I just read this heart-wrenching, eloquent opinion piece in Sunday’s The Guardian.

Beirut resident, Lina Mounzer, is seething mad.

As she rightly says, these people are referred to as the “ruling elite”. There’s nothing elite about them. They’re the dregs of humanity. What did they do, in the past, with the millions and millions of dollars of aid to help the people of Lebanon? Those in the Ministry of Finance and elsewhere siphoned off millions for themselves, stashing their booty in offshore bank accounts.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/aug/09/prepare-the-nooses-we-will-not-forgive-the-men-who-did-this-to-beirut

Flying in on his glistening white jet with the words République Française emblazoned on its sides, President Macron arrived in shell-shocked Beirut yesterday like Jesus the Saviour riding on a white horse.

Then I saw the heavens opened, and behold a white horse! And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True. He administers justice and wages war righteously. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many royal crowns.

Revelation 19:11-16, The Bible, New King James version

Here in France, we watched our TV screens with stupefaction as the President of France walked through the crowded streets like the Messiah, surrounded by weeping, clapping, lamenting and visibly distressed citizens.

“Please help us!”

“Don’t give money to our politicians, they’ll keep it for themselves!”

“They’re all criminals!”

“Macron for President of Lebanon!”

“Revolution!”

“The Lebanese people are suffering an emotional, moral and financial crisis,” Macron proclaimed, “And we are going to help them.”

#EmmanuelMacron showing 10x more leadership than ALL Lebanese politicians combined.

Nothing could underscore more the ineptitude of the government as 2,750 tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate was left to languish in a ramshackle portside warehouse for years despite repeated warnings.

The oddity of yesterday’s situation was the glaring absence of Lebanon’s leaders. Where were they? Too scared to show their faces for fear of being physically attacked by their own people or even killed, the cowards beat a hasty retreat to hide in their luxurious, air-conditioned homes and offices. How odd to see a foreign leader mingling with and comforting these beleaguered people when, in a real world and not this dysfunctional one, it should be the Lebanese leaders themselves.

For decades, the tiny country of Lebanon has been ruled by a mafia-like gang of thugs and thieves. The administration of the country has been compared to a feudal system, the lords being family clans, former war lords and militia leaders who provide housing, jobs and services to vassals in exchange for protection, subservience and allegiance.

They are, in truth, criminals who should be tried in a court of law and thrown in prison. For too long the country has been mired in government corruption, patronage and favouritism. Untold millions have been stolen from the public coffers by these thieving factions/gangsters/criminal families.

Home to 18 different religious confessions, ethnic groups and tribes, the President must be a Maronite Christian, whereas the Parliament Speaker and Prime Minister must be a Shi’a and Sunni Muslim respectively. In addition, 64 of the 128 seats in parliament are reserved for Muslims, while the other half is for Christians.

The Shiite coalition is composed of Hezbollah and the Amal Movement. Both are Iran-backed and trace their roots to the civil war era.

Wearing a black tie in mourning, Macron promised angry Lebanese crowds that French aid would not go into “corrupt hands”. “I want a new political pact and I’ll come back in September,” he said, adding “Without deep structural reforms, there will be no financial aid.”

But back in France, the French were not overly-impressed with Macron’s humanitarian mission. In the office this morning, the topic was discussed around my espresso machine. My French colleagues grumbled. (The French are always grumbling.)

“We have enough problems here in France; Macron should look after his own people.”

“It’s up to the Lebanese people to force change, not an outsider. Otherwise, that’s just called meddling.”

“Quelle arrogance ! Have you noticed how arrogant all of our presidents are here in France? What right does he have to go to a foreign country and lay down the law? Lebanon is no longer a French protectorate. I mean, seriously, with what legitimacy is he able to do that?”

(In 1923 and after the Partition of the Ottoman Empire, the League of Nations mandated that Lebanon would be administered by France. Lebanon officially became part of the French colonial empire. The French mandate lasted until 1943, when two independent countries emerged, Syria and Lebanon. French troops eventually left Syria and Lebanon in 1946.)

In Beirut a petition was signed with 60,000 signatures: that Lebanon returns to French mandate for ten years.

Whatever Macron’s strategy, it took a lot of courage for him to do what he did, and I applaud his efforts.

As I later wrote in the Comments section, here’s the primary reason of his visit:

One thing is sure: the country can no longer continue down this path. Most importantly, if it wants to receive financial aid from outside, it needs to clean up its act. That was the main reason of Macron’s visit. Serving as spokesperson for international organizations such as the IMF, the World Bank and the EU who are behind him (and poised to send billions to Lebanon following this recent crisis), the president went to Beirut to reflect the exasperation of the international community. No more subsidies until you provide us with complete transparency! There are conditions attached to receiving aid, and it will be outsiders now, not the crooks from within, who will monitor and distribute the funds. Don’t forget that before becoming Prez, Macron was a banker.

I work with a dozen different nationalities in my office. It is a truly multicultural, trans-national environment that I go to five days a week. Four of my friends are Lebanese. They sit in the open space around me. This afternoon it was quiet, everyone working, each absorbed in his or her task. Suddenly, cell phones rang and people spoke Arabic, their voices raised and worried. My Lebanese colleagues rose in one movement and moved into the corridor to talk amongst themselves and make phone calls to their families and friends back home.

A terrible thing happened this afternoon. If you have Lebanese friends, colleagues, clients, neighbors (or your local hairdresser, shop or restaurant owner) reach out to them. Already, the country is on its knees what with COVID, corruption, the economic collapse and the influx of millions of refugees over the past decade.

Is it any wonder that one of the largest diaspora populations in the world is Lebanese? The majority of them are of the Christian faith.

Lebanon remains the country hosting the largest number of refugees per capita, with Government estimate of 1.5 million Syrian refugees, some 20,000 refugees of other origins, in addition to the Palestine refugees under UNRWA’s mandate. Lebanon has contributed immensely to the response by giving refugees equal access to the public schools, hospitals and social development centres. (source UNHCR – The UN Refugee Agency)

What’s great about this BB is that it’s super light. I made it tonight after work because tomorrow – for one day only, thank goodness – the temperature will shoot up to 39°C (102°F) and I won’t want to turn the oven on.

Up until now, we’ve been blessed with the most gorgeous weather: warm and sunny with a constant cool breeze.

I reduced the amount of sugar, using half a cup instead of three-quarters. I also used olive oil instead of butter. The chopped walnuts are optional, but make a nice addition. If you don’t have a proper bread tin, make muffins in a muffin tin. That’s what I did.

FAMOUS TONY’S BANANA BREAD

3 very ripe medium bananas ( 270 gm) ¾ cup dark brown sugar, 90 gm 2 Tbsp. honey , apple butter or maple syrup(25 ml) 2 eggs ½ cup melted butter or extra virgin olive oil ( not too spicy) (125 ml) 1 tsp. vanilla extract ( 5ml) 1 1/3 cup unbleached all purpose flour (325 ml) 1 tsp. baking powder (5 ml) ½ tsp. baking soda (2 ml) ½ tsp. salt (2 ml) 2 tsp. ground cinnamon (10 ml) Chopped walnuts, optional Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste Preheat oven to 350 F In a large bowl, mash bananas, leaving them chunky with brown sugar, eggs, honey, oil or melted butter and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients into a bowl and add to banana mixture, blending with masher again just until flour is absorbed . Add chopped walnuts, if desired . Makes 3 small loaves 3 ¼ x 6“ each 2“ deep Bake 350 F for 20 – 25 minutes until tester comes out dry and tops are springy.

Here’s Christine, the author of this recipe. I think she lives in France. She used super-ripe bananas, I used just ordinary ones.

I was about to dig into this salad an hour ago when I said “Dang! That’s one beautiful looking plate …” and I photographed it before eating.

It’s important to use quality ingredients: the best olive oil, the best mozza, the best summer tomatoes, sea salt, etc. This salad takes only 5 minutes to make.

Fresh basil is in abundance during the summer. I buy a plant because it lasts longer and I can pick off the leaves when I need them. Rinse them, pat them dry on paper towels and just tear them and throw onto the salad.

So what to do with fresh basil? Why, make pesto, of course! This too takes only 5 minutes. You need a small food chopper or a mortar and pestle. Here’s my Moulinex hachoir that I use all the time, it cost me 45 euros.

I didn’t make enough, I should have doubled or tripled this. What’s great about making your own is you can make it extra garlicky, use parmesan or pecorino (or both) and walnuts instead of pine nuts. I’ve never been a fan of pine nuts.

Here’s what I had for dinner yesterday; simple and tasty on a summery Saturday night. I sprinkled on more grated parmesan cheese. If you can, buy a chunk of real parmesan or pecorino and hand grate it.

Dang, that wine was good. Wines from the Loire Valley are my favorite.

For the pesto recipe, click on this link below called ‘Two Pesto Variations’ that I posted in May 2018. Bon appétit !

https://julietinparis.net/2018/05/26/two-pesto-variations/

The weather here is perfection: blue sky, abundant sunshine, cool breeze and not too hot. Last night the kids and I went out at 9:30 pm to the amusement park in the Tuileries Gardens. To get there, we strolled down the rue de Rivoli from Place de la Concorde in the gathering dusk. Note the darkening colors of the sky from lilac blue tinged with orange to midnight blue.

This is the giant ferris wheel called La Grande Roue. From the top, you can see all of Paris.

Empty. Because of COVID-19, very few tourists. No Americans. All businesses in the tourist and hospitality industry are suffering. Our very capable government is pumping billions into the economy in an attempt to keep everything afloat. I have complete confidence in President Macron’s exceptional measures and policies.

Here’s the west wing of the Louvre which overlooks the Tuileries Gardens. Tuileries comes from the word, tuile, which means ’tile’. Since the 13th century and before Queen Catherine de Medici moved into the Louvre palace in 1559, the area had been occupied by tile-making factories.

We left the amusement park at around 11:30 and strolled up the rue de Rivoli towards the Place de la Concorde. It was a perfect warm midsummer night. I loved this illuminated tuk-tuk.

We had every intention of jumping on the metro at Concorde but, as I said, the night was beautiful, so we decided to walk to the Champs-Elysées. I also wanted to show my young companions where I used to work. Taking the road called rue du Boissy d’Anglas which runs off the Place de la Concorde and alongside the Hôtel Crillon on one side and the American Embassy on the other, I took them to number 9 which is where I used to work in an international boutique law firm.

“I met and made a lot of friends here,” I told them, referring to my Swedish friend and 4 British friends. But no French friends. I have very few.

Then we strolled back to the Place de la Concorde and the American Embassy (cops everywhere, so we felt safe) and headed west along the avenue Gabriel. Suddenly it got very dark and the street lights were dim. On our left was a dark leafy park, on our right policeman with rifles standing guard in sentry boxes. Rows of paddy wagons with Gendarmerie emblazoned on the side were lined along the avenue Gabriel. Why? Because we were passing the back garden of the Elysee: the offices and apartments of the President. The kids were impressed.

“You mean President Macron lives here?!?” they said. Yes, I said before explaining that the Elysee Palace is the official residence and workplace of the President of the French Republic. I don’t know why the road was so dark, but it was. Of course our every move was scrutinized, but I suppose that a woman out walking with two kids didn’t seem threatening. Although one might wonder why we were out so late …

We came out onto avenue Matignon which leads to the Champs-Elysees. Normally, even at midnight, the Champs-Elysees is filled with tourists during the summer months, the height of the tourist season. This is what it looked like:

We ended up here, eating delicious burgers out on the terrace. Then we jumped on the metro at George V. Twenty minutes later we were home by 1:15 am.