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Yesterday Timothy and I took the bus from Haifa down to the Old City Jerusalem (with 1 bus change and a tram ride, about 3 hours). We just wanted to explore the old city and spend the day together, so we didn’t have guide or go on a tour.
We entered the city through the Damascus Gate, which lead us to the Via Dolorosa St. We saw several stations of the cross (2-5, 7,8, and 10). We might have easily walked passed the other stations (1, 6, and 9) and not even know it! We went inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as well and saw Jesus’ “Tomb”. (I’m not sure how much we can trust these sites.) Other sights we saw, but didn’t actually go into was the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock and Mt. Olive (which we plan to visit next time).
We enjoyed wandering around the maze of streets in the Old City. Most of the streets were filled with bazaars selling all kinds of souvenirs, candies, spices, and other interesting items. We had a map, but honestly a map is not enough for the Old City. We got lost several time, but had fun doing it. I must admit, towards the end I was hot (high of 97), hungry, and tired, which equals grumpy in my book! I will say I did not enjoy the crowds, but I guess that is unavoidable in such a popular place.
I hope you enjoy our pictures. I have a couple of other day trips planned, and a special weekend anniversary trip! So keep an eye out for more updates! Also, I just got my “Rick Steves’ Italy 2013” book from Amazon (thanks for the recommendation Aunt Marie)! Timothy and I finally plan to visit Rome for his birthday in September. WHOOP!
- Damascus Gate
- Old City Bazaar
- Via Dolorosa
- A neat looking window from the Crusades
- Station #3
- Old City Alley Way
- Church of Mary Magdalen, Mt. Olive
- Mt. Olive
- Western Wall (Wailing Wall)
- Dome of the Rock
- Jesus’ “Tomb” at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
- Tim in front of the Tomb
- Church of the Holy Sepluchre
- Tim likes to take door shots for Mama Dee!
- A pyramid of spices!
- Tim a Knights Templar
- Baklava! So good!
- On the Bus
In Israel, they really like salad. The most common salad I have seen in Israel, is what I call “Israeli Salad”. The main ingredients are as follow:
- Diced cucumber (2 or 3 medium sized)
- Diced seeded tomatoes (1 medium sized)
- Diced Onion (1 medium sized)
- Olive oil (2-4 tbs)
- Lemon juice (1-2 tbs, I eyeball it.)
- with salt/pepper to taste
- parsley to garnish
Most cafes we have been to, like to take this basic salad and make it their own. We have had it with quinoa, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), salty cheese, pickles, or cabbage to name a few. I usually make mine with a can of drained chickpeas and some Italian seasoning. I’ve also made it before with avocado, and even Bulgarian cheese!
I highly recommend this very simple, yet tasty dish.
It is hard to admit, but Israel is starting to feel like home. Timothy and I are now in a nice routine and the city is becoming more and more familiar. We have also started taking Hebrew classes. We are currently studying the alef-bet. We are learning to write in both print and “cursive”, and read! Hebrew, while phonetic, doesn’t really have vowels. This makes reading difficult, but not impossible. There are “vowel indicators” that help us to figure out words. While at a restaurant, I was able to read several items on the menu. I many not know what I am reading, but HEY! it’s a start. 🙂
Last weekend, April 5, we went to Stella Maris Carmelite Monastery and Cable Cars with our new friends the Hofmann’s from Wisconsin (We met before Pesach (Passover) at a falafel stand. The crazy part of the story is Mrs. Hofmann is a Potsdam graduate! Small world). Stella Maris Carmelite Monastery is a beautiful monastery, here in Haifa. “The Carmelites are a Catholic order that originated in the late 12th century when a band of Crusaders, inspired by the prophet Elijah, opted for a hermetic life on the western slopes of Mt Carmel (hence the name).” (Lonely Planet) While we were there, we rode the cable cars and had a wonderful view of the Mediterranean and the Carmel Mountain side. We also visited Elijah’s Cave. Then we had lunch on the beach and later we played a game at our apartment. We had such a nice time with the Hofmanns.
Today, Timothy and I went to Nesher Park (Eagle Park), with our neighbor Shira. Nesher Park is near our home, about a 10 minute car ride, and has several nice hiking trails that lead to 2 suspension bridges. It is a city park, so it was very crowded, but we still had fun. Plus there were so many beautiful wild flowers!
This week we are celebrating two holidays, here in Israel. Sunday evening starts Memorial Day, followed by Independence Day. So far we do not have any plans, but hopefully we will catch some fireworks!
- Manns & Hoffmanns Stella Maris Monastery
- Nesher Park, Haifa Israel
- HUGE Queen Anne’s Lace
- Me & Shira
- Checking out the trail map