Spring

Between the cold, damp winter and the hot, dry summer is the Syrian spring. It was slow in coming this year, which means it will be shorter than usual. Short sleeves and sandals are close at hand.

Dappled with the gentle sun of a Damascus spring, rabia, Syrians sipped cappuccinos and Lebanese draft beer last Friday, the Muslim day of rest and the start of the weekend, at the fashionable Steed Café, in the Christian district of Ghassaneh.