tomas0772 reviewed Smelling the Breezes by Ralph Izzard
Not just of a family journey, but an adventure!
5 stars
When Smelling the Breezes: A Journey through the High Lebanon in 1957 by Ralph and Molly Izzard, arrived on my doorstep I wasn’t prepared for such an amazing journey, not just through the 300-mile walk along the spine of Lebanon, but the realisation, that at a time as recently as 1957 the world, and the Middle-East seemed so much more a safer and welcoming place. I love great travel books, and I often wonder if the late 1950s was our last period of true freedom where so many people picked up and set out to wander and explore the world around us before technology and politics interfered, making our world a much smaller place where we can explore from our armchairs.
Setting off from their home in Beirut with their four children, two donkeys and their friend-come-gardener/nursemaid Elias, the Izzards set off on a final adventure before leaving the province …
When Smelling the Breezes: A Journey through the High Lebanon in 1957 by Ralph and Molly Izzard, arrived on my doorstep I wasn’t prepared for such an amazing journey, not just through the 300-mile walk along the spine of Lebanon, but the realisation, that at a time as recently as 1957 the world, and the Middle-East seemed so much more a safer and welcoming place. I love great travel books, and I often wonder if the late 1950s was our last period of true freedom where so many people picked up and set out to wander and explore the world around us before technology and politics interfered, making our world a much smaller place where we can explore from our armchairs.
Setting off from their home in Beirut with their four children, two donkeys and their friend-come-gardener/nursemaid Elias, the Izzards set off on a final adventure before leaving the province due to changes in political and employment climates complete with dinner service and glassware, which I did find amusing. Although, seemingly completely unaware of the burdens of the journey ahead the Izzards venture into the highlands of the Lebanese landscape, which not only encapsulates the Graeco-Roman worlds but embodies still the Abrahamic religions of the past few thousand years, and provides a fascinating insight into not just the culture of 1950s Lebanon, but also the culture and attitudes of those who lived there at that time. I was surprised at the generosity of the people the Izzards encountered on their journey, and also the uncanny ability to locate a coffee shop at every quarter. However, one of the most endearing characteristics of Smelling the Breezes is the ability to take the reader along with them on their journey, in many ways, I almost felt a part of the family a number of times throughout the book.
The afterword, written by author and Eland Publisher, Barnaby Rogerson, provides a fascinating insight into the lives of the Izzards, which adds a greater detail to the adventure they upon in Smelling the Breezes, and which in itself highlights the influential figures both Ralph and Molly were. Smelling the Breezes: A Journey through the High Lebanon in 1957 is a tale not just of a family journey, but an adventure exploring a world where all things meet. Truly remarkable!