So maybe you heard - the Israeli's had a dust-up with an aid convoy going to Gaza. Needless to say, this is the kind of to-do that we were warned about listening for before going to the West Bank. Unfortunately, we didn't hear about the convoy attack until we were already in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem ... in the West Bank.
Our plan for getting to Bethlehem was to take a taxi to the border, walk across, then taxi to Manger Square. We asked our Hotel Man for a taxi to the border and he said he'd call. A bit later, Smooth-Talking Man walks in, most likely a secret friend of Hotel Man. Smooth-Talking Man tells us of his good friend, the Taxi Driver. Smooth-Talking Man says his friend Taxi Driver will take us to Bethlehem, link us up with Tour Guide Man (for free, no less!), and bring us back to our hotel or anywhere else, for the price of a tour bus (a generous discount from the private taxi fare for sure). We hem, haw, dither and finally give in. Smooth-Talking Man ushers us into Taxi Driver's car (a Mercedes; what a deal!) and we head for the West Bank. It's about a half hour, with no stop in this direction at the check point. We get to Bethlehem, outside of a shop where we meet Pleasant Shopkeeper. Pleasant Shopkeeper welcomes us, gets us water, shows us around and says Tour Guide Man will be with us shortly, he's just "showing another group of beautiful tourists around". We admire the shop (indeed there are many beautiful olive wood and mother-of-pearl things) until Tour Guide Man comes in.
Tour Guide Man takes us to his car (a sparkling new VW), asks if we don't mind picking up his daughter at school before the tour, and starts regaling us with details of the area. We swing down the road, pick up his 8-year old daughter, and come back to the shop to drop off the young one and re-park the car. Why couldn't we just stay at the shop for that? Don't know - he may have showed us the Shephards' Fields; I'm not sure I heard right (though his English was quite good).
Back at Pleasant Shopkeeper's place we meet up with another couple pilgrims looking for Tour Guide Man. Obviously Americans, we ask them where they're from. Sudbury, no lie - that's like 20 minutes from Boston! So the two couples from MA huffed it after Tour Guide Man on the way to the Church of the Nativity. It wasn't far, and along the way we got some details of the area and church. Diana will surely tell more of the church (and maybe contradict my account of the events - don't listen to her!), but there is a grotto beneath the church that Tour Guide Man snuck us in through the exit (instead of waiting behind 300 tourists going in the entrance). Apparently there is an organized effort between security and unofficial Tour Guide Men to use this short cut. God knows where all the kick backs come from. The guide was indeed free, though I gave him a token tip.
Exiting the Church of the Nativity, we are in the middle (literally shoulder to shoulder) of a rally, complete with guys in dark suits with signs in Arabic, guys dressed in judge robes, TV cameras and a bit of tension. Tour Guide Man now takes the time to inform us of the trouble at Gaza and says these people are from the courthouse, protesting Israel's actions. Perhaps this isn't the best time to be here...
Back at Pleasant Shopkeeper's place after our tour, we enjoyed some refreshments and shopped a little. Taxi Driver was waiting there the whole time, enjoying some tea and a newspaper - no doubt earning his fee. We hop in for the ride back and relax a little. Part way from Bethlehem we reach the checkpoint where Taxi Driver says some things to the Israeli Border Guard and we show our passports (just the covers, to show we aren't Israeli). Slightly atypically (I believe), we are ushered into a new line for what I'd call secondary screening. Other Soldier looks a little more carefully at our passports (picture, expiration date and visa it appeared), before waving us through. Really not too difficult, but the agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians is that Israelis stay out of the West Bank. They just wanted to check that we indeed were humble pilgrims.
Finally at the hotel we paid Taxi Driver in American dollars (he preferred them over shekkels) and completed our adventure. It was a little more tense than driving on the Mass Pike, but not nearly as bad as I was fearing. It was definitely better having Taxi Driver and Tour Guide Man to lead us around the trouble spots. Worth the expense!
Off for our last jaunt around the Old City before heading south to the Dead / Red Seas. Cheers!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Jewish Boys
Ok, just nearly cried laughing over Nate's last post. How can I possibly top that...
So, we're hopping onto the elevator this afternoon at the hotel, and these 4 Jewish tween boys ask us where we're from. I say the United States and they're like "duh, where?". I respond, Boston and they get really loud (sort of like a group of excited girls) "Ohhhh, we LOVE Boston!" and all want to high-five me. Now, I happen to be a person who loves high-fives, so I went for it. Apparently they love Boston. One of them said he loves Chicago and I'm thinking, that's not too close to Boston, but thanks for contributing. They are talking amongst themselves for a second in Hebrew and it must've gone something like this: "Hey, what's the coolest thing we can ask they to say in their cool American accents?" They think for awhile, then one of them says to us in his thick accent, "Can you say, 'Charlie bit me'?" Really?? This is the best of American culture? That Charlie kid and his brother were British, weren't they? None-the-less, we obliged and they thought it was the funniest thing they every heard. Ever. Next it's "what's your name?" and I'm thinking, do I want to tell them? So I say "Guess" but they think that's my name for a second, so they say "Ok Guess, and what about you?" turning to Nate. Them one of them gets it and they start that loud laughing group thing again and say "Ohhh, we get it! haha!" Anyway, they like us so much that they hop back on the elevator with us. They try to convince us their names are funny sounding things that are probably Hebrew swear words or something. There is much more laughing until we get off the elevator at our floor and they, thankfully, don't follow us.
So, we're hopping onto the elevator this afternoon at the hotel, and these 4 Jewish tween boys ask us where we're from. I say the United States and they're like "duh, where?". I respond, Boston and they get really loud (sort of like a group of excited girls) "Ohhhh, we LOVE Boston!" and all want to high-five me. Now, I happen to be a person who loves high-fives, so I went for it. Apparently they love Boston. One of them said he loves Chicago and I'm thinking, that's not too close to Boston, but thanks for contributing. They are talking amongst themselves for a second in Hebrew and it must've gone something like this: "Hey, what's the coolest thing we can ask they to say in their cool American accents?" They think for awhile, then one of them says to us in his thick accent, "Can you say, 'Charlie bit me'?" Really?? This is the best of American culture? That Charlie kid and his brother were British, weren't they? None-the-less, we obliged and they thought it was the funniest thing they every heard. Ever. Next it's "what's your name?" and I'm thinking, do I want to tell them? So I say "Guess" but they think that's my name for a second, so they say "Ok Guess, and what about you?" turning to Nate. Them one of them gets it and they start that loud laughing group thing again and say "Ohhh, we get it! haha!" Anyway, they like us so much that they hop back on the elevator with us. They try to convince us their names are funny sounding things that are probably Hebrew swear words or something. There is much more laughing until we get off the elevator at our floor and they, thankfully, don't follow us.
St. Rita
Ok, this is out of sequence because I keep forgetting to post it!
In France, one of our favorite places was Sacre Coeur, the Church of the Sacred Heart. Here, we lit a candle for my grandmother, Rita, in the chapel of St. Rita. We love you Mom-Mom!
One more thing...
I forgot two cool things from the Mount of Olives. We saw an unfinished church (a la San Galgano) with pine trees for pews (not like pine pews - there were trees growing where the pews would be) because it had no roof! It was Pater Noster, the site where Jesus taught his disciples how to pray the Our Father. It has the prayer written in about 100 different languages throughout the site. It was a very neat place, mostly for the fact that it was a church without a roof (again!).
The other thing, the most amazing, exciting thing to happen at the top of a ridiculously steep hike: we saw a camel! That is all.
The other thing, the most amazing, exciting thing to happen at the top of a ridiculously steep hike: we saw a camel! That is all.
Falafel
I have known since I was a small person that I loved falafel. I never had any back then, but I could tell in my soul (which is next to my stomach if you're looking) that falafel was for me. I've had falafel in the states many time: it is great, a wonderful treat. NO! It is crap. Finally, FINALLY, today I got what I came here for: falafel. 3 actually.
Before going to bed last night (and some amount of beer into a nice evening), we reminded ourselves that this isn't just tourism / sightseeing / religious stuff, but indeed, this is vacation. Our first real vacation in some time (if you don't count being surrounded by 34 Laurings, this is the first real vacation Diana and I have had since our honeymoon). So we slept in and almost missed breakfast (again - what's with closing the buffet at 10am?) But we grabbed some cold stuff (still Sabbath, still no cooking), and walked towards the Old City. Specifically, we were headed for the Damascus gate. We missed. There are lots of gates into the Old City and they all get you where you want to be eventually. There are not a lot of (legible) street signs on the way from here to there. So we missed and ended up at the New Gate. A nice gate, but one off from our target. The boring idea of going to Damascus gate on the outside of the walls didn't appeal - I thought we should wander. Diana was less convinced and wanted a map, but I sort of just starting walking. We knew, more or less, what to look for (a gate?), so nothing could go wrong. We wandered lots of little tiny alleys, back streets, main streets covered with markets selling all sorts of things (including ladies' undergarments again - really?). We ultimately found the Damascus gate, but not before siting my falafel friend. Well, smelled it first (the falafel, not the man)... I love falafel, I could write a whole post on the topic (oh, wait...). He asked if we wanted everything on it so I just said yes. Then as he was putting stuff on, I'd say no to things I didn't want - kind of the same as 'everything', right? So it had humus, falafel (4-6 balls - take that, cheap American falafellers who only give 3), 'salad' (cucumber and tomatoes, usually with some olive oil / lemon juice / maybe parsley), tahine, and of course, chips (that's French Fries). We split the first one, loved it, and couldn't wait for more.
We went out the Damascus gate and found what we were looking for in the first place on the way to the city, the Garden Tomb. While many believe the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is on the site of the tomb where they buried Jesus, another option is at the Garden Tomb. Not sure who is right; figure we'll check them all out, just to be safe. Well, by the time we get there of course it is noon - remember everything is closed from noon to 2pm. Everything. Everyone here knows that - that's when it's really hot - why would you want to wander around a courtyard in the full sun? I don't know, but Diana and I just cannot remember that. So we headed back inside the gate (oops - continuity - this is when we actually ate that falafel). We wound down the market to El Wad street (that's Arabic for The Wad), and then turned left on Via Dolorossa. We're taking a full tour of the sites tomorrow, so we'll get into that then. We headed east out the Lion's gate (I'm assuming it's a crusader's gate, by the name).
From there you can head up the Mount of Olives. Mount is short for Mountain - it was a serious hike! At least along the way are some nice sites: we spent some good time among the ancient (2,000+ years) olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane, looked in the Church of All Nations, checked out Dominus Flevit (walked past the Church of Mary Magdalene, only open Tuesday and Thursday; Diana renamed it the Golden Onion Dome church), and eventually summited the Mount of Olives. The view is amazing. Jerusalem spreads out in front of you and is much bigger than it felt (indeed, the Old City is geographically tiny next to the city as a whole). I don't know how much outside the Old City we'll see; not out of a lack of interest, but simply a scarcity of time to cover it all. From up there you can see the blockaded "golden gate", the double arched gate that Jesus entered the city and that the Jews' savior will enter through some day; the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque; the city walls and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. You can't see the Wailing Wall (the Western Wall; it was on the other side of the Temple Mount), but we'll get to that Sunday. You aren't supposed to take pictures there on the Sabbath anyway. We tried to get a good panorama shot with the camera; I hope it can begin to do the view justice.
Finally we headed back down the hill, stopped in at a church built on top of a shrine for the site recognized as Mary's Assumption, went in the city the way we came out and headed for Damascus gate. I told Diana it was because that was the way we knew, but it was really because that was the falafel I knew. We grabbed two more from our friend (this time mine had pickles!) - oh and they're only 6 NIS each, that's less than $2! - and found a shaded spot to eat. It was after 5pm, but the sun was still quite hot. Finally having my fill of falafel (for the day), we went to our hotel for a rest.
pics:
Before going to bed last night (and some amount of beer into a nice evening), we reminded ourselves that this isn't just tourism / sightseeing / religious stuff, but indeed, this is vacation. Our first real vacation in some time (if you don't count being surrounded by 34 Laurings, this is the first real vacation Diana and I have had since our honeymoon). So we slept in and almost missed breakfast (again - what's with closing the buffet at 10am?) But we grabbed some cold stuff (still Sabbath, still no cooking), and walked towards the Old City. Specifically, we were headed for the Damascus gate. We missed. There are lots of gates into the Old City and they all get you where you want to be eventually. There are not a lot of (legible) street signs on the way from here to there. So we missed and ended up at the New Gate. A nice gate, but one off from our target. The boring idea of going to Damascus gate on the outside of the walls didn't appeal - I thought we should wander. Diana was less convinced and wanted a map, but I sort of just starting walking. We knew, more or less, what to look for (a gate?), so nothing could go wrong. We wandered lots of little tiny alleys, back streets, main streets covered with markets selling all sorts of things (including ladies' undergarments again - really?). We ultimately found the Damascus gate, but not before siting my falafel friend. Well, smelled it first (the falafel, not the man)... I love falafel, I could write a whole post on the topic (oh, wait...). He asked if we wanted everything on it so I just said yes. Then as he was putting stuff on, I'd say no to things I didn't want - kind of the same as 'everything', right? So it had humus, falafel (4-6 balls - take that, cheap American falafellers who only give 3), 'salad' (cucumber and tomatoes, usually with some olive oil / lemon juice / maybe parsley), tahine, and of course, chips (that's French Fries). We split the first one, loved it, and couldn't wait for more.
We went out the Damascus gate and found what we were looking for in the first place on the way to the city, the Garden Tomb. While many believe the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is on the site of the tomb where they buried Jesus, another option is at the Garden Tomb. Not sure who is right; figure we'll check them all out, just to be safe. Well, by the time we get there of course it is noon - remember everything is closed from noon to 2pm. Everything. Everyone here knows that - that's when it's really hot - why would you want to wander around a courtyard in the full sun? I don't know, but Diana and I just cannot remember that. So we headed back inside the gate (oops - continuity - this is when we actually ate that falafel). We wound down the market to El Wad street (that's Arabic for The Wad), and then turned left on Via Dolorossa. We're taking a full tour of the sites tomorrow, so we'll get into that then. We headed east out the Lion's gate (I'm assuming it's a crusader's gate, by the name).
From there you can head up the Mount of Olives. Mount is short for Mountain - it was a serious hike! At least along the way are some nice sites: we spent some good time among the ancient (2,000+ years) olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane, looked in the Church of All Nations, checked out Dominus Flevit (walked past the Church of Mary Magdalene, only open Tuesday and Thursday; Diana renamed it the Golden Onion Dome church), and eventually summited the Mount of Olives. The view is amazing. Jerusalem spreads out in front of you and is much bigger than it felt (indeed, the Old City is geographically tiny next to the city as a whole). I don't know how much outside the Old City we'll see; not out of a lack of interest, but simply a scarcity of time to cover it all. From up there you can see the blockaded "golden gate", the double arched gate that Jesus entered the city and that the Jews' savior will enter through some day; the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque; the city walls and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. You can't see the Wailing Wall (the Western Wall; it was on the other side of the Temple Mount), but we'll get to that Sunday. You aren't supposed to take pictures there on the Sabbath anyway. We tried to get a good panorama shot with the camera; I hope it can begin to do the view justice.
Finally we headed back down the hill, stopped in at a church built on top of a shrine for the site recognized as Mary's Assumption, went in the city the way we came out and headed for Damascus gate. I told Diana it was because that was the way we knew, but it was really because that was the falafel I knew. We grabbed two more from our friend (this time mine had pickles!) - oh and they're only 6 NIS each, that's less than $2! - and found a shaded spot to eat. It was after 5pm, but the sun was still quite hot. Finally having my fill of falafel (for the day), we went to our hotel for a rest.
pics:
Love
For Amanda and Mervyn, from The Alchemist. Our hero, Santiago, has just seen the love of his life for the first time.
At that moment, it seemed to him that time stood still, and the Soul of the World surged within him. When he looked into her dark eyes, and saw her lips that were poised between a laugh and silence, he learned the most important part of the language that all the world spoke - the language that everyone on earth was capable of understanding in their heart. It was love. Something older that humanity, more ancient than the desert. Something that exerted the same force whenever two pairs of eyes met, as had theirs here at the well. She smiled, and that was certainly an omen - the omen he had been waiting for, without even knowing he was, for all his life.
Some observations to help you get a feel for Israel...
Everywhere you go, there are clean public toilets available (every once in awhile they charge you a few shekkels - less than fifty cents). The bathroom facilities put those in Europe to shame! And to all those guys out there who can use any old hole in the wall or floor and think this isn't a big deal, let me tell you - this matters to the ladies! And to top it off, every toilet is dual flush. I mean - come America! Catch up!
In contrast to the cleanliness of their bathrooms though, there seems to be a pretty serious littering problem. Even in areas designated National Parks. Time to crack down on that, Israel! Don't trash the Promised Land!
Number one without a doubt best idea Nate and I had coming here - bringing two cameras. It means we both have our own all day and can shoot whatever we like. What can I say? We're both oldest children - we like to be in charge. A normal trip with only one camera either involves me "suggesting" to Nate how much to zoom or how to frame a shot, or Nate "suggesting" that I give him the camera immediately.
The food has been pretty great here, but the pita bread stands alone as the most amazing single food known to man. I can't even explain how good it is. Always served warm, nice and thick, fresh and soft. We really messed something up when we brought that one to America.
We arrived in Jerusalem on Friday evening, the beginning of the Sabbath or Shabbat. Our hotel has a Shabbat elevator which means an elevator that automatically stops and opens its doors at every floor. Up and down, every floor all day from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. This is to accommodate orthodox Jews who don't use any kind of electrical machinery or anything during Shabbat (this is my limited understanding at least.) I guess in a hotel where the stairs are for emergency use only just riding in the elevator is ok. Just no button-pushing.
Much to our excitement, the aversion to breaking any bill larger than a 5 that is running rampant in Europe does not seem to exist here! We've had no problem, even at smaller places when we had nothing but larger bills. They also take dollars and euros widely here. Nice!
Finally, on a more serious note, a thought on feeling safe. We've now driven around a lot and been in several towns. We walked through the Old City of Jerusalem today. In Nazareth we visited our first predominantly Muslim town. There really hasn't been anything at all to make one feel anything but at ease. However, there have been times when Nate and I have talked about having the feeling that we "should" be scared or anxious. It's strange. Somewhere in your subconscious your brain is taking things we've heard before we even came to a place and associating it with a danger that isn't real in the actual place! Food for thought.
In contrast to the cleanliness of their bathrooms though, there seems to be a pretty serious littering problem. Even in areas designated National Parks. Time to crack down on that, Israel! Don't trash the Promised Land!
Number one without a doubt best idea Nate and I had coming here - bringing two cameras. It means we both have our own all day and can shoot whatever we like. What can I say? We're both oldest children - we like to be in charge. A normal trip with only one camera either involves me "suggesting" to Nate how much to zoom or how to frame a shot, or Nate "suggesting" that I give him the camera immediately.
The food has been pretty great here, but the pita bread stands alone as the most amazing single food known to man. I can't even explain how good it is. Always served warm, nice and thick, fresh and soft. We really messed something up when we brought that one to America.
We arrived in Jerusalem on Friday evening, the beginning of the Sabbath or Shabbat. Our hotel has a Shabbat elevator which means an elevator that automatically stops and opens its doors at every floor. Up and down, every floor all day from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. This is to accommodate orthodox Jews who don't use any kind of electrical machinery or anything during Shabbat (this is my limited understanding at least.) I guess in a hotel where the stairs are for emergency use only just riding in the elevator is ok. Just no button-pushing.
Much to our excitement, the aversion to breaking any bill larger than a 5 that is running rampant in Europe does not seem to exist here! We've had no problem, even at smaller places when we had nothing but larger bills. They also take dollars and euros widely here. Nice!
Finally, on a more serious note, a thought on feeling safe. We've now driven around a lot and been in several towns. We walked through the Old City of Jerusalem today. In Nazareth we visited our first predominantly Muslim town. There really hasn't been anything at all to make one feel anything but at ease. However, there have been times when Nate and I have talked about having the feeling that we "should" be scared or anxious. It's strange. Somewhere in your subconscious your brain is taking things we've heard before we even came to a place and associating it with a danger that isn't real in the actual place! Food for thought.
Galilee to Nazareth and Jerusalem
It seems like we're always hustling around here, and once again, we got up, packed the car and headed out. As we were leaving Tiberius, we thought it would be nice to at least walk in the water there a bit, if not swim. We found a place to pull over, hopped out and walked down to the rocky beach. There were a couple other people around (families mostly, like the dad with his two nekked boys) but it wasn't really a swimming beach. We hung out with our feet in the water and relaxed for a while. It was a very peaceful place. The water was clean, but the beach was a bit littered, like many other places we've been here.
Finally saying goodbye to Galilee, we dried off and drove up the hills, heading out of the area and for Mt Tabor. Now a national park, it was the site of some famous Israelite battles way back in the day and is recognized most often as the place of the Transfiguration. There are Byzantine and Crusader ruins and a couple churches. We mostly just enjoyed the views of the hills and farms around the mountain and relaxed for a little bit. It was another very peaceful place - except for the ride up and down: very narrow road with many switchbacks (with poor sightlines) and lots of cars zooming by.
With little real debate, we decided to head to Nazareth. This is the first place we wanted to see where anyone had said anything about watching for dangerous stuff. Close to, but not in, the West Bank, Nazareth is two-thirds Muslim with the remainder Christian. We had been warned a little about going there, but our guide book said go for it. Like I said, we didn't really second guess it - we both were excited to go. The guide book also said traffic and parking are typically a pain - 2-for-2! We crawled up the hill at a snail's pace, turned at the top, and inched our way down, looking for parking the whole way. We finally found a lot (second one we tried; first one was closing early - Friday prayers are the more holy time for Islam) that charged 20 NIS (about $6) for a day. Prices seem okay; it's more a matter of access to a parking spot. The lot was also near churches and a pastry shop recommended in our guide book. We were hungry and the pastries were on the way, so we stopped in there first. We had a couple of the best sweet little cheese and dough and I don't know what pastries ever. Really - not sure what they were called or what exactly was in there, but the guide book was right again, amazing. The place is called Mahmoud's and is by the traffic circle for Paulus VI and Casa Nova streets. (If anyone is going to Israel, please borrow our book - it has been great) We considered decamping at the pastry shop for the remained of our time in Israel but figured there were a few other things we wanted to do still. We walked up the hill a block or so to the church built on the site of the Annunciation. Traditionally, the caves underneath the church and St Joseph's next door were Mary's house (where Gabriel came to her) and Joseph's carpentry shop. The Basilica of the Annunciation was very beautiful, had many levels to it, and was crawling with tour groups. We ducked around them and 'snuck' up some stairs that appeared off limits ... until we ran smack into another tour group. We walked around the town a fair bit and poked into some markets. We couldn't find the guidebook-recommended Diana restaurant (with its obvious appeal), but now we have something to come back for - that, and did I mention the pastries?
We meandered our way back down the hill and away from Nazareth (everything goes too quickly, and we aren't even rushing ourselves!) It was a little over an hour and a half to Jerusalem, mostly on very nice highways, with a stop on the way for espresso (can't get enough) and Pringles and a Bounty bar. No kidding, the Pringles were the first thing on vacation to make my stomach uneasy - the swordfish ceviche in Paris, awesome; God-knows-what at the Israeli breakfast shmorgasboard, no problem; Pringles? Bletch!
We got into Jerusalem and our hotel just before sundown, when the Shabat would begin for our Jewish friends. Checked in to our room and rested for a bit and then hunted down dinner. Of course, everything Jewish was closed, and we hadn't really oriented ourselves yet with the city, so we just had salads at the hotel bar - tell you what, they weren't half bad. Also the Sabbath does not forbid the bartender from pulling a couple tall beers from the tap for me too...
Finally saying goodbye to Galilee, we dried off and drove up the hills, heading out of the area and for Mt Tabor. Now a national park, it was the site of some famous Israelite battles way back in the day and is recognized most often as the place of the Transfiguration. There are Byzantine and Crusader ruins and a couple churches. We mostly just enjoyed the views of the hills and farms around the mountain and relaxed for a little bit. It was another very peaceful place - except for the ride up and down: very narrow road with many switchbacks (with poor sightlines) and lots of cars zooming by.
With little real debate, we decided to head to Nazareth. This is the first place we wanted to see where anyone had said anything about watching for dangerous stuff. Close to, but not in, the West Bank, Nazareth is two-thirds Muslim with the remainder Christian. We had been warned a little about going there, but our guide book said go for it. Like I said, we didn't really second guess it - we both were excited to go. The guide book also said traffic and parking are typically a pain - 2-for-2! We crawled up the hill at a snail's pace, turned at the top, and inched our way down, looking for parking the whole way. We finally found a lot (second one we tried; first one was closing early - Friday prayers are the more holy time for Islam) that charged 20 NIS (about $6) for a day. Prices seem okay; it's more a matter of access to a parking spot. The lot was also near churches and a pastry shop recommended in our guide book. We were hungry and the pastries were on the way, so we stopped in there first. We had a couple of the best sweet little cheese and dough and I don't know what pastries ever. Really - not sure what they were called or what exactly was in there, but the guide book was right again, amazing. The place is called Mahmoud's and is by the traffic circle for Paulus VI and Casa Nova streets. (If anyone is going to Israel, please borrow our book - it has been great) We considered decamping at the pastry shop for the remained of our time in Israel but figured there were a few other things we wanted to do still. We walked up the hill a block or so to the church built on the site of the Annunciation. Traditionally, the caves underneath the church and St Joseph's next door were Mary's house (where Gabriel came to her) and Joseph's carpentry shop. The Basilica of the Annunciation was very beautiful, had many levels to it, and was crawling with tour groups. We ducked around them and 'snuck' up some stairs that appeared off limits ... until we ran smack into another tour group. We walked around the town a fair bit and poked into some markets. We couldn't find the guidebook-recommended Diana restaurant (with its obvious appeal), but now we have something to come back for - that, and did I mention the pastries?
We meandered our way back down the hill and away from Nazareth (everything goes too quickly, and we aren't even rushing ourselves!) It was a little over an hour and a half to Jerusalem, mostly on very nice highways, with a stop on the way for espresso (can't get enough) and Pringles and a Bounty bar. No kidding, the Pringles were the first thing on vacation to make my stomach uneasy - the swordfish ceviche in Paris, awesome; God-knows-what at the Israeli breakfast shmorgasboard, no problem; Pringles? Bletch!
We got into Jerusalem and our hotel just before sundown, when the Shabat would begin for our Jewish friends. Checked in to our room and rested for a bit and then hunted down dinner. Of course, everything Jewish was closed, and we hadn't really oriented ourselves yet with the city, so we just had salads at the hotel bar - tell you what, they weren't half bad. Also the Sabbath does not forbid the bartender from pulling a couple tall beers from the tap for me too...
The Alchemist
FINALLY got the book from Diana. Read it in an evening after dinner at Guy in Tiberius (veggies stuffed with meat - incredible tastes). I've read the book 3 times (in high school, about a year ago right before I gave it to Diana for the fateful trip impetus, and now) and it keeps getting better. Literally can't put it down. And I literally read it after dinner one day. It takes about 3 hours; I recommend the book to everyone - it is a very fun read!
Also, just remembered, the whole reason I mentioned lunch in Caesarea was because we were trying to eat while being bombarded by 40 mph sustained winds with many small cats underfoot, looking for table scraps. I am surprised Diana didn't up and walk out on me (us).
Also, just remembered, the whole reason I mentioned lunch in Caesarea was because we were trying to eat while being bombarded by 40 mph sustained winds with many small cats underfoot, looking for table scraps. I am surprised Diana didn't up and walk out on me (us).
Jerusalem
Good morning all! We are on a public computer in the business center of our hotel in Jerusalem. I have a post and some pics on a memory stick, but alas, this computer won't read it. So, we are off to check out this city. More to come.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
The Sea of Galilee
Shalom and welcome to Israel! Hopefully you all enjoyed Nate's post on Tel Aviv - the only thing I saw there was our hotel room (which was very nice.) On the plus side, it also meant that we spent practically nothing - there was even a free "light dinner" buffet at the hotel. Apparently I am the spender in our duo.
We both had a sense as we left France that the "real" adventure was about to begin. We know so little of the language and can't even read the Hebrew letters. Luckily, most signs are in Hebrew, Arabic and English and nearly everyone speaks English. We're on a very loose itinerary here, defined only by the hotel reservations we have. We are travelling more or less clockwise around the country, making lots of stops on the our way between cities where we're staying. We have a trusty little Chevy sedan we've named Sarah and a GPS named Rebecca that we would be lost (pun intended) without. So far, so good!
(a goofy photo of the map in our guide book for some context.)
Last night we arrived in Tiberias which is a city on the Sea of Galilee. Turns out the "Sea" of Galilee is actually the "Lake" of Galilee and it sits 700 feet below sea level, while some of the surrounding land is up to 70 feet above sea level. The landscape is hard to describe - hilly, with what looks like flowing wheat low to the ground, but lots of tree greens (olive, cypress), and beautiful flowering trees and vines everywhere. The colors are gorgeous - deep pinks of all shades, with yellow and orange mixed in. The weather today was a bit odd. It was around 100 degrees out, humid (so much for the dry heat!), and very, very hazy. At points in the day, you couldn't even see across the lake, and it's not that big.
So, after an Israeli breakfast (which means a little of everything you can think of!) we hopped in the car and set off for Ginosar which today is a kibbutz but could be the ancient city of Gennesaret which is a place the Bible mentions Jesus being in once. Today, it's well-known for a first century fishing boat that was found buried in its shores in 1986. Very incredible.
Next it was on to Tabgha, site of two churches. One commemorates the Primacy of St. Peter. It's said that in the area of the church was where Jesus appeared after he rose from the dead and asked Peter three times "Do you love me?" Peter answered "Lord, you know I do" three times, some say as atonement for denying Jesus three times before his death. The site had a pretty little pebble beach on the lake and a small church. We have from Nick a very handy little print out with Bible passages organized by site in Israel (thanks, Nick!) so that was coming in handy already.
Next we walked to the church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes. This was a slightly bigger church with a pretty open courtyard/cloister in front with a pond. The church was rebuilt several times, the last time in the 1900s on the foundations of the original church and unearthed some original mosaics on the floor. Again, it was nice to sit quietly and read the accompanying Bible passage
On to Caperaum, which was the center of Jesus's ministry. The site was a large excavation of the ancient town, mostly foundations including what is traditionally believed to be St. Peter's house where Jesus stayed. There are also ruins of the town synogogue but dating from a few centuries after Jesus. (Still, it was probably built over the synogogue of Jesus' time.) This place was the most moving for me. The entire sight was a bit raised over the Sea and it was a little less foggy, so the views were very nice. Maybe it was that you could sense what the little town might have been like and imagine people having a real life there. There is a modern (in time and in architectural style) church cantilevering over the site of Peter's house (sort of strange, but we'll go with it) where we sat for awhile and did our reading. Did I mention it was 100 degrees and humid?
Our last stop of the day was at the Mount of the Beatitudes. It's pretty high up and I'm sure the views are usually amazing, but unfortunately it looked like we were in a cloud with all the haze. Big time bummer. Anyway, the little church was beautiful with an intense Italian nun on guard ("Cover your shoulders!" "No shorts!" "No video!") You can definitely see the Byzantine/Eastern influences in the Christian architecture here - this dome was completely covered in a mosaic of gold tiles with a little bit of blue. Nate and I recently saw the show "Godspell" so it was fun reading Matthew's gospel (which the show is based on) for the Sermon on the Mount.
What we saw:
What we should have seen:
So that's the latest and greatest! We're off to dinner now. Bye for now!
We both had a sense as we left France that the "real" adventure was about to begin. We know so little of the language and can't even read the Hebrew letters. Luckily, most signs are in Hebrew, Arabic and English and nearly everyone speaks English. We're on a very loose itinerary here, defined only by the hotel reservations we have. We are travelling more or less clockwise around the country, making lots of stops on the our way between cities where we're staying. We have a trusty little Chevy sedan we've named Sarah and a GPS named Rebecca that we would be lost (pun intended) without. So far, so good!
(a goofy photo of the map in our guide book for some context.)
Last night we arrived in Tiberias which is a city on the Sea of Galilee. Turns out the "Sea" of Galilee is actually the "Lake" of Galilee and it sits 700 feet below sea level, while some of the surrounding land is up to 70 feet above sea level. The landscape is hard to describe - hilly, with what looks like flowing wheat low to the ground, but lots of tree greens (olive, cypress), and beautiful flowering trees and vines everywhere. The colors are gorgeous - deep pinks of all shades, with yellow and orange mixed in. The weather today was a bit odd. It was around 100 degrees out, humid (so much for the dry heat!), and very, very hazy. At points in the day, you couldn't even see across the lake, and it's not that big.
So, after an Israeli breakfast (which means a little of everything you can think of!) we hopped in the car and set off for Ginosar which today is a kibbutz but could be the ancient city of Gennesaret which is a place the Bible mentions Jesus being in once. Today, it's well-known for a first century fishing boat that was found buried in its shores in 1986. Very incredible.
Next it was on to Tabgha, site of two churches. One commemorates the Primacy of St. Peter. It's said that in the area of the church was where Jesus appeared after he rose from the dead and asked Peter three times "Do you love me?" Peter answered "Lord, you know I do" three times, some say as atonement for denying Jesus three times before his death. The site had a pretty little pebble beach on the lake and a small church. We have from Nick a very handy little print out with Bible passages organized by site in Israel (thanks, Nick!) so that was coming in handy already.
Next we walked to the church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes. This was a slightly bigger church with a pretty open courtyard/cloister in front with a pond. The church was rebuilt several times, the last time in the 1900s on the foundations of the original church and unearthed some original mosaics on the floor. Again, it was nice to sit quietly and read the accompanying Bible passage
On to Caperaum, which was the center of Jesus's ministry. The site was a large excavation of the ancient town, mostly foundations including what is traditionally believed to be St. Peter's house where Jesus stayed. There are also ruins of the town synogogue but dating from a few centuries after Jesus. (Still, it was probably built over the synogogue of Jesus' time.) This place was the most moving for me. The entire sight was a bit raised over the Sea and it was a little less foggy, so the views were very nice. Maybe it was that you could sense what the little town might have been like and imagine people having a real life there. There is a modern (in time and in architectural style) church cantilevering over the site of Peter's house (sort of strange, but we'll go with it) where we sat for awhile and did our reading. Did I mention it was 100 degrees and humid?
Our last stop of the day was at the Mount of the Beatitudes. It's pretty high up and I'm sure the views are usually amazing, but unfortunately it looked like we were in a cloud with all the haze. Big time bummer. Anyway, the little church was beautiful with an intense Italian nun on guard ("Cover your shoulders!" "No shorts!" "No video!") You can definitely see the Byzantine/Eastern influences in the Christian architecture here - this dome was completely covered in a mosaic of gold tiles with a little bit of blue. Nate and I recently saw the show "Godspell" so it was fun reading Matthew's gospel (which the show is based on) for the Sermon on the Mount.
What we saw:
What we should have seen:
So that's the latest and greatest! We're off to dinner now. Bye for now!
The Northern Mediterranean Coast
On our second morning in Tel Aviv, Diana finally looked like she was ready to start actually doing stuff in Israel - good thing, because we had places to go! We enjoyed a quick (free) breakfast at the hotel, packed up and got on the road headed north.
About a half hour north of Tel Aviv is the really old city of Caesarea. If you're following along with a GPS, it may also be spelled Kasarya or Quesarea or Quisaria or ... you get the point. I think there are so many spellings because so many people lived here over the years, Jews and Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders and Sultans. It got knocked down a few times and rebuilt a few times, but after a few earthquakes, people finally gave it up and it was buried. They did some major archaeological work digging it up and restored a lot of the ruins. Any way, 2,000 years ago King Herod decided he needed a good port in the region. They built a breakwater that went out almost a half-mile with dock space, warehouses and rooms for sailors on it. The building techniques were pretty cool too: sunk caissons, filled them with volcanic ash (which hardened like concrete), and built footings and piers on top. Not bad for back then. Herod put up a Roman temple (he got to be King by kissing a lot of Roman butt; Caesarea was also named after the emperor - Augustus, not Julius, of course) which later was built over with a Byzantine church, a Crusader church and then a mosque. It was a pretty big town for a while and they needed more water, so the Romans built some huge aqueducts running from way out in the country. They don't connect to the city any more, but we drove over and saw them (like a half mile away). You can climb on them and see how they were made and stuff (very, very straight and level - good construction). And there's a beach there - no need to let good sand go to waste for a 2,000 year old aqueduct.
In Caesarea we took a break for lunch at a cafe. We hadn't gotten to go to any real restaurants in Tel Aviv (on account of you-know-who), so this was our first more authentic humus and pita, mid-eastern fare. I love this kind of food and stuffed myself. I needed the energy for all that walking around, right? Oh - BTW - Paris was not diet friendly, did I mention?
We played around Caesarea for a while and then hopped back in the car for Haifa. We got in a little late, so we went straight to the top of the mountain that looks over everything (Mt Carmel or one next to Mt Carmel, don't remember, but Carmel is where the Carmelite nuns are from). From there you can look down on the Baha'i gardens and shrine. They are really, really beautiful, but you'll have to go online to search for a pic - mine are worthless because they have the shrine covered for renovations. Trust me, it's nice. We also looked over Haifa a bit (huge port; nuclear power plant; Burj-esque building) and headed out.
Since we were a little behind schedule, we pushed Nazareth off for a couple days and went straight to Tiberius and the Sea of Galilee. We got in just after sunset, checked in and had a glass of wine. The late lunch in Caesarea held us over, so we went to bed early to get up and see the sights around Galilee in the morning.
About a half hour north of Tel Aviv is the really old city of Caesarea. If you're following along with a GPS, it may also be spelled Kasarya or Quesarea or Quisaria or ... you get the point. I think there are so many spellings because so many people lived here over the years, Jews and Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders and Sultans. It got knocked down a few times and rebuilt a few times, but after a few earthquakes, people finally gave it up and it was buried. They did some major archaeological work digging it up and restored a lot of the ruins. Any way, 2,000 years ago King Herod decided he needed a good port in the region. They built a breakwater that went out almost a half-mile with dock space, warehouses and rooms for sailors on it. The building techniques were pretty cool too: sunk caissons, filled them with volcanic ash (which hardened like concrete), and built footings and piers on top. Not bad for back then. Herod put up a Roman temple (he got to be King by kissing a lot of Roman butt; Caesarea was also named after the emperor - Augustus, not Julius, of course) which later was built over with a Byzantine church, a Crusader church and then a mosque. It was a pretty big town for a while and they needed more water, so the Romans built some huge aqueducts running from way out in the country. They don't connect to the city any more, but we drove over and saw them (like a half mile away). You can climb on them and see how they were made and stuff (very, very straight and level - good construction). And there's a beach there - no need to let good sand go to waste for a 2,000 year old aqueduct.
In Caesarea we took a break for lunch at a cafe. We hadn't gotten to go to any real restaurants in Tel Aviv (on account of you-know-who), so this was our first more authentic humus and pita, mid-eastern fare. I love this kind of food and stuffed myself. I needed the energy for all that walking around, right? Oh - BTW - Paris was not diet friendly, did I mention?
We played around Caesarea for a while and then hopped back in the car for Haifa. We got in a little late, so we went straight to the top of the mountain that looks over everything (Mt Carmel or one next to Mt Carmel, don't remember, but Carmel is where the Carmelite nuns are from). From there you can look down on the Baha'i gardens and shrine. They are really, really beautiful, but you'll have to go online to search for a pic - mine are worthless because they have the shrine covered for renovations. Trust me, it's nice. We also looked over Haifa a bit (huge port; nuclear power plant; Burj-esque building) and headed out.
Since we were a little behind schedule, we pushed Nazareth off for a couple days and went straight to Tiberius and the Sea of Galilee. We got in just after sunset, checked in and had a glass of wine. The late lunch in Caesarea held us over, so we went to bed early to get up and see the sights around Galilee in the morning.
"The Nicest Lady in all of Israel" or "The Day I Nearly Passed out in the Tel Aviv Airport"
I have a confession to make. I can sometimes be a bit dramatic about being sick. I am certain to complain to Nate at the first sign of any tickle in my throat, funny feeling in my stomach or ache in my head. So, you can understand why Nate was only cautiously sympathetic when, as we left Paris on Monday, I said I didn't feel well.
I felt worse and worse as the afternoon went on - feverish, headache, achey, all that good stuff. Our brilliant travel agent had gotten us business class flights for this leg (at the same price, none the less!) which turned out to be a real gift. It meant I could nap in the business lounge at the airport waiting for our delayed flight instead of on the normal uncomfortable airport chairs. It also meant that on the plane I had a leg rest that went up and a seat that went nearly flat. Brilliant.
Anyway, I shivered under two blankets all the way to Tel Aviv where we arrived around 8:30pm. We got into line at passport control and inched our way to the front. When we were about 3 people from the front, I started to feel reeeeally funny and all of the sudden started blacking out a bit like I was going to pass out. Uh oh. I knelt down and put my head between my knees. Not good. I tried to get up a couple times - same blacking out thing. (I've always been a fainter. Just ask my Mom. In recent memory, after getting my wisdom teeth out, Mom saved me from smacking my head on the tile floor. But I digress.) We were 1 person away from the front and the line had gotten huge behind us. I had visions of falling over in front of the tough looking Israeli passport dude and never being allowed into the country. Plus, I was pretty sure I was about to get sick. So, out of line we went and rushed back to the bathroom.
Enter the nicest woman in all of ISrael. (Possibly the world.) I must have looked so bad, that one of the passport control people left her booth (!!) and followed us. She asked Nate my name and came into the bathroom to check on me. She said she had decided to come after us because I had looked so white! She also said to eat something sweet when I came out and that when we made it back in the now enormous line, we could cut to the front of her line, number 20.
We did make it back to the line finally, where she saw us and waved us right to the front. She only asked us one question (did we have any family in Israel) then stamped us and sent us on our way looking very sympathetic.
So, it's 3 days later and I am finally back in action! I have some catching up to do on the blog front - stay tuned!
ps - This post could also be called "My husband is a Saint". He's taken very good care of me - don't worry Mom!
I felt worse and worse as the afternoon went on - feverish, headache, achey, all that good stuff. Our brilliant travel agent had gotten us business class flights for this leg (at the same price, none the less!) which turned out to be a real gift. It meant I could nap in the business lounge at the airport waiting for our delayed flight instead of on the normal uncomfortable airport chairs. It also meant that on the plane I had a leg rest that went up and a seat that went nearly flat. Brilliant.
Anyway, I shivered under two blankets all the way to Tel Aviv where we arrived around 8:30pm. We got into line at passport control and inched our way to the front. When we were about 3 people from the front, I started to feel reeeeally funny and all of the sudden started blacking out a bit like I was going to pass out. Uh oh. I knelt down and put my head between my knees. Not good. I tried to get up a couple times - same blacking out thing. (I've always been a fainter. Just ask my Mom. In recent memory, after getting my wisdom teeth out, Mom saved me from smacking my head on the tile floor. But I digress.) We were 1 person away from the front and the line had gotten huge behind us. I had visions of falling over in front of the tough looking Israeli passport dude and never being allowed into the country. Plus, I was pretty sure I was about to get sick. So, out of line we went and rushed back to the bathroom.
Enter the nicest woman in all of ISrael. (Possibly the world.) I must have looked so bad, that one of the passport control people left her booth (!!) and followed us. She asked Nate my name and came into the bathroom to check on me. She said she had decided to come after us because I had looked so white! She also said to eat something sweet when I came out and that when we made it back in the now enormous line, we could cut to the front of her line, number 20.
We did make it back to the line finally, where she saw us and waved us right to the front. She only asked us one question (did we have any family in Israel) then stamped us and sent us on our way looking very sympathetic.
So, it's 3 days later and I am finally back in action! I have some catching up to do on the blog front - stay tuned!
ps - This post could also be called "My husband is a Saint". He's taken very good care of me - don't worry Mom!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv 25-May-2010
We got in to Tel Aviv's airport (another good looking airport) around 7:30 last night. Diana picked up a bug somewhere between our Paris hotel and the airplane, so by the time we got off the plane, she wasn't feeling too hot (see her post). So today she slept in most of the day and started feeling better later on...
I slept in until noon too (man, Paris was go-go-go!). When I finally headed out in the afternoon, I went to one of Tel Aviv's markets to what it was all about. There were all kinds of stands selling fruits and vegetables, meats and cheeses, and cheap clothes (mostly Levi's and ladies' undergarments). It was at least a half mile long strip of stalls - my favorite ones were selling spices; everything good you ever smelled in food was sitting together and smelled amazing. Then I turned the corner and headed down a special (Tuesday/Friday only) market with people selling jewelry, drawings and wood carved stuff with cafes lining the route. Pretty cool and fun, but I was on my own and didn't feel like buying much. (Oh, an aside - I did have my bag checked by security on the way in. He only was armed with a radio though, not like the big guns carried by the guys at CDG).
After a little while browsing I headed back to the hotel with a stop at a quickie mart for cookies, crisps and 9 liters of water - we each are drinking about three-quarters of a gallon a day; judging by the usual indicator, I'm still not getting enough fluids and we aren't even in the desert yet. We've stuck to bottled water here out of an abundance of caution (it is supposed to be fine); ironic though that Diana probably got her stomach bug from water in Western Europe.
I got back to the hotel and tried to perk up my travel companion, but she wasn't having it. So I went out exploring more on my own. I headed north up the coast a few minutes to the beaches where there were at least 30 kite-surfers but no one swimming. It's still early in the year and probably cool for locals, but if I had my suit on, I would definitely have jumped in.
Then I headed about 15 minutes south of the hotel to Jaffa. While Tel Aviv only sprung up out of the desert 100 years ago, Jaffa is one of the oldest (or THE oldest) port cities in the world: the cedars for the Temple in Jerusalem were imported through here, Jonah set off from here on his way to the whale's belly, and Perseus rescued Andromeda from a rock the Jaffa people had tied her to as a sacrifice to Poseidon (I guess). Anyway, it is a neat place with tiny alleys, lots of steps, a tall, handsome clock tower, AMAZING views and about 4,000 stray cats.
After wandering a bit, I went back, convinced Diana to get dinner and then caught the end of regulation for the Celtics / Magic Game 4 on tape delay (the only TV so far; hopefully we don't accidentally watch any more). At the end of the 4th, with the score tied, they put up a commercial for Wednesday's Game 5 - no need to watch the OT now!
So I'm doing some laundry in the bath tub as I scribble these notes, then it's to bed. Tomorrow we get up early (early for vacation that is) and head up the coast to Caesarea and Haifa, then inland to our hotel on the west side of the Sea of Galilee.
Cheers!
We got in to Tel Aviv's airport (another good looking airport) around 7:30 last night. Diana picked up a bug somewhere between our Paris hotel and the airplane, so by the time we got off the plane, she wasn't feeling too hot (see her post). So today she slept in most of the day and started feeling better later on...
I slept in until noon too (man, Paris was go-go-go!). When I finally headed out in the afternoon, I went to one of Tel Aviv's markets to what it was all about. There were all kinds of stands selling fruits and vegetables, meats and cheeses, and cheap clothes (mostly Levi's and ladies' undergarments). It was at least a half mile long strip of stalls - my favorite ones were selling spices; everything good you ever smelled in food was sitting together and smelled amazing. Then I turned the corner and headed down a special (Tuesday/Friday only) market with people selling jewelry, drawings and wood carved stuff with cafes lining the route. Pretty cool and fun, but I was on my own and didn't feel like buying much. (Oh, an aside - I did have my bag checked by security on the way in. He only was armed with a radio though, not like the big guns carried by the guys at CDG).
After a little while browsing I headed back to the hotel with a stop at a quickie mart for cookies, crisps and 9 liters of water - we each are drinking about three-quarters of a gallon a day; judging by the usual indicator, I'm still not getting enough fluids and we aren't even in the desert yet. We've stuck to bottled water here out of an abundance of caution (it is supposed to be fine); ironic though that Diana probably got her stomach bug from water in Western Europe.
I got back to the hotel and tried to perk up my travel companion, but she wasn't having it. So I went out exploring more on my own. I headed north up the coast a few minutes to the beaches where there were at least 30 kite-surfers but no one swimming. It's still early in the year and probably cool for locals, but if I had my suit on, I would definitely have jumped in.
Then I headed about 15 minutes south of the hotel to Jaffa. While Tel Aviv only sprung up out of the desert 100 years ago, Jaffa is one of the oldest (or THE oldest) port cities in the world: the cedars for the Temple in Jerusalem were imported through here, Jonah set off from here on his way to the whale's belly, and Perseus rescued Andromeda from a rock the Jaffa people had tied her to as a sacrifice to Poseidon (I guess). Anyway, it is a neat place with tiny alleys, lots of steps, a tall, handsome clock tower, AMAZING views and about 4,000 stray cats.
After wandering a bit, I went back, convinced Diana to get dinner and then caught the end of regulation for the Celtics / Magic Game 4 on tape delay (the only TV so far; hopefully we don't accidentally watch any more). At the end of the 4th, with the score tied, they put up a commercial for Wednesday's Game 5 - no need to watch the OT now!
So I'm doing some laundry in the bath tub as I scribble these notes, then it's to bed. Tomorrow we get up early (early for vacation that is) and head up the coast to Caesarea and Haifa, then inland to our hotel on the west side of the Sea of Galilee.
Cheers!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Au Revoir a Paris
(Second time writing this - netbook has keys made for 3-year olds)
We're hanging out in CDG - waiting for our flight to Tel Aviv. Diana is napping (because Diana naps) - I was going to snag a pic to post, but the El Al guys have big guns and take security VERY seriously. We were grilled for quite a while on our business in Israel before given the green light. But now we're on our way.
Yesterday in Paris we headed out early (10am - not bad for the morning after a wedding!) and went up to Montemarte. We wound our way through the mad crowds of souvenir peddlers and tourists dropping too much money for junk and got up to the top of the hill to see Sacre Coeur. It is definitely one of the 5 most beautiful churches I've been in. It is extremely unique on the outside (look for pics online, mine are in the checked baggage). The inside looks like a regular church, but it is done up very nicely. We happened to arrive during Pentecost mass, so we hung out, understood a couple words and had Communion. The church is on top of the hill that is Montemarte, so you can see forever. Paris is very large and they pack in quite a lot over a lot of space. One of the best views of all this...
Then we headed to the Louvre to see a few things. Don't tell them, but we got in for free! (Some other Americans were on their way out and gave us their tickets - the tickets are good for a full day) We saw some highlights and wandered around for a few hours. There's no way you can see everything in there in a month, so we didn't try. Enjoyed it though, thoroughly.
Our night ended with a picnic with our friends in a park in view of the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. As the sun set (at 9:45pm) the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre pyramids lit up. Beautiful. Then on the hour (and every hour) the Eiffel Tower sparkles - pretty neat (if not a little cheesy). We had a good 3 hour / 3 bottle of wine picnic, headed towards our hotel (with a stop for another bottle of wine) and got to bed at a reasonable time (1:30). Please, please, let Israel be more tame...
We got up, headed to the train and got here in no time. The trains here run amazingly well (but there isn't any A/C and it's supposed to be 28C today). We managed to figure out Metro and RER in time to leave, but we'll know for next time.
We miss everyone at home and are thinking about you. Shout out to my mom, it's her Birthday! (You're what, 40?)
Au revoir!
We're hanging out in CDG - waiting for our flight to Tel Aviv. Diana is napping (because Diana naps) - I was going to snag a pic to post, but the El Al guys have big guns and take security VERY seriously. We were grilled for quite a while on our business in Israel before given the green light. But now we're on our way.
Yesterday in Paris we headed out early (10am - not bad for the morning after a wedding!) and went up to Montemarte. We wound our way through the mad crowds of souvenir peddlers and tourists dropping too much money for junk and got up to the top of the hill to see Sacre Coeur. It is definitely one of the 5 most beautiful churches I've been in. It is extremely unique on the outside (look for pics online, mine are in the checked baggage). The inside looks like a regular church, but it is done up very nicely. We happened to arrive during Pentecost mass, so we hung out, understood a couple words and had Communion. The church is on top of the hill that is Montemarte, so you can see forever. Paris is very large and they pack in quite a lot over a lot of space. One of the best views of all this...
Then we headed to the Louvre to see a few things. Don't tell them, but we got in for free! (Some other Americans were on their way out and gave us their tickets - the tickets are good for a full day) We saw some highlights and wandered around for a few hours. There's no way you can see everything in there in a month, so we didn't try. Enjoyed it though, thoroughly.
Our night ended with a picnic with our friends in a park in view of the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. As the sun set (at 9:45pm) the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre pyramids lit up. Beautiful. Then on the hour (and every hour) the Eiffel Tower sparkles - pretty neat (if not a little cheesy). We had a good 3 hour / 3 bottle of wine picnic, headed towards our hotel (with a stop for another bottle of wine) and got to bed at a reasonable time (1:30). Please, please, let Israel be more tame...
We got up, headed to the train and got here in no time. The trains here run amazingly well (but there isn't any A/C and it's supposed to be 28C today). We managed to figure out Metro and RER in time to leave, but we'll know for next time.
We miss everyone at home and are thinking about you. Shout out to my mom, it's her Birthday! (You're what, 40?)
Au revoir!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Here comes the bride
We really need to get to bed before 3am a night in Paris. But hey, why start now? It's 9:30am and we've just dragged ourselves out of bed - big plans to see more of Paris today! Last night was Mandy and Mervyn's wedding...
The whole thing was just perfect. We rode the Metro out to Neuilly, a Paris suburb just west of the city. A small crowd of about 40 gathered in the front of the beautiful church and waited excitedly. Mandy looked stunning. She had altered her mother's wedding dress and it suited her perfectly. The ceremony graciously wove together parts in French and English. I was honored to have been asked to read something and went back and forth with the best man reading the prayers of the faithful. All the while, Mandy and Mervyn held hands and looked about to burst with happiness.
Next there was a surprise! We all boarded a tour bus and drove around Paris while one of the guests spoke about the monuments of the city. To cap it all off, we hopped out near the Eiffel Tower for some pictures. Wedding pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower?! How lucky is that?!
During photo time, one of the other guests asked if I was related to Mandy. Mandy and I both got a good kick out of that since people asked if we were sisters in college all the time. Once when we went on spring break together (apparently at the height of our "look-alikeness") we got asked no less than 3 times in 5 days if we were twins. They say everyone has a twin out there, but I don't think most people are lucky enough to have that twin as one of their best friends!
The evening ended in the upstairs room of a little French cafe, complete with the requisite ambience, fantastic food, two servings of desert and dancing. I'm proud to say that the Americans outlasted everyone on the dance floor - take that jet lag! It was so so amazing to be here for this. Congratulations Mandy and Mervyn!
The whole thing was just perfect. We rode the Metro out to Neuilly, a Paris suburb just west of the city. A small crowd of about 40 gathered in the front of the beautiful church and waited excitedly. Mandy looked stunning. She had altered her mother's wedding dress and it suited her perfectly. The ceremony graciously wove together parts in French and English. I was honored to have been asked to read something and went back and forth with the best man reading the prayers of the faithful. All the while, Mandy and Mervyn held hands and looked about to burst with happiness.
Next there was a surprise! We all boarded a tour bus and drove around Paris while one of the guests spoke about the monuments of the city. To cap it all off, we hopped out near the Eiffel Tower for some pictures. Wedding pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower?! How lucky is that?!
During photo time, one of the other guests asked if I was related to Mandy. Mandy and I both got a good kick out of that since people asked if we were sisters in college all the time. Once when we went on spring break together (apparently at the height of our "look-alikeness") we got asked no less than 3 times in 5 days if we were twins. They say everyone has a twin out there, but I don't think most people are lucky enough to have that twin as one of their best friends!
The evening ended in the upstairs room of a little French cafe, complete with the requisite ambience, fantastic food, two servings of desert and dancing. I'm proud to say that the Americans outlasted everyone on the dance floor - take that jet lag! It was so so amazing to be here for this. Congratulations Mandy and Mervyn!
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Communication
Charles De Gaulle is a beautiful, modern airport, and we came through the new terminal, more beautiful and modern than the others. The signage was great - not just in that they include English, but the relative abundance of signs made navigating the airport a breeze. Then we left the airport...
We bought RER (their commuter rail) tickets to catch the train to Paris, but I wasn't convinced we were headed in the right direction until we got here. We changed for the Metro (unaware that we got a free transfer from the train to the subway, we looked around forever trying to figure out tickets) and took that a couple stops to our 'hood.
Paris, if anyone has been, has amazing food. This may be news to some, but believe me, it is indeed incredible. So we step off the Metro at our stop, walk up to the street, and our first sight in Paris is ... the KFC. I'm sure it's a very fine KFC, but I think Diana was ready to turn it around and head home. Fortunately, for the Parisians' sake, the place was empty. We wandered a bit, with our 50# suitcases, and eventually found our hotel. It is a charming place, if not for the Valley girls next to our room, up all night chatting about what Susie said about Sally or some nonsense.
So we have had (so far) two of the best dinners I could imagine. Good wine, amazing food, desserts and cafe (their espresso makes American espresso look like - I don't know what - baby formula? It is insanely strong - I love it!) We (the boys) went out our first night with the groom-to-be, had scallops in the best sauce ever, then met up with the girls at an English bar (the bartender spoke less French than me). We were troopers, staying out past 2 - good thing I had that cafe or I wouldn't have made it. Barely slept on the plane, no nap :( and lots of walking around before dinner to see the Pompidou Center and Notre Dame. Friday we took a bike tour of the city, saw all the amazing buildings and worked up an appetite for another awesome dinner (which started at 10:30 last night).
All that hustling about left us exhausted. We slept in a little too long today, so we just picked up a baguette and some cheese, had a picnic at a bus stop and now we're off to the wedding. And then! Then the adventure really gets going!
Oh - one point of contention with the Parisians: I only get 10, 20 and 50 Euro notes from the ATM - I don't have exact change. You are a store - you have lots of customers - I know you can break my 10. Quit making such a fuss! They don't have 4.26 euro notes and if they did I don't know where to get them - you're going to have to make change!
Bonjour Paris
I'm sitting here at the little desk in my little Paris hotel in the early evening of our first full day in Paris feeling extremely lucky. See, we just got back from sitting near the Eiffel Tower after a trip to the market for baguettes, cheese and wine. The weather is gorgeous - sunny and probably mid-70s. Does it get any better than that? The greatest thing about the Paris leg of our trip is that we're here with 6 other friends, not counting the 2 getting married. It was completely surreal this afternoon - sitting on the lawn, chatting like it was any old day. You could almost forget where you were if it weren't for the giant monument behind you.
Let's rewind a little. After our overnight flight we arrived at the Paris airport and with only minimal difficulty navigated our way onto a commuter train heading for the city center. We switched to a Metro line and found our hotel. We're staying in a fairly residential area of Paris - enough away from the touristy spots that it feels like you get a real taste of Parisian life, but close enough that we can walk or take a short Metro ride everywhere we want to go. We met up with our friends and later with the couple getting married for a girls night/guys night. We kepted our jet-lagged selves up until the bars closed down at 2am - very impressive.
This morning we got an overview of the city on a bike tour. There is something about Paris that is just so charming. I've never been in another city quite like it. I'm beginning to feel that "certain something" everyone talks about in this place. I also am accutely aware of how precious this time with my girlfriends is. These are college friends, the girls I rowed with, their husbands/fiancees and our coxswain. These are the girls that I lived with, the ones I got up at 5am with - the kind of friends you feel immediately at ease with even when you haven't seen each other in ages. I mean, we have a hard time finding time to get together in the US! To be in Paris together is pretty amazing.
Ok, so it's actually Saturday now, the day of the wedding and we're just getting a little time on the internet to post! We stopped in a grocery store this morning for some breakfast and managed an entire transaction in French. Woo! So far, the stereotype of the French being annoyed at having to speak English or speaking English right away when foreigners attempt French has not been proven true. The weather is, again, gorgeous so we enjoyed our snacks on a bench in our neighborhood. The scenery behind us (see picture) was a little rough. The experience - just lovely.
Let's rewind a little. After our overnight flight we arrived at the Paris airport and with only minimal difficulty navigated our way onto a commuter train heading for the city center. We switched to a Metro line and found our hotel. We're staying in a fairly residential area of Paris - enough away from the touristy spots that it feels like you get a real taste of Parisian life, but close enough that we can walk or take a short Metro ride everywhere we want to go. We met up with our friends and later with the couple getting married for a girls night/guys night. We kepted our jet-lagged selves up until the bars closed down at 2am - very impressive.
This morning we got an overview of the city on a bike tour. There is something about Paris that is just so charming. I've never been in another city quite like it. I'm beginning to feel that "certain something" everyone talks about in this place. I also am accutely aware of how precious this time with my girlfriends is. These are college friends, the girls I rowed with, their husbands/fiancees and our coxswain. These are the girls that I lived with, the ones I got up at 5am with - the kind of friends you feel immediately at ease with even when you haven't seen each other in ages. I mean, we have a hard time finding time to get together in the US! To be in Paris together is pretty amazing.
Ok, so it's actually Saturday now, the day of the wedding and we're just getting a little time on the internet to post! We stopped in a grocery store this morning for some breakfast and managed an entire transaction in French. Woo! So far, the stereotype of the French being annoyed at having to speak English or speaking English right away when foreigners attempt French has not been proven true. The weather is, again, gorgeous so we enjoyed our snacks on a bench in our neighborhood. The scenery behind us (see picture) was a little rough. The experience - just lovely.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Vacation
Hey, I'll be out of town for a few weeks. If I don't make it back, give everything to the cat.
The boy's name was Santiago.
And so the story begins - both Santiago's and mine. (And Nate's, of course.) It all began innocently enough. I had the itch to do some traveling. Some REAL traveling. Some "get so far away from everything normal and routine that you forget it" kind of traveling. But it was just an idea, simmering quietly in the back of my mind.
Then came the book. The greatest book ever. A tiny little paperback just 167 pages long. It's called "The Alchemist", written by the Portuguese author Paulo Coelho. It's required reading if you're coming on this journey with me (vicariously or otherwise.)
The story is about a boy, Santiago. He's a shepherd. A dreamer. He risks everything to achieve what the book calls his Personal Legend - traveling the world, meeting new people, trusting his instincts. A wise man tells him:
Personal Legend, eh? Setting off on a life-changing journey into the unknown before it's too late? This sounds interesting...
Well, when you put it that way...! I knew what I had to do. Step one: convince Nate. The strategy: start big. REALLY big.
Diana: "Honey, what do you say we quit our jobs and travel around the world? I mean, why not? If not now, when?"
Nate: "Whoa. Not your greatest idea ever, considering the recession we're in. What kind of crazy pills did you take this morning?"
Diana: "Ok, how about we start saving up our money and our vacation time and take a month off."
Nate: "How about three weeks?"
Diana: "Done."
Success! Nate was in. Time passed, and our vision solidified. All the universe conspired to nudge us along - the end of Nate's semester coincided with the wedding of our good friends in France. We had a reason to fly across the Atlantic. Our journey will take us to Paris, Israel and Egypt where we hope the past will guide us into our future.
So go ahead - hit your library or bookstore for "The Alchemist" and get reading. We leave in 4 days.
Then came the book. The greatest book ever. A tiny little paperback just 167 pages long. It's called "The Alchemist", written by the Portuguese author Paulo Coelho. It's required reading if you're coming on this journey with me (vicariously or otherwise.)
The story is about a boy, Santiago. He's a shepherd. A dreamer. He risks everything to achieve what the book calls his Personal Legend - traveling the world, meeting new people, trusting his instincts. A wise man tells him:
"A Personal Legend is what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their Personal Legend."
Personal Legend, eh? Setting off on a life-changing journey into the unknown before it's too late? This sounds interesting...
"To realize one's Personal Legend is a person's only real obligation. All things are one. And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."
Well, when you put it that way...! I knew what I had to do. Step one: convince Nate. The strategy: start big. REALLY big.
Diana: "Honey, what do you say we quit our jobs and travel around the world? I mean, why not? If not now, when?"
Nate: "Whoa. Not your greatest idea ever, considering the recession we're in. What kind of crazy pills did you take this morning?"
Diana: "Ok, how about we start saving up our money and our vacation time and take a month off."
Nate: "How about three weeks?"
Diana: "Done."
"There is a force that wants you to realize your Personal Legend; it whets your appetite with a taste of success."
Success! Nate was in. Time passed, and our vision solidified. All the universe conspired to nudge us along - the end of Nate's semester coincided with the wedding of our good friends in France. We had a reason to fly across the Atlantic. Our journey will take us to Paris, Israel and Egypt where we hope the past will guide us into our future.
So go ahead - hit your library or bookstore for "The Alchemist" and get reading. We leave in 4 days.
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