We went back to the Byblos site yesterday and were taken aback to find that it was even bigger than remembered. This time we went in the late afternoon so were less bent on avoiding sunburn (at least for the Gentleman Friend) and took time to explore some of the nooks. I say ‘nooks’. A good rule of thumb for the site is, if you see stone steps leading up or down you can take them. And when you do, you might find yourself on top of a tel, inside a ruined temple, or in an entirely new part of the site, several hundred square metres worth. This happened a few times as we explored the L-shaped temple, or when we walked up the steps next to a faded sign about a neolithic village to find a massive mound that was otherwise not obvious from eye level, or climbed up steps along a wall to find a whole Persian quarter with monumental buildings and a fantastic carving of a lion (genus cowardly).
I’ve started fairly regular exercises under the GF’s expert eye, and last night was the first time they really clicked. It was a delight, and I hope one that is maintained as my inability to keep at anything has long been a problem.