Fifth Journey Day 113: Vineyard That Did Not Appear
"Vineyard That Did Not Appear" — River light and late-summer air hold the vineyard by suggestion, not sight.
Date: August 29, 2025
Location: Zahle, Lebanon
This afternoon in Zahle, in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, unfolded beside the Bardouni River. Dry mountain breezes met the river’s coolness, a pairing that shapes café life here at the edge of late-summer vineyards and the coming grape harvest.
The Mountain Breeze and River Light
I spent most of the afternoon sitting by the Bardouni River under some trees at a café. The water moved steadily and quietly, its sound filling the space between conversations. The air felt warm when it was calm, and cool when the wind picked up again. My coffee came in a small cup made of porcelain. The coffee was strong and thick. It was so hot that I felt the heat in my hand. It made me want to slow down.
Quiet Conversations Along the Water
Families and couples were still at their tables, talking in lively and comfortable ways. I didn't need to understand every word; the rhythm was enough. The river caught the sun in broken pieces, scattering them across the surface like loose coins. I found myself sketching these fragments not as literal shapes, but as marks of rhythm—brief interruptions of light against a darker background.
The Vineyard That Did Not Appear
The vineyard slopes rose just beyond view, but their presence was felt in the air: the scent of ripening fruit mingling with the dust, giving the valley a texture that was both sweet and dry. I thought about how places have two sides—like stone and water, heat and breeze, noise and silence—and how arriving means learning to bring them all together.
Letting the Day Unfold
By the time the light softened, I felt less like a visitor and more like someone who was a part of the valley. Nothing big happened, but maybe that was the gift of today: the ability to go with the flow and let the day unfold without struggle.
Travel Notes
- Weather: Warm, about 29°C; dry mountain breezes; cool shade close to the Bardouni; a pale, sun-bleached sky with faint low clouds on the horizon.
- Scents: Ripening grapes and valley dust mingling with the thick aroma of strong Lebanese coffee; a clean thread of river air.
- Sounds: Steady water, lively table talk, the clink of porcelain cups, and leaves stirring when the breeze returned.
- Reflection: Today’s sketch is rhythm more than representation—light as brief interruptions, a way of joining the valley’s opposites without forcing them.
Continue the Journey
You may also enjoy drifting through an earlier Beirut afternoon in Mediterranean Mingle, or following another thread of memory along the coast in Temporal Tapestries.