Tourism
Thursday, November 19th, 2009
Slowly but surely Lebanon is establishing itself once again as the Mecca and playground of the Middle East. Today, visitors can enjoy spectacular sightseeing dating from the time of the Crusaders and Romans, the world renowned Lebanese cuisine and the charm and courtesy of its people. I am not going to dwell on the more recent problems that have certainly taken its toll on the population as a whole. Suffice to say that during my visit I came away firmly convinced that the majority of Lebanese want to lead a peaceful, happy and fruitful life with the hope that their children will be able to grow up in a tranquil atmosphere amidst the natural beauty of this very special country !
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Tuesday, September 8th, 2009
The history of Morocco goes back to Roman times when it was part of the Roman province of Mauritania after which it fell to the Vandals in the 5th century. The Vandals were a German tribe that during the first four centuries AD migrated southwards from Scandinavia and the Southern Baltic coast. They sacked Rome, creating great devastation in their wake; this also gave rise to the meaning of the word “vandalism” as we know it today. Morocco was under the Berber dynasties from the 11th to the 14th centuries and then became a Barbary pirate base under the Portuguese (1415 to 1759). In the early part of the 20th century it was divided into French and Spanish protectorates and in 1923 it was the international zone of Tangier. In 1956 it became a Sultanate and a year later a Kingdom under King Mohammed V, whilst his son Hassan II came to the throne in 1961, reigning for 38 years until his death on the 30th July, 1999, when he was succeeded by his son, who became King Mohammed VI.
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