"There's more to this place than ancient ruins and really good almond pastries"

I'm off tomorrow to Lebanon to attend a wedding. The big day will start off in a dusty village in the mountains (this is how I imagine it anyway), then will move to another dusty village on the other side of the mountains before continuing onto Beirut. I am only going for a few days but I can imagine they will be busy days and nights.

Having only ever been to Lebanon once before, I can sadly say I don't remember much other than smokey restaurants and busy streets, the leething lotharios of Hamra and the delicious street food. This time, I'm more excited about the company than the actual trip since I'm lucky to be travelling for the first time with my closest friends and the Mr. - I am very excited.

I knew this wouldn't be entirely a sightseeing trip, but I still thought I'd look up what the Lonely Planet has to say about my holiday.

"Overview: Lebanon packs a lot into its modest borders: ancient cities, ski resorts, impressive architecture and striking landscapes are just the start. Then there's great food (reputedly the best in the region), and great nightlife (Beirut claims to be the party capital of the Middle East). (So far so good, I like ancient cities, impressive architecture and striking landscapes. I like good food and I'm ready to hit the nightlife)

Best Time of Year to Go: The best time of year to visit Lebanon is spring (March to May) when the weather is mild and wildflowers are in bloom. (Not good, I'll have to bear the stifling heat)

Sights

Aanjar: Aanjar is Lebanon's best-preserved Islamic archaeological site and is the only significant Umayyad site in Lebanon. It's a wonderful place to spend a day. The most impressive remains at the site are those of the great palace, one wall and several arcades of which have been reconstructed.

Beiteddine Palace: Beiteddine (House of Faith) is the name of both the village and the magnificent palace complex that lies within. The palace, perched on a steep elevation, rises from the surrounding landscape like a fairytale vision, a Scheherazadean delight rendered with Italianate flair (in fact, the architects were Italian). (more on website)


Jeita Grotto: This grotto, with its extraordinary stalactites and stalagmites, is definitely worth a visit; the ticket includes a boat ride through part of the grotto, an informative film about the history of the caves, and access to a cafe and restaurant. The vast honeycomb of galleries and ravines was first surveyed in the 19th century and opened to the public in 1958."

Lonely Planet doesn't have much else, but I'm not worried as we're travelling with some Beirutites and the itinerary we have looks pretty packed. We've been recommended dozens of restaurants that I don't think we'll be able to fit into a five day trip including the ever so romantic Julias and one of our friends has been generous enough to book a nice intimate dinner there for me and Mr. Seroo. We won't have time for shopping but if we do I'll be stopping off at some boutiques for dresses and accessories, recommendations anyone? Apparently the Virgin Megastore is excellent so I'll probably make a pit stop there for books & DVDs. Anything else we should do?

Will be back next week, looking forward to a much needed break...