Reply #60: Jerusalem has never been a hole and Beirut has never been the Paris of the Middle East

[oberliner]

If you've ever actually been to either place, you would know both of those things to be true.

Of course, your other assumptions are wrong as well. I daresay I've spent more time in Beirut than just about anyone else on this board. And my opinion of Jerusalem is not "a tad coloured" by anything.

I can't even imagine what you would think it would be coloured by.

Jerusalem, incidentally, was once known as the "city of peace" - that's about as accurate a description as calling Beirut "the Paris of the Middle East". By my count there have been about a dozen or more "Parises" of various places. Mostly French colonial PR BS.

I would also mention that you were the one who brought up architecture in the post I responded to - so perhaps you are more parochial and less world weary than you think you are.