kporiginal

Back in Jerusalem (so soon!!)

Had you asked me in May whether I expected to return to Israel after my June visit, I would probably have said ‘No’, but then I found a project to work on and decided that, to get the bee out of my bonnet, I needed to return sooner rather than later. Fares were reasonably pricedContinue reading “Back in Jerusalem (so soon!!)”

A short trip to Petra and Wadi Rum

When I heard that friends who have lived in Israel for three years hadn’t been to Petra, just across in Jordan, I was keen to have them visit before returning to the US in July, so agreed that during my visit before they left we would do a short trip. We left Even Yehuda whereContinue reading “A short trip to Petra and Wadi Rum”

The ancient port of Caesarea

All I remember from our visit to Caesarea forty years ago is the amphitheatre but now there’s a whole National Park with a number of the major buildings from the Roman and Byzantine periods and before being excavated. It’s all by the sea so makes for a very pleasant day out with some restaurants rightContinue reading “The ancient port of Caesarea”

A visit to Jaffa

Another glorious day in an old town with a familiar name today. We set off by taxi at 9.30 and made for Bet Yehoshua train station aiming in the general direction of Tel Aviv: Hannah to go to Carmel markets while I headed to the old city of Jaffa as I hadn’t been there before.Continue reading “A visit to Jaffa”

What a mixture!!

We were up and off by 6am today in order to be at the hotel in Netanya in time for the Beit Harim Tour pick-up at 6.30a.m.. We’d not been very successful in achieving an early night and had been disturbed during the night by thunderstorms (we were later told this was the first dayContinue reading “What a mixture!!”

And one last morning in the Old City

I had really hoped that there would be an opportunity to get back to the Temple Mount but it quite clearly wasn’t to be: it’s closed to non-Muslims until 19th June for ‘security reasons’. This covers Eid-ul-Fitr and the end of Ramadan celebrations and is a time of year when feelings run high: hence theContinue reading “And one last morning in the Old City”

Shabbat in Jerusalem

What does one do in a city where almost everything – including public transport – is shut down for 24 hours? Initially, I thought a trip to the Knesset area and the Israel Museum famed for its Shrine of the Book housing the Dead Sea Scrolls might be in order. Then I decided that myContinue reading “Shabbat in Jerusalem”

Visiting Yad Vashem

I hadn’t realised just how much Yad Vashem would have changed since 1978 – then i found it very moving and simple. Now it is much more focussed on the desire to educate future generations and is the heart of the Yad Vashem Educational Trust, providing resources for anyone teaching about the Holocaust. A longContinue reading “Visiting Yad Vashem”

Along the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

I was already feeling pleased with myself by the time I reached the Lion Gate and had no real idea of what lay ahead though I was prepared for more bazaars! I knew Israel would be expensive but 35shekels (about $8) for pomegranate juice seems somewhat OTT!! I learned fast to ask before ordering!! TheContinue reading “Along the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre”

A return to the Western Wall ( the first of many)

So back I went to the Western Wall to catch the evening light. I had been struck earlier in the day by the fact that many Jewish women of all ages were at the Wall but I saw very few Muslim women at the Dome of the Rock: judging by the number wearing borrowed itemsContinue reading “A return to the Western Wall ( the first of many)”