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photo page 52 |
Taking the Egged bus to Jerusalem.
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Rented a zimmer from Abraham Moyal, living since 1968 in the Jewish Quarter of the old City.
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Delightful inner court yard, right in the middle of the old town. A giant jasmine tree grows from a pot....
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.... sheltering lots of sparrows, young and old.
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Abraham invited us for dinner immediately when we arrived: shakshuka! In return we do the dishes.
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Part of the building is from the third century, so over 1800 years old. People were rather small by then, apparently.
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Abraham needs some dental work to be done at Hadassa Ein Kerem, and we join him in his car. The university hospital is huge, with many
extensions going on, like a big hotel here to host relatives of patients, and a nice mall where half the customers are in green garb wearing
stethoscopes.
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The world famous Chagall windows in the synagogue of Hadassa.
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Modern technology in the synagogue: a PC lists all people who died exactly one year ago (Jahrzeit).
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Abraham takes us on a city tour, through the Muslim quarter to the Austrian hospice.
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The hospice charges one shekel entrance fee, and the receptionist comes running for his money when Abraham just walks on. Hey HEYYY.....
After which Abraham asks him: "Wass kann man tun mit einer shekel?". He speaks seven languages!
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Austrian? Apfel Strudel!
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Sitting on a couple of plastic chairs, we watch the evening fall at the Kotel.
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Dinner with Ruth and Yuval at Darna, authentic Moroccan restaurant, marvelously decorated and famous for its tahine dishes.
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Sam, in his little shop, makes necklaces and sells all sorts of beads and decorations. Has been in Holland often, and offers us tea and
lots of conversation.
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Tour of the tunnel alongside the western wall.
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George Bush is in town for the 60th birthday of Israel, and many streets are closed. This street is normally a busy, bustling traffic
jam. Shortly after Bush and entourage returns from Massada in 6 big helicopters, the street reopens.
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The coffee shop is all up-to-date with the current events: doesn't this look like Bush (or is it Olmert?).
Time to go home: the taxi has to take a long detour because of all the blocked streets, and hundreds upon hundreds of policemen can be
seen around all the big hotels. But he brings us in time to the central bus station, and we have a very pleasant return trip with a
"typus" bus driver, singing loudly and off-key all sorts of Hora and Mizrahi music, all the way to Eilat, while accompanying himself
on the horn. When arriving in Eilat, the last song is not yet done, and he turns his giant bus for another round over the round-about.
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Gay-pride parade in Eilat.
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