Aleppo

As the fighting in Syria closes in on Aleppo and a reported 200,000 people have fled the city over the past few days, I thought it might be appropriate to post some pictures of the city in the cross-hairs, so whoever reads this can better picture the place and the people. It's a fantastic place to visit--all of Syria is, really--and as I see the news reports about the struggles there I think of the places we stayed and the restaurants where we ate, and wonder if they're all closed down now, their atmospheric, historical interiors empty, and their workers all at home, or on the run. But mostly I think of the many hospitable Syrian people we were able to meet throughout our travels.  The guys in the shop next to our little hotel, for example, who invited me in more than once to watch the World Cup and drink coffee, and who I visited and drank coffee with again the next time we were in town, around a year later. I pray for peace and I look forward to going back again.