On retreat in Lebanon (Photo: Emily O'Dell)
I am far, far away, my companions, and the clouds are
Hiding the hills from my eyes.
The valleys are becoming flooded with an ocean of silence…
— Khalil Gibran
While hiking yesterday to a monastery hidden in the mountains (far away from the chaos of Beirut), I came across this terraced landscape in a valley known for centuries as a contemplative home for pious ascetics…
