertime comes. And some of the mountain ranges managed to keep their stripes.

Land is lush, gentle and prolific. Fertile valleys are watered by flowing streams.

At Beirut, the jet set arrive in the same way as they do at all the airports in the world. Only here can it be said that nothing is different? Calculated efficiency of the 20th century way of travel is taken for granted.

They go. They come. From London, Rome, Paris, Zurich, Frankfurt, Vienna, Copenhagen, Brussels, Geneva, Athens, Milan and Madrid. From North and South America, from Africa. Here, north meets south and Beirut is the gateway to the east.

Down to earth, and they take the bus to bustling Beirut, the hub around which the land of Lebanon revolves.

The heart of the capital is the Place de Martir, almost an international crossroad.

Life can be fun in the modern manner. And life can be fun in the traditional tone too. In the markets, or souks, it's all on display. Yours for the asking, providing you pay.

This man sells only water, but of the finest vintage. Sandals. Shoes. Flowers. Fruit. The colourful kaleidoscope of Middle East markets make marvellous magical memories.

And from Marseille, Venice, Naples and Istanbul come the great liners to the port of Beirut.

Minarets and domes dominate the busiest of thoroughfares. This is an eastern church.

The country of 300 sunny days is made up of thousands of enchanting contrasts. Apartment blocks stand side by side with the magnificent villas of beautiful Beirut.

Magnificent villas stand at the ocean side, where fun under the sun is the order of every day.

Riding along on the crest of a wave, whilst back at the ski club, they have just about everything, if you see what I mean.

Whilst we look at the delightful architecture of the homes of today, it is fascinating to think of the age-old traditions of the country, and the number of civilisations whose relics are piled onto a land which is no more than 150 miles long and 50 miles wide. The Egyptian pharaohs, the Assyrian kings were here, and ruins of villages testify to their having been here 5000 years ago. Yes, in Lebanon, legends of centuries spring from the very stones.

The ornamental pool is empty. Whilst here, the Lebanese version of Dolce Vita is in full swing. And exactly how Dolce can Vita be? Well, just you watch.

That's the sweet life, alright.

Back in Beirut, to take another look at the Place de Martir, and a look at the Durbar Square.

A view of a valley with a road leading to mountain vastnesses. Donkeys graze by the roadside. The town of Hasroun is in the distance.

Another vista of Hasroun, clinging to its cliff top. The tiny town of Amun, at the foot of the mountains of the Cedars.

Gaze upon this old church with rock fortifications which once defended it. Take in the township of Bashari, framed by valleys and mountains. Its main street has almost an American western touch.

Catch a cable car up to Harissa. And on the way up, become bedazzled by the beauty which billows out below. The bay of Juni stretches away, one of the most thrilling views in the Middle East.

Down to earth again, where oranges grow in profusion. Where lemons can be picked off trees if, of course, they are lemon trees. At Sidon, they still fish, like they did in biblical times. Today, they also catch them by shooting a line.

Sidon's history can be traced back thousands of years. It has a strange, peculiar charm.

30 miles from Beirut is Beiteddine. The Palace of Beiteddine was built by a monarch who was absolute ruler of Lebanon for 50 years. The building is a model of eastern architecture and a romantic reminder of a bygone age.

This is a street in the world's oldest city, Byblos, where more than 6000 years of history have been written. Bound in by ramparts, these few acres have preserved the traces of ancient civilizations. Relics, ages and ages old, have been unearthed and brought to light.

There is something enchanting about fallen stones. Was history too great a load for them to bear? There is ample proof that the earliest of mankind knew Byblos. Tombs, not less than 4000 years old, are still being found.

Byblos is part of the 20th century’s heritage. Souvenirs of more modern times.

Byblos, and its picturesque harbour, are famous for fishing. This angler is modern minded and likes to net normally. So, let's go with him for a minute or so, collect our thoughts and then proceed to another Lebanese location.

It would be too obvious for me to say that people seldom tire of looking at Tyre, so I won't. Tyre. spelt T-Y-R-E, is very, very old. They really dig this place, and each year they find it's older than they thought it was. A Roman tomb was discovered recently, almost intact. Excavators go into ecstasies. No wonder, there's treasure trove for every troll.

A biblical land where the shepherd watches over his flock in exactly the same way as his forefathers did for generation after generation.

At Anjar, stories in stones are there for all to read. They proclaim to this year that there was a yesteryear.

The road to Damascus is flanked by the hills of Lebanon, and it's just 86km from Beirut to Baalbek, with its gigantic columns, courts and stairways, which leave the visitor in a whirl of wonderment.

To Baalbek each year come the dancers in their colourful traditional costumes.

In these temples, ancient Mediterranean peoples worshipped.

A Roman marketplace.

The Temple of Jupiter. That was yesterday, this is today.

Here they worshipped the god of thunder, tempest and torrential rain.

The columns which adorned the Temple of Jupiter.

A last look at Beirut, Its beach washed by the bluest of oceans.

A last look at the cedars on their slopes of snow.

300 sunny days. 300 moonlit nights. That is the legacy of the Lebanon.

[End - Credits]