tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20238367344437234592024-03-21T02:20:10.960-07:00A Jerusalem JournalKate W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01414598879178645073noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023836734443723459.post-22996845977755423712013-06-29T12:32:00.000-07:002013-06-29T12:32:00.619-07:00Shalom v'l'hitraot, Jerusalem! שלום ולהתראות י<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Shalom v'l'hitraot means goodbye and see you soon. We'll be flying home to New Jersey tomorrow, so this is our last post from Israel. It is hard to believe that our time here is nearly over. Although we lived in Jerusalem for just four months, we were thinking about and planning this trip for nearly a year before we left.<br />
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During this last week, we've continued to have a great time in Jerusalem. In between celebrating birthdays and packing for our flight home, we've managed to get out and have some fun over the past few days, mostly going on our favorite walks through the neighborhood, and spending lots of time at the playground. Earlier in the week, Eric's former student, Melissa, who is visiting Israel for two weeks, came to visit us. We hung out on our porch before going out for falafel. The boys, as well as Eric and I, really had fun seeing Melissa again!<br />
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We're now wrapping up our final shabbat in Jerusalem. As I've mentioned before, even though we don't celebrate shabbat in a religious sense, if you live in this city, you can't help but slow down and pay attention a little more as the week comes to a close and places of business shut down for 24 hours. Most Friday mornings, including this past one, Eric and I split up in the morning to get our weekend groceries: he and Alexander go to the bigger supermarket to get a chicken and whatever else we might need for dinner. Benjamin and I go up the street to Tomer Bread to get challah and dessert (and coffee for me!). Benjamin and I had a great last walk up and down Gaza Street to Tomer yesterday; the street is cool and shady in the morning, and filled with people carrying flowers and bread and groceries for the weekend. I carry Benjamin on my chest, facing outward, and it's fun to have people stop us on the sidewalk, or in the bakery, and coo at him, calling him <em>"Hamud,"</em> which means handsome in Hebrew. On our walk back home I tried to take in all the palm and cypress trees growing tall in the gardens of the apartment buildings, and said goodbye to the traffic and the pedestrians, the bookstore and ice cream shop, the market with the best fresh fruit, the used clothing shop, the beautiful new flower shop, the cafes and convenience store, the falafel shop and Pizza Bella. By the time we made it home, Benjamin was asleep, so we both took it easy in the living room while waiting for Eric and Alexander to get back from their morning adventure.<br />
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Later on, we took our last trip up to one of our favorite spots, the Israel Museum, where we saw a preview of the next show, "Color Gone Wild," and then had lunch in a shady spot near the sculpture garden. </div>
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And last night, we shared our shabbat meal with our new friends, Alon and Dahlia. Alon is a painter and teacher Eric met during his research, and Dahlia is a photographer. Their son, Sheked, is just a few weeks older than Alexander. I took a picture of our table on the porch before our meal, but unfortunately, in the bustle of eating, watching kids and putting them to bed, I didn't get a picture of Alon and Dahlia...</div>
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... but I did get a shot of Alexander and Sheked sneaking into the cabinet while we weren't looking to pull out a bunch of CDs, staples, a stapler, and other assorted items that they weren't supposed to be playing with! I think Alexander was showing off the restricted cabinets to his new friend!</div>
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And here we are, in front of our home away from home. It's going to be hard to leave this place. I'll miss the wind blowing through the big windows and doors, the shadows of leaves and vines that seem always to be playing on the stone and tile floors, the beautiful gardens, and wonderful location of this truly one-of-a-kind house in Jerusalem.<br />
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Lastly, here are a couple videos of the boys, playing with the trees and vines that grow near the house.<br />
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We're grateful for the amazing four months we had in Israel. There is a lot more I want to say about our experiences here, but since we're leaving tomorrow, I'll stop the entry here. Perhaps I'll keep up the blog -- or start another one -- when we return home. We'll see! We'll miss Israel, but we're looking forward to seeing friends and family back home. Goodbye, Jerusalem. We hope to see you again soon!</div>
Kate W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01414598879178645073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023836734443723459.post-61580353026633823322013-06-25T11:37:00.000-07:002013-06-25T11:39:36.229-07:00Happy Birthday, Alexander!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today, our little boy turned two. We are amazed. It's hard to put words to how it feels to watch a child start growing up, so I'll just post a few highlights from our day. We started the morning with bubbles, stickers, and balloons.<br />
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Then we then took a trip back to the Jerusalem Zoo, where Alexander rode on a train, saw a bunch of his favorite animals, and ate a bag of every Israeli child's favorite treat: Bamba! (Bamba is like Cheetos, but peanut butter flavored. Kids go crazy for it!)<br />
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And of course, we wrapped up the day with cake and presents.</div>
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Alexander wasn't the only one we celebrated. Benjamin turned 8 months old today! Time flies...</div>
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Kate W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01414598879178645073noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023836734443723459.post-83514966091208956662013-06-24T07:11:00.000-07:002013-06-24T07:13:42.825-07:00The Monastery of the Cross<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here are a few pictures from our morning at the Monastery of the Cross, which is about a five-minute walk from our house. We thought since we see the outside of the building almost every day, we should go in and check it out. Once inside, we found ourselves walking through a series of peaceful courtyards, stairways, balconies and gardens. Aside from the parrots whose chatter filled the entryway (and which Alexander and Benjamin were enthralled by), the monastery was very quiet, as there were only 4 other people touring the site with us. While this sprawling complex has been rebuilt many times, the original structure was built in the 11th century. Some believe that the Monastery of the Cross was built on the site where the tree used to make Jesus's cross once grew.</div>
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<br />Kate W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01414598879178645073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023836734443723459.post-84422326600714645792013-06-20T11:35:00.000-07:002013-06-24T07:12:27.542-07:00Tree Hugger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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I used to think you couldn't get decent exposure to the natural world in the city; these days, I am rethinking that idea. Today Eric went on his last school visit, and the boys and I hung out in our yard, then went down to the playground. While Benjamin napped, Alexander spent most of his time in the "park" area of the playground, rather than on the playground equipment itself. Watching him race around the park, I couldn't help but notice how much he's grown these past several months. Four months ago, he took his first ride down a slide in this playground; now he races up the stepladder, down the slide, and around the park with confidence, agility, and speed. He knows every inch of the playground, and each time we visit, he makes ritual stops at all his favorite places: the tree with the <em>tutim </em>(berries), the rocks he likes to clamber up on, the tree he likes to "climb," the water fountain, the fence facing the busy street where he can see every kind of vehicle imaginable, the swings and jungle gym. In the past few months, Alexander has begun to know the particular landscape of this park, and even though it's in the city, and right next to a busy intersection, he's exposed to a surprising amount of nature there. In the playground he hunts for snails, looks for woodpeckers, eats almonds and berries, collects pine cones and stones, and sees many different varieties of trees, shrubs, and flowers. Sometimes if you look up through the pine boughs, you can see swallows darting across the sky. One day, we saw the moon. And nearly every day, we swing on the swings. We're all going to miss this little playground we found just down the way from our house. Here are some pictures I took during our visit there this morning.</div>
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Here, Alexander is "hugging" a "baby <em>etz</em>."<em>Etz</em> means "tree" in Hebrew. This tiny cypress is growing in our backyard. Alexander loves this little tree, probably because it's about his size. Sometimes he's a little rough with it, but he also likes to hug it. Seriously: it was his idea to start giving the tree some love. We did not set this up!</div>
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Here he is looking for <em>tutim. </em>Unfortunately, most of the fruit had been eaten or was out of reach today. But you get a good sense of the size of the park in this picture.</div>
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Here he is checking out the <em>mayim</em> (water) coming out of the park's drip irrigation system, which is an Israeli invention.</div>
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Heading downhill, picking up speed...</div>
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Hugging the flowers. Again, he did this on his own, I swear!</div>
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"Climbing" a tree.</div>
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Getting his balance on a rock...</div>
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And checking out the view (of trucks, cars, taxis, motorcycles, buses, and scooters whizzing by)!</div>
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The perfect seat.</div>
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And a ride on the swing with <em>Abba</em> (Dad), who met us at the playground after his meeting. You might be able to see the stroller in the background, where Benjamin took a good long nap while Alexander and I played.</div>
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And back at home, here's Benjamin: well-rested after his morning nap, and <em>almost </em>crawling!</div>
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Kate W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01414598879178645073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023836734443723459.post-45478829797478928232013-06-19T11:28:00.001-07:002013-06-19T11:28:50.219-07:00The Four of Us (plus some photos from the neighborhood)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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It's rare that we get a picture of the four of us, so even though this one is a little blurry, I wanted to post it. It was taken by Eric's cousin Ruthie, who lives in Netanya, which is on the coast north of Tel Aviv. We went to visit Ruthie this past weekend, to return some things she had loaned us, and to say goodbye to Ruthie and our friend Michelle (another Fulbright scholar)! We are leaving Israel in just over ten days, so as we say goodbye to the family and friends who have supported us here, we are feeling a little sad about leaving this beautiful place. We are particularly grateful to Ruthie and her family. They hosted us for wonderful Passover and shabbat dinners, loaned us some baby gear, and made us feel like we had family when we were far from home. Alexander absolutely loved visiting Ruthie's house: whether he was splashing in her kiddie pool, playing with her kids' huge collection of Duplo trains, watering the garden, eating Ruthie's delicious brisket, or sharing his cookies with her dog, he pretty much had non-stop fun every time we went to Ruthie's. We all did. Thank you, Ruthie! </div>
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And on a completely unrelated note, just for fun I thought I'd post some pictures we've been collecting of some of the more impressive houses and buildings we've seen around our local Jerusalem neighborhoods of Rehavia and the German Colony. While these buildings aren't exactly "typical" of most residences in Jerusalem (the vast majority or homes are in apartment buildings, which are generally 3-6 stories high, but can be much higher), they give you a sense of what some of the older or ritzier buildings look like.</div>
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<br />Kate W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01414598879178645073noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023836734443723459.post-46833326227626625592013-06-14T11:35:00.000-07:002013-06-14T11:35:34.078-07:00 A Visit to a 6000-Year-Old Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This morning, we visited Sataf, which is an ancient agricultural site in the Jerusalem Hills. Sataf, which was first settled by the Israelites about 6,000 years ago, is located on a steep hillside that contains two natural springs. The area was first terraced for agriculture about 4,500 years ago, and ever since, the gardens have flourished or deteriorated, depending on who was in power and who was cultivating the land. In the past century, the area served as an Arab village, then a moshav (a cooperative agricultural community), before the site was abandoned, the terraces collapsed and the irrigation pools filled with dirt and debris. The site was used for military training until the 80s, when several groups began restoring Sataf: digging out the irrigation pools and channels, rebuilding the walls and terraces, unearthing old olive and wine presses. <br />
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Today, volunteers not only continue to restore Sataf, they also actively farm the land. During our visit, we walked through vineyards, orchards with olive, almond, fig and pomegranate trees, and gardens full of lettuce, onions, peppers and squash. The trees kept the exposed hillside cool and pleasant, and during our visit we met a lot of friendly people (including other families with young children). Alexander particularly enjoyed walking up and down the stone steps, as well as checking out the impressive water storage pools. While signs clearly prohibit swimming at the pools, we saw several groups of mountain bikers stop to jump into the water to cool off before heading back onto the trails. I thought the water looked a little sketchy for swimming, but I guess if you're hot enough, any kind of swimming will do!<br />
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Kate W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01414598879178645073noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023836734443723459.post-82832641183466810912013-06-12T06:53:00.000-07:002013-06-12T06:53:26.851-07:00The Jerusalem Bird Observatory<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is the Knesset, the building where the Israeli parliament convenes. It's about a twenty-minute walk from our house. The Knesset is built on a hilltop that also houses the Supreme Court building, the Israel Museum, the Science Museum, and Hebrew University, among others. It's a busy area, full of important government buildings and significant tourist attractions. Nestled on a small plot of land in between all these buildings is an unlikely find: the Jerusalem Bird Observatory. Israel is in a major migratory corridor, and is known for its birding, but most birders travel south to the Negev desert or Eilat, or north to the Galilee or Golan to see exotic birds moving through the country. But in the right season, lots of birds stop here in the big city for a drink or a rest; many pause at the little stream up on the hillside by the Knesset. We visited the Observatory at the end of the spring migratory season, so we didn't see a lot of birds, but there were a few small ones playing in the water, and plenty of shade and birdsong during our visit. It was worth the walk to see this little gem of a place in the middle of the bustling city. I'd love to come back to Israel when the kids are a little older to see more migrating birds, but for now, our little excursion to the Jerusalem Bird Observatory was a nice start!<br />
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<br />Kate W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01414598879178645073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023836734443723459.post-28497053170456353472013-06-10T12:36:00.000-07:002013-06-10T12:39:59.922-07:00Old Jerusalem Train StationThe Old Jerusalem Train Station has been converted into a place called "First Station," which houses restaurants, shops, and daily craft shows. We headed down to the station because there are -- no joke -- Formula One racing cars on display there this week, and we wanted to check them out. Unfortunately, we were turned away -- turns out the cars are only on display at night -- but we still enjoyed First Station, where they had a cool play area for kids, including trains (of course) and go-cart bikes that Alexander could not get enough of. With its shaded boardwalk, bike path, and relaxed cafes, First Station is a nice little spot in Jerusalem!<br />
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And here are a couple of pictures of Benjamin, just for fun. He's turning into a happy little boy, and he's come up with some creative uses for my yoga mat! Is it a hat? A tent? You decide...<br />
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Kate W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01414598879178645073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023836734443723459.post-89711361810545489972013-06-05T12:16:00.000-07:002013-06-05T13:17:29.846-07:00Walking the Ramparts of the Old City: Part Two<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Because it wasn't too hot today (only about 80 degrees), we decided to head back to the Old City to explore the other, northern half of the Ramparts Walk, which is an elevated walkway along the Old City's perimeter walls. In an earlier post, I described the southern route, which skirts the Armenian and Jewish quarters of the Old City. Today we walked above the Christian and Arab quarters. <br />
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This walk was longer than the southern route, but I'm glad we went back to do it, since there is so much to see and the views are terrific. We passed by the Christian quarter first, noticing restaurant patios, some residences, and distant church spires. Then, after passing by the Damascus Gate, we walked along the Arab quarter. If we looked to the right, we saw stone buildings seemingly piled and slapped one atop the other; residences are packed tightly into that ancient section of the city. If we looked to the left, we saw the bustling streets of East Jerusalem neighborhoods and then, around the corner, Mount Scopus, the Mount of Olives, and other hills and valleys.<br />
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Walking along the ramparts gives you a perspective that is difficult to find when walking through the Old City itself. The Old City streets are tight, labyrinthine, shaded, often crowded, and, at times, fairly disorienting. Up above the Old City, we can get a sense of just how the approximately 40,000 people fit into a .35 square mile area. At the same time, walking the perimeter allows you to see the different "quarters" in this city within a city. <br />
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Here are some photos of our walk around the northern section of the Ramparts walk, followed by a few pictures taken as we walked back up through the Old City itself, and finally sat down for a lunch of falafel in the Jewish quarter before returning home for well-deserved naps!<br />
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Kate W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01414598879178645073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023836734443723459.post-82065700720059915342013-06-02T11:36:00.001-07:002013-06-02T11:36:30.951-07:00Picking Almonds in the Playground<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
A couple of days ago, when we were down at the playground, some young girls were picking berries from vines growing by a stone wall; they shared the berries with Alexander and he left the park with a purple-stained mouth. </div>
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This morning, Eric and Alexander came back from their trip to the playground with a handful of almonds picked from the almond tree that is a few steps away from Alexander's beloved slide. Here are some photos of the tree and the almonds. I didn't get a picture of Alexander loading up his little dump truck with almonds later on in the day, but it was pretty cute. </div>
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Picking fresh almonds is certainly not something we've experienced in New Jersey. One of the fun things about spending time in a different climate is that we find foods that might seem exotic to us growing in abundance. Almond, olive, and citrus trees are all over Jerusalem, along with herbs like rosemary and sage. We've really enjoyed finding fresh fruit, nuts, and herbs in the middle of the bustling city!</div>
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<br />Kate W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01414598879178645073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023836734443723459.post-19297818097939909052013-05-28T10:14:00.001-07:002013-05-28T10:14:55.115-07:00An "Awesome" Hike in the Aminadav Forest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We spent the morning in the Aminadav Forest, which is just outside Jerusalem. This gem of a preserve consists of mostly replanted trees (the organization that reforested the area boasts that they've planted 230 million trees over 250,000 acres) through which there are many good trails for hiking, biking and riding 4x4 vehicles. The hike we went on passes several ancient springs, some ruins from olive presses, and hillsides covered with stone terraces. The bonus for today: in a great little picnic area, we found not only <em>two </em>seesaws, but about a half dozen sculptures of sheep! Totally random, I know, but the sheep pretty much made Alexander's day. He learned how to say "awesome" today, and he kept going up to the fake sheep, saying, "awesome!" Some of us like sheep sculptures; others of us like a dry sunny day and the sound of the wind blowing through the pine trees. Either way, we all found today's hike to be pretty awesome.<br />
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Both boys crashed for early naps right after the hike. I sat in the car with them outside our house for over an hour. By the way, this scenario, with both of them napping at the same time: it rarely happens. But every once in a while, we get lucky!</div>
Kate W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01414598879178645073noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023836734443723459.post-41927837159461609562013-05-27T11:00:00.000-07:002013-05-27T11:09:53.941-07:00Masada and the Dead Sea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you drive west from Jerusalem on Route 1, you head into the West Bank and towards Jordan. As soon as you leave the rim of mountains on which the city is built, you begin to descend quickly toward the Judean desert and the Dead Sea. You leave a densely covered landscape of buildings interspersed with cyprus, pine and fruit trees; within a few miles, you're driving through bald, brown hills that house little except for the occasional Bedouin camp. These camps look like they've come from another world, or at least another time, with their temporary structures made of corrugated metal and cloth, and goats wandering the dessicated landscape. When you hit sea level, you'll see a marker on the side of the highway; there, you can pull into a rest stop and pay 5 shekels (about $1.25) to sit on a tired-looking camel. Today we drove this route so we could take a look at the Dead Sea and to make our way to the top of Masada.<br />
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Masada is the site of an ancient military fortification; it is exceptional because its location, which is on top of one of the mountains that rises steeply from the western side of the Dead Sea. The top of the mountain is a massive plateau, thus it is an ideal location for a military outpost. Masada was famously rebuilt by Herod the Great, who constructed extravagant palaces and a complex that included residences, storehouses, cisterns and buildings for worship. Many years later, after the destruction of the second temple, Jewish rebels escaped to Masada. The story goes that when the Romans besieged the fortress, eventually building a ramp up which they drove a giant battering ram, they entered Masada to find that all the remaining inhabitants had committed mass suicide.<br />
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In the past century, massive archaeological digs have unearthed many of the structures that existed at Masada, including portions of Herod's impressive northern palace, which is perched precariously over the side of the cliff, facing north toward the Dead Sea. Today, Masada is Israel's number one tourist site. In addition, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) holds its nighttime swearing-in ceremonies for new soldiers on the top of Masada.<br />
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The traditional way to get to the fortress is to hike up the steep "Snake Trail," but we opted for the other route up: cable car. We'll come back and hike up with the boys when they can carry their own weight! Once up there, we enjoyed the views, and we had a good time checking out the ruins, including a giant cistern and some beautiful tile floors. In the video below, taken from the cliff on which Herod build the northern palace, you can hear jets flying in the background. Several military jets were flying low over the Dead Sea during our visit; they were loud and impressive!<br />
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Just below Masada lies the Dead Sea. At nearly 1400 feet below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth. The salty, mineral-rich waters of the Dead Sea are known for their health benefits; it's a ritual of many tourists to swim, or more accurately, "float" in the salty sea, then wash in the mud on the shores. Eric and I did both of those things on our previous visit to the Dead Sea, but we figured it was a little bit too much of an undertaking with two babies, so we just took in the beauty of the sea from the road.<br />
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The unfortunate thing is that the Dead Sea is quickly disappearing. Eric's been to Israel many times now (his first trip here was in high school) and he can clearly remember that the shores of the Sea used to be much higher than they are now. In fact, the Sea has dropped about 70 feet in the past 35 or 40 years. The level is dropping at such an alarming rate because the waters of the Jordan River, which feeds into the Dead Sea, are used heavily for agricultural purposes. So it's pretty simple: because so much water is being diverted up north to provide water to grow food for Israel and Jordan, very little water is trickling down into the Dead Sea. To add to the Sea's troubles, a huge portion of its mass has been converted into a series of dikes, canals and evaporation pans that are used by industrial companies who mine the sea for minerals like potash and magnesium. Because of the high salinity of the Sea, it doesn't support the traditional array of marine and terrestrial life that you might find near such a large body of water; perhaps for that reason some might argue the loss of the Sea is not so important. Still, the loss of the Sea would bring major changes to the region, so conservation efforts are underway in both Israel and Jordan in order to preserve the Dead Sea. However, as far as I know, the Sea's level continues to drop. It will be interesting to see what happens to this unique and beautiful place in the coming years.Kate W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01414598879178645073noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023836734443723459.post-33143068681411494332013-05-26T12:05:00.001-07:002013-05-26T12:16:16.380-07:00Israeli Food and Sleep Deprivation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few people have asked me to write about the food we're eating here in Israel, and my initial thinking in response to those queries is that I don't have anything interesting to write, because we really don't eat all that differently here than we do at home -- except that we probably eat a wider variety of foods at home. Still, after thinking it over, I realize that things actually are a little different in our Jerusalem kitchen, and in subtle ways our meals are influenced by what's available in the markets here.<br />
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I'm in no position to make broad statements about Israeli or Middle Eastern food (I'll have to come back here without my kids next time to get out to many more markets and restaurants before I can have any real authority on Israeli cuisine!), but I can make a few observations. I do know that due to Israel's geographic location and the fact that it is a country of immigrants from all over the world, the food here is eclectic and influenced by many cultures. As in any major city, you can get pretty much any kind of food here that you want, from sushi to pizza, Israeli-Asian fusion to McDonald's. There are several shops within walking distance of our house where we can get pretty much any American food we want, including boxed mac & cheese and organic baby food.<br />
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That said, there are a few trademark foods here in Israel. First, of course, is hummus. It's pretty much everywhere, and I don't think you'll sit down at many Israeli meals where there isn't a bowl of hummus, and probably tahini, along with a heaping basket of pita bread to dip it in. You're also likely to see olives and other assorted pickled foods, dried fruits, and tapenades and dressings. Speaking of dressings, in my opinion the best part of Israeli cuisine is the salads. For some reason, they really know how to do salads over here. From upscale restaurants to touristy dives to any domestic dinner table we've sat down at in this country, we've always found delicious, fresh salads. As far as I can tell, this comes from three things: excellent dressings (why are their dressings so much tastier than American dressings? I have no clue, but I want to bring home basically every salad dressing I try here...); simple but excellent combinations of vegetables, grains and beans; and the fact that most salad vegetables are very finely chopped (this makes for great texture and blending of flavors).<br />
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The basic Israeli salad doesn't involve lettuce; usually it's a combination of chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onion (or some onion variant like scallions or chives), lemon and salt. It's delicious eaten on its own, and fantastic put in a pita with hummus. Or stuffed into a pita with cabbage, tahini, and falafel (another great Israeli food, and Eric's favorite: basically, it's fried balls of chick peas, garlic, and spices). We make some variation of Israeli salad most days. Often, as I stated in one of my first posts, I add cracked wheat, parsley, mint, and maybe some white beans to make more of a tabbouleh salad: tabbouleh is a more substantial salad and is great as a topping for a sandwich, or a side dish at dinner. Here are the ingredients for the tabbouleh salad we had earlier this week, which we ate with zucchini fritters.<br />
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Lately, we've also been making a lot of couscous, which we eat frequently at home, but is also very popular here. Our latest couscous recipe is one I found in a vegetarian cookbook on the shelf of our house here: we've been eating it with sauteed onion, chick peas, chopped spinach, tomatoes, and whatever spices we have available (lately, a miscellaneous but delicious bag of spices we picked up at the shuk). Alexander loves to "mix" (one of his new words) the couscous together, and luckily, he loves to eat it, too!<br />
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We make tabbouleh and couscous and eat hummus and dried fruit at home; the difference here is that we eat those things more regularly, and by and large, they taste better. I'm not the most inventive cook, and here, just like at home, I prefer to cook vegetarian meals like soups, salads, quiches, stir frys and pasta dishes. We do get an occasional chicken here (which Alexander loves), but other than that, we don't eat much meat. Our kitchen is fairly well-equipped, but we don't have all the appliances we have at home, and since our oven is small and the weather is warm, we're not really doing any baking. But I'm really enjoying all the chopping and mixing we do to make our simple dinners.<br />
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Here, hummus and olives are on our table at basically every meal (and surprisingly, Alexander really loves olives!), and we buy pita bread almost every day. When it's fresh, it's soft and doughy and delicious with pretty much anything (including Nutella); we still can't figure out why you can't get decent pita bread at home. But in Jerusalem, it definitely makes a difference to get your breads and produce fresh. There are no preservatives in anything you get at the local bakeries, so after about a day, bread starts to get stale. And here, vegetables are clearly not treated the same way they are in most mainstream American supermarkets; if you walk down the produce aisles in Jerusalem, you notice that vegetables here don't have the pristine, unblemished look we're so used to seeing at home (and which, of course, requires a lot of pesticides and/or a lot of special treatment, including flash freezing and other methods of preservation). Vegetables in the grocery stores here still have some dirt on them, usually have some bumps and bruises, and don't last very long in the fridge (thus we go shopping on average two times a week). But, the thing is: vegetables here, for the most part, taste better. The tomatoes in the cous cous dish pictured above were so sweet Alexander was eating them like candy. The carrots I've eaten here are also much sweeter than anything I find in the store at home. The fruit is fantastic. And the avocados? They are huge, creamy, and delicious. Now, I have no doubt that most mainstream Israeli farmers use pesticides, so it's not as if the vegetables here are perfectly grown, but I also think the produce gets from the garden to our table a lot faster here than it does at home; you can tell the difference in the taste.<br />
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One more note on our eating habits: just because we eat mostly vegetarian fare doesn't mean we are always eating healthy! Everyone in our house has a sweet tooth, and I have to admit that most days, Eric and I follow up our healthy dinners with a pastry or two. We figure we're burning it off with all the walking we do! Here's Eric enjoying one of our favorite treats: a chocolate eclair from the bakery up on Berlin Street.<br />
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So, as it turns out, I had more to say about the food here than I originally thought. I think at the end of the day, preparing meals makes me feel like we're putting a little bit of order into our daily routine, which, with two children under two, sometimes feels very chaotic. In this past week, especially, Eric and I have been feeling pretty frayed. Both boys are going through crazy developmental stages, and neither of them is sleeping easily. Benjamin, who is getting his first teeth, trying out new foods, and getting close to rocking on all fours, wakes up at all hours wanting nourishment or nurturing, and Alexander -- I don't even know what is going on with him -- but it must be some kind of separation anxiety, because all of a sudden, getting him to bed at nap time and at night has turned into an exhausting, epic battle. (By the way, if anyone has any suggestions of how to get an almost-two-year-old to bed, we'll take any advice we can get!). <br />
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So the orderly cooking photos you see above? Eric and I were laughing as we set them up, because really, most of our meals don't really look so well-organized. About ten minutes after we took that photo of the cous cous and chicken, there was cous cous from one end of our kitchen to the other, Benjamin was spitting his carrots all over himself and me, Alexander was stealing Eric's plate and throwing cups and the floor, and.... well, anyone who's been around small kids knows the scene. Later on in the evening, Alexander knocked Eric's camera off the counter onto the tile floor. And in the past week, both boys have fallen out of their beds. It's feeling fairly crazy around here, so the least we can do is try to put a good meal on the table. And as we prepare those meals, it's fun to include as much of the local fare as we can.Kate W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01414598879178645073noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023836734443723459.post-11336849122033585632013-05-20T05:35:00.001-07:002013-05-20T05:37:08.483-07:00A Carousel and Crazy Kids at the Science Museum<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This morning we took the boys to the Bloomfield Science Museum. While many of the exhibits were clearly a little old for Alexander (and too young for us; this museum is definitely hands-on and geared toward kids), Alexander still had fun running around and exploring. For much of our stay, the place was packed with elementary-school kids on a field trip. They were running around like banshees; I don't think I've ever seen such crazy kids. Luckily, halfway through our visit their teachers gathered them up and herded them back to school, so we were able to enjoy some of the exhibits in a less frenzied environment! Here are a few photos of Alexander and Eric checking out the exhibits on tessellation (I had to look that one up), electricity and magnetic energy.</div>
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Our favorite exhibit was the carousel, which was run by the power generated by a stationary bike. Here are Eric and Alexander teaming up to demonstrate the innovative technology.</div>
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Lastly, who knew that the science museum would have some of the coolest construction equipment in town? Alexander probably would have spent the entire morning hanging out with these trucks, but of course we had to drag him inside to check out the "real" exhibits. We can't let this kid have too much fun, right??</div>
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Kate W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01414598879178645073noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023836734443723459.post-77629335154555315042013-05-18T10:12:00.000-07:002013-05-18T10:12:22.011-07:00Community Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I wanted to post a few photos of one of my favorite spots in our Jerusalem neighborhood. Just up the street from our house, tucked between several multi-story apartment buildings, lies a beautiful little community garden. We pass by this garden several times a week on our way to the strip of shops -- including a supermarket, bakery, health foods store and bookstore -- we often frequent on HaPalmach Street. Eric pushes the double stroller up the the steep hill, and before we head down the other side to the stores, we often pause on this plateau, where several members of the community have installed footpaths, benches, and garden beds. In this garden, people are cultivating several varieties of flowers, herbs, vegetables, and even fruit trees. I love to wander through the garden and see what's growing. It gets me excited to work on my own garden when we return home to New Jersey...</div>
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Kate W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01414598879178645073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023836734443723459.post-8546793062591768242013-05-15T12:07:00.001-07:002013-05-15T12:23:46.670-07:00Haifa and Rosh Hanikra<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This image shows the Bahai gardens in Haifa. Haifa is Israel's third-largest city, and is located on the coast, about an hour north of Tel Aviv. The Bahai religion has its world headquarters in Haifa, and these headquarters are renown for their Shrine of the Bab (the Bab is the prophet of the faith) and their elaborate gardens, both of which are pictured here. Haifa is built on a very steep hill, Mt. Carmel, and the Bahai gardens are cultivated on a series of nineteen terraces. I have never seen gardens so exquisitely maintained, or with such a variety of plant-life. They go on and on and on... it's amazing. We wish we could have spent more time here, but the gardens are not easy to traverse, particular with two young children. So we were happy to explore a few small sections during our visit to Haifa this past weekend.<br />
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The apartment we stayed in in Haifa was about halfway up Mt. Carmel (roughly parallel to the shrine pictured above), and had a great view of Haifa port and the Mediterranean. Alexander had fun watching from the porch as all sorts of tankers, tugs, cruise ships, military boats and pleasure boats slipped in and out of the harbor.<br />
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Aside from the spectacular view, perhaps the best feature of the apartment was the perfect "Benjamin-sized" sink in the bathroom.<br />
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One highlight of our trip was my Mother's Day swim in the Mediterranean. I had been waiting for this swim for a while, and it was fantastic!</div>
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Another highlight was our trip to Rosh Hanikra, which is the northernmost point on Israel's coast, on the border with Lebanon. Rosh Hanikra is known for its grottoes, which are caves carved into the chalky stone by the ocean's waves. A cable car took us down to the grottoes. We spent some time walking through the tunnels, listening to the waves, peeking out through the caves to see the bright ocean beyond... Here are a few images from inside the grottoes, including a video of Benjamin, who was mesmerized by the incoming water.<br />
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And here a few more shots taken outside the grottoes. I was a bit envious of the kayakers who paddled right into the caves before heading back down the coast.<br />
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The rock outcropping in the image below is the actual border between Rosh Hanikra, Israel, and Lebanon. There is always a feeling of intensity when you stand on a border between two countries (though it's interesting to consider how odd that is, since borders are often such arbitrary lines etched across the landscape. Standing at a border, it's hard not to consider how odd it is that military checkpoints, barbed wire, and fences prevent us from moving to a location a mere ten feet away). It's obviously much more intense to stand on a border between two countries that do not have the most easy relations, such as Israel and Lebanon. When spending a beautiful spring day in a place like Rosh Hanikra, which has such striking natural beauty, it is difficult to comprehend the layers of animosity that have motivated human beings throughout history to draw up lines across which many are not free to pass.</div>
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After our great days in Haifa and Rosh Hanikra, we headed out of the city, hoping to take a hike in the Carmel Hills before traveling on to Jerusalem. Unfortunately, once we finally located a promising trailhead, we ran into some heavy machinery and an Israeli soldier, who told us we couldn't continue on the trail because they were removing some sort of "radioactive" material from it. I am not kidding. For his part, Eric wasn't so sure about the radioactivity. His conspiracy theory is that they were putting up a portion of the "Iron Dome" missile defense system somewhere up on the hillside. I guess we'll never know, but either way, the military wasn't going to let us continue our hike. This is the only picture we got from that brief walk:<br />
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It was unfortunate that we missed out on a good hike, but I suppose that left us more time for lunch. On the way back, we stopped in Zichron Yaakov for what turned out to be a great meal of tacos and pasta salad. Here's Alexander sampling his first mint lemonade.<br />
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And after lunch, Eric went across the street to the local barber and got a new haircut!<br />
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We tried to get Alexander in the barber's chair, but he would have no part of it! At any rate, we a good trip up north, and as always, it's nice to be settling back into our routine "at home" here in Jerusalem.Kate W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01414598879178645073noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023836734443723459.post-86464173404317042842013-05-07T12:37:00.000-07:002013-05-07T12:42:07.444-07:00A Shout-Out to Benjamin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Alexander, as the mobile and talkative older brother, seems to get a lot more attention on this blog I'm keeping about our time in Israel. So today I thought it might be time for me to put the focus on Benjamin, who was, in my book, the hero of the day today.<br />
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I've spent a lot of time on this blog talking about the days during which we tour around Jerusalem and Israel, sightseeing and taking in this wonderful country. But of course, like everyone else, we have to spend our share of days taking care of work and domestic duties and appointments. Today was a good example: this morning we all had a bit of an epic journey to a place called Tipat Chalav (A Drop of Milk), which is, essentially, the place you go for well visits for babies. We had to go there to get Benjamin's six-month immunization shots -- never a fun experience. I'm sure many parents out there feel, as I do, at least a little ambivalence about immunizations -- sure, the shots are generally miraculous and life-saving, but the discussions around the risks of these shots can be scary, overwhelming, and at times confusing. So for me, every time we go for another round of shots, the experience is unsettling. Add to that stress the difficulty of navigating a different health system over the past few weeks simply to get to this appointment and -- in short, it was a day I was a bit apprehensive about.<br />
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In the end, things turned out just fine. With the help of a play room in Tipat Chalav, and a bagel shop up the street, Alexander made it through the two-hour experience just fine (there were the usual doctor's office delays, lots of paperwork, etc.). Benjamin survived, too, only crying a bit after his shots. At just over six months, Benjamin's a healthy 19 pounds and 27.5 inches! And as if it wasn't a big enough day for him already, this afternoon I discovered his first tooth poking through his bottom gum! <br />
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Sometimes, excitement comes from seeing ancient architecture and sublime natural scenes; other times it comes from seeing the little nubs of a baby's first tooth making its slow way into the world. So here's to Benjamin, who, after his appointment, enjoyed a nice ride on the swing before taking a bit of a nap this afternoon (and I do mean a "bit"; he was only out for about 20 minutes, unfortunately for his parents!). He deserves all the fun and rest he can come by!<br />
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Kate W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01414598879178645073noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023836734443723459.post-19542768881333668882013-05-05T11:08:00.001-07:002013-05-05T11:25:24.234-07:00Views from the Ramparts of the Old City<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Today we decided to live on the edge a bit; we went to the Old City <em>without the stroller</em> to do the Ramparts Walk. This walk runs along the ramparts of the Old City Walls. The walls were originally built in the 16th-century by the Ottoman ruler Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. For 400 years, Turkish sentries patrolled the ramparts. The British (who conquered the Turks) kept the ramparts intact and later, the Jordanians (who took possession of the Old City after the 1948 War with Israel), actively used the ramparts. After the 1967 War, when Israel gained control of Jerusalem, the ramparts were refurbished as part of the Walls Around Jerusalem National Park. There are two sections of the Ramparts Walk: the northern route goes along the perimeter of the Christian and Muslim quarters of the Old City, and the southern route takes you past the Armenian and Jewish quarters. We took the southern route because we walked the northern route the last time we were in the city, and the southern route is shorter (once you start the walk, you can't leave the ramparts until the end). This walk is not recommended for young children, but we're selfish and wanted to see the cool views, so we dragged the boys along with us anyway. We got lucky; they handled the walk beautifully!</div>
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This basic map shows the four quarters of the Old City. We started our walk near the Jaffa Gate (on the left), and ended near the Dung Gate.</div>
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Here are Eric and Alexander near the start of the Ramparts Walk. The Tower of David is in the background. I'm not sure if you can see Alexander's face, but he's not too happy. He thought the backpack was cool for approximately 10 minutes. Then he wanted out! </div>
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In this picture, the "new city" is to the right of the wall (though of course the "new city" is around the wall on all sides). There are some lovely neighborhoods in that particular direction, including the German Colony.<br />
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There's a lot to see from up on the Ramparts. Alexander was quick to notice the busses, trucks, and cars passing on the busy roads outside the Old City. <br />
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Just like a sentry making his rounds...</div>
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Eric and Alexander with the Church of the Dormition and Dormition Abbey in the background. This church was built on the site where some believe the Virgin Mary died.</div>
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I love the cyprus and pine trees that you see all over this city. Here they are growing in the courtyard of the Dormition Abbey.</div>
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In this photo, notice the satellite dishes, solar panels, water tanks, and lines of laundry on the roof of the building in the foreground. You see these things on nearly every roof in this city. Solar water heaters, in particular, are actually mandated by the government. The Dome of the Rock is visible to the left. In the distance is Mt. Scopus.<br />
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The Mount of Olives. Because it is so close to the sacred Temple Mount, this site has been used as a Jewish cemetery for over 3,000 years. It holds over 150,000 graves. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxEZMYZJNF5pDXwR8CjGvoHix_quuM8hTTqYVdVHG3USfEhY1A9QXDvX-0nk7YUbVM_iAMx9TVau-K2pkgIAmfx5su7z4KEYZ80zNSk8b2XB4XxAE5D7Wsz7TmkXukuYXrX3YwB7i-aKQ/s1600/_DSC9202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxEZMYZJNF5pDXwR8CjGvoHix_quuM8hTTqYVdVHG3USfEhY1A9QXDvX-0nk7YUbVM_iAMx9TVau-K2pkgIAmfx5su7z4KEYZ80zNSk8b2XB4XxAE5D7Wsz7TmkXukuYXrX3YwB7i-aKQ/s1600/_DSC9202.JPG" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
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This walk involves lots of stairs...<br />
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Taking a break. It was hot out there! Notice Benjamin trying to steal Alexander's granola bar.</div>
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It was a tight squeeze on the way out of the Ramparts Walk, but we made it! Then we continued down to the Western Wall for a quick visit before heading home for a falafel lunch!</div>
Kate W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01414598879178645073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023836734443723459.post-62057554351184132322013-04-30T11:36:00.000-07:002013-04-30T11:36:28.316-07:0030 Poems in 30 Days<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Well, I did it: I wrote thirty poems (or at least, drafts of poems) in thirty days! I'm pretty psyched. While I wrote a lot of junk, I'm hoping that I have a few keepers in the bunch. Now my task is to keep up the momentum. I mostly wrote during the evenings after we put the kids to bed, and my goal is to continue doing that in the coming months. </div>
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I decided to post here one of the poems I wrote, which is in a form called a "triolet." This poem, like several others I wrote this month, was inspired by a prompt from the website napowrimo.net (napowrimo stands for National Poetry Writing Month). I had never heard of a triolet before, so I decided to give it a shot. Though the poem is short, it's a bit tricky to write because it has several formal requirements. There are 8 lines, all of which have 4 beats and roughly 8 syllables. Lines 1, 4, and 7 are the same, and lines 2 and 8 are the same (at first this seem to make things easy, but it's actually quite challenging to maintain the flow when you have to repeat the exact same line three times!). And then, of course, there is a rhyme scheme: ABaAabAB. So, with that explanation, here's my triolet:</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Babywearing </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In a sling, your heart is closer</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">to my heart. With you I’m wrapped.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m the walker; you’re the dozer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In a sling your heart is closer,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">beating time, my small composer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I’d like to keep you always strapped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">in a sling. Your heart is closer</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">to my heart. With you I’m rapt.</span></div>
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Though this poem is in a traditional form, most of my poems are not so structured; many, in fact, are rambling and at this point, quite messy. Still, that gives you a taste of what I've been up to these past 30 nights (that's what happens when you don't have TV or a babysitter!). But in all honesty, I enjoyed writing every night, and I do hope to continue the practice.</div>
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In other news, all the roses in our garden are blooming this week. It smells wonderful out there. Here are a few photos of the flowers. Yay for spring!</div>
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<br />Kate W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01414598879178645073noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023836734443723459.post-69217050325257243412013-04-28T13:43:00.000-07:002013-04-28T13:49:06.916-07:00Road TripI've taken a lot of road trips, and I have great memories of pretty much all of them. There really is something liberating about getting into the car and taking off on a long drive, with good company, good music, some tasty snacks, and a sweet destination at the end of the drive. I've come home from many road trips with great memories and photos; it's easy to look back at them and remember the fun parts of each trip. But if I'm honest with myself, I have to admit that almost every road trip I've been on has also had some rough moments. Anyone who's been on a decent road trip has gone through some of the nightmare scenarios that can come up when you're living out of your car for a few hours -- or a few days. Having car trouble, getting lost, arriving at a long-awaited destination that turns out to be lame -- there are many ways that a road trip can quickly turn sour. And of course, road tripping with babies adds a whole different set of challenges. So even though in general I get excited to get out of town and have a change of pace, I'll admit I was a little apprehensive about packing up and taking off on our recent road trip down to the Tel Aviv and Herzliya area.<br />
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Now that we're back in Jerusalem, I can say that I learned on this trip what I should have remembered from previous journeys: for a road trip to be a success, you pretty much have to go with the flow and be flexible with your expectations of how the trip is going to unfold (believe me, this wisdom came with time; it was not with me when both kids were screaming in the car on Saturday afternoon). But it's true. We left for this last trip on Thursday, and came back today (Sunday). Because we've had a heck of a time getting going on our last two trips out of town (due to issues with renting a car and simply getting two kids out the door in a timely manner), we figured Thursday would be a rough day of adjusting and getting settled, and that Saturday, which was wide open, would be the highlight of the trip. As it turned out, everything worked like clockwork on Thursday, and we got going early enough to eat lunch out in the Judean Hills and visit some cool stalactite caves before heading to Herzliya. On the other hand, by Saturday, we were all overtired from Friday's trip to Tel Aviv and a late (but wonderful) Shabbat dinner at Ruthie's, so even though we fit a lot into the day, we probably pushed ourselves too much and ended up having some frustrating moments before the day was done.<br />
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All in all, we had a great couple of days out of town. Eric had some productive meetings with teachers in Tel Aviv and Kfar Saba, we had that wonderful trip through the Judean Hills, and we loved being close to the ocean again. But like most road trips, this one wasn't only about great scenery and food. It was also about working on that perennial task: figuring out how to have a reasonable plan and expectations, then knowing when to take a deep breath and to go with the flow during moments of unexpected excitement or frustration. I'm still working on that last task. Meanwhile, here are some highlights of our last few days on the road.<br />
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<strong>Soreq Cave</strong><br />
This striking stalactite cave was discovered by stone miners in the 60s. It's been preserved ever since. Scroll down past the photos of the stalactites and you'll see a couple of shots taken on the hike down to the cave. In the last one, you can see that just outside the nature reserve, the mining operation continues. I've noticed this in many of my travels throughout the U.S., also; just outside preserved areas, it seems mining and logging and other resource extraction are at their worst. I'm sure the mining looks more dramatic because of the striking visual contrast of a gutted mountain next to a preserved one. When Alexander finished oohing and ahhing over the stalactites, he came outside and caught a glimpse of a huge pickup truck carting stone through the mine below. His response was, of course, "Wow!" Exactly.<br />
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<strong>The Mazda 5</strong><br />
We rented the Mazda 5 to test drive it; this was our first trip in a minivan, and I have to admit, it made things a lot easier. So what do you think; should we get one?? (Speaking of resource extraction...)<br />
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<strong>Ein Hod</strong><br />
Ein Hod is an artist's colony in Israel. Located mid-way between Tel Aviv and Haifa, in the Carmel Mountains, Ein Hod is home to about 150 artists and their families. Since we visited Ein Hod on Shabbat, it was very quiet and most of the galleries and studios were closed, but we still enjoyed the architecture and beautiful views of the mountains and the Mediterranean.<br />
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<strong>Zichron Yaakov</strong><br />
Zichron Yaakov has been called the "Provence of Israel." Also in the Carmel Mountains, this mountain town is in the heart of Israeli wine country. While we weren't really up for wine tasting with the babies (next time!!), we did enjoy the town's playground (check out the giant banyan trees growing there), ice cream, and main street. The last photos is of "Benjamin's Pool," which was one of Israel's first pipe-fed water fountains.<br />
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<strong>Caesarea</strong><br />
Caesarea is a coastal town that was originally built by King Herod in 25-13 B.C. Since it was an administrative hub of the Roman empire, there are some impressive ruins in Caesarea, including a Roman theatre, palaces and administrative buildings, and an aquaduct (pictured below). There are also some decent beaches. Caesarea is a beautiful place, but right before we got there, we were having multiple meltdowns -- the boys were hungry and tired, and we were all stressed out. It was nice to be able to stop, get out of the car, and put my feet in the water!<br />
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<strong>Benedict's</strong><br />
Our new favorite restaurant is Benedict's. They serve 24-hour breakfast, and I don't mean diner food; this breakfast is fast, cheap, but high-quality! They serve nutella with their dinner rolls and champagne cocktails with an order of eggs benedict. It doesn't get much better than that, right? We ate at Benedict's two our of our three nights in Herzliya. Here are Alexander and Eric playing as we wait for the check; notice the super-clean plates! Not a bit of egg or pancake left!<br />
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<strong>Park Kfar Saba</strong><br />
The boys and I hung out in Park Kfar Saba for a couple of hours today while Eric went to a meeting at a local school for art teachers. It was close to 90 degrees in Kfar Saba today, but luckily, the impressive playground in the park was covered with awnings, so we had a great time there.<br />
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<strong>Coming Home</strong><br />
It's always good to walk in the front door after a road trip and feel glad that you're back. We had a good trip, but it's nice to be back in Jerusalem again!<br />
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Kate W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01414598879178645073noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023836734443723459.post-38499683694364669942013-04-24T11:23:00.000-07:002013-04-24T11:23:21.098-07:00Jerusalem Botanical Gardens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We spent part of this morning at the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens. (Unfortunately,we didn't realize until mid-way through our visit that the camera settings weren't adjusted correctly, so the photos we took of the boys didn't come out very well.) Still, here is a sampling of the beautiful flowers we saw. This is definitely a great place to come for a walk or a picnic. And only about a 15-minute walk from our house! I'll keep this entry short, and let the photos speak for themselves.</div>
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<br />Kate W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01414598879178645073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023836734443723459.post-66842366300274879422013-04-22T11:44:00.001-07:002013-04-22T11:44:44.709-07:00Psalms and the Shuk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The past few days have been unseasonably cool and rainy here in Jerusalem, and so in an effort to find something to do indoors this morning, we decided to check out the "Museum of Psalms," which I discovered in a list of lesser-known museums in Jerusalem. The Museum of Psalms is definitely, as its website asserts, unique. Nestled in a few rooms in an old stone structure, the Museum of Psalms features the work of one artist, Moshe Tzvi HaLevi Berger, who is a Holocaust survivor and student of Kabbalah. We met the artist, who is 89, and the museum's sole guide. The exhibits feature Berger's paintings of all 150 of the Bible's Psalms, which are rendered in vibrant colors on large canvasses. As the website says, "each painting included in the museum's collection is a visual poem, blurring the
lines between aesthetics and meditation to soften the eyes and connect the soul." Who could resist visiting a place with that description?! We thought Alexander would appreciate the colors and imagery, and he did have a good time exploring the artwork. We all did. Check out Benjamin's face: I'm not sure if his expression is one of awe, or bewilderment!</div>
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After the museum, we met up with our friend, Michelle, and, since the rain seemed to be holding off, walked up Jaffa street to Mahane Yehuda Market, or "the Shuk," which is Jerusalem's vast, open-air market. You can buy anything at the Shuk, from fresh food of practically any kind (vegetables, fish, meat, nuts, cheeses dried fruit, spices, pastries, wine,) to clothing, shoes and housewares. The Shuk has been in existence 1887, and though it has evolved throughout the last century or so, it remains a central part of life in Jerusalem. Jerusalem's mayor, Nir Barkat, says that "Mahane Yehuda has become more than a market: it is an important part of the city's public space – and it's a unique part because of the way Jews and Arabs bargain shop side-by-side in its crowded alleyways and streets."<br />
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After picking up some dried fruit, nuts, pita, and a delicious fresh spice mix that tastes something like pesto, we walked through Nachlaot, which is the neighborhood Eric and I lived in when we traveled to Israel in 2008.<br />
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We haven't seen a drop of rain since this morning, and the forecast predicts days of sun and warm weather. It might be in the 80s by the end of the week!Kate W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01414598879178645073noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023836734443723459.post-8803625254242833732013-04-19T11:06:00.001-07:002013-04-19T11:09:13.369-07:00Benjamin's First (Shabbat) MealWhen I was growing up, Sundays were still quiet, with most stores closed, and many people either observing the sabbath or taking the day for what it was intended: to rest. Now it seems Sundays in the U.S. are barely more restful than any other day of the week.<br />
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In Israel, and especially in Jerusalem, the sabbath, or shabbat, still has a very different feel than the rest of the days of the week. Here, shabbat is on Saturday, or, more accurately, it starts at sundown on Friday evening and continues until sundown on Saturday. And for many, it is a true day of rest if not a day of religious observance. Eric and I aren't religious, but we look forward to shabbat in Jerusalem because you can feel the whole city wind down; it's a nice change of pace. Friday mornings are usually a bit hectic, as everyone is out shopping before the stores close, but by late afternoon, everything slows down. Stores close their doors, cafes serve their last customers, and traffic on the streets is significantly lower. Those who are observant dress up and head to services. Those who are going to a family member's or friend's house walk quickly down the street, holding a bottle of wine or a bunch of fresh flowers or the traditional loaf of challah bread. And the rest of us head inside to cook dinner. <br />
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Our dinner usually isn't necessarily exceptional on shabbat, but sometimes we light a candle or open a bottle of wine. In contrast, tonight's shabbat meal was a big event for us because Benjamin had his first taste of oatmeal cereal (drowned in a good bit of milk). I swear he's been eyeing "big people" food for a while now, and he pretty much demands to sit on my lap at every meal; I'm sure he wants to check out what we're eating! So we figured it was time to start him on solids, and after seeing his response to the oatmeal tonight, I think our instincts were pretty good. He didn't hesitate to slurp down that first bite of food, and he kept demanding more until the bowl was empty. Here are some photos and videos of the big event in our day. In the first video, you can hear Alexander in the background saying, "Yes!" and "Mummy Yummy!" (which is his version of "yummy"). Don't mistake his shouting for cheers of encouragement for Benjamin. He yells "Yes!" when he wants something, and in this case, he's across the table pointing at Benjamin's food because he wants what his brother is eating. Of course. He has a meal of chicken, bread, and soup in front of him and he wants his brother's watered down oatmeal cereal. And so the sibling rivalry begins...<br />
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As a final note, as we begin our day of rest and reflection here in Israel, we're thinking of our friends and family (and everyone else) in Boston. We send you our love. Stay safe!</div>
<br />Kate W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01414598879178645073noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023836734443723459.post-14106837841478184762013-04-16T13:25:00.001-07:002013-04-16T13:34:59.523-07:00Holidays and FamilyThe past few days have been busy around Jerusalem, as Israelis have been celebrating two major holidays back-to-back. Monday was Memorial Day (Yom Hazikaron), during which Israelis honor fallen soldiers as well as civilian victims of violence and acts of terror. At 8pm in the evening before Yom Hazikaron, and at 11am on the day itself, sirens wail throughout the entire country for a full 2 minutes. Everyone stops in their tracks -- even cars pull over to the sides of the roads and passengers get out to stand by their vehicles -- as the sirens blare. Other than the sirens, there is complete silence. We also heard these sirens a week ago, at 10am on Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day). In each of these three instances, we were moved by the idea that everyone in Israel was stopping to take a moment of silence at exactly the same time. It's a powerful and unifying experience to stop, listen to the siren, and reflect upon the fact that most people in this country know someone personally who has been a victim of war or terror.<br />
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Ironically, and terribly, at the close of Memorial Day in Israel, we heard about the bombings that took place at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Eric and I stayed up late last night reading news reports of the horrible events occuring in our home city. I read in a newspaper article that the type of attack that occurred in Boston was something one might expect to occur in a place like Jerusalem or Baghdad, but not Boston. That was certainly an eerie thing to read, since we're currently living in Jerusalem. Most Americans (including myself) have become normalized to the idea of violence in the Middle East, and do not expect it to occur at home. But to be living in Jerusalem and reading about bombs going off in Boston drills home the idea that acts of terror are not constrained by geography. No matter where you live, terrorism is not something anyone should come to expect. And while we are bound to feel more terrified by a tragedy that affects innocent people near our own homes, a bomb is horrible no matter where it goes off. We are so upset by what has happened in Boston, and we feel much sadness for the victims and their families.<br />
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At the end of Memorial Day, there is a curious change of tone in Israel, because the day after Yom Hazikaron is Yom Ha'atzmaut, or Independence Day. As Memorial Day comes to a close, fireworks signal the start of Independence Day, and reflection and mourning give way to a prideful celebration of Israel's founding in 1948. Independence Day here is much like Independence Day at home. Most stores and restaurants are closed, and people get together to BBQ, listen to music, and celebrate. We went up to the Israel Museum, where we heard there would be live music and the opportunity to watch and participate in traditional Israeli dances. Since Alexander loves to dance, we figured we had to check it out! We were surprised by how popular this event was; the line to get into the museum snaked all through the parking lot! But we eventually made it inside and it was worth it; we spent a couple of hours listening to music, watching young dancers perform, and watching Israelis dance to traditional songs. The atmosphere was festive, despite the cool and windy weather. We even ran into a few people we've met in Jerusalem, which was pretty fun. Below is a picture of Benjamin at the celebration, along with a couple of videos of the dancing (one of which features Alexander, of course!).<br />
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The holidays have been moving and powerful, but the real highlight of the week for us has been the fact that we've had family visiting. Eric's brother, Paul, his wife and our sister-in-law Amy, our awesome nieces Leah and Eva, and the amazing Ari have been in Jerusalem for the past several days with Amy's parents. They've spent most of their days touring around, seeing everything from the Dead Sea and Masada to the Old City to a live archeological site. Despite their very busy schedule, they took time out to visit with us, which was great. We all enjoyed dinner out near their hotel, along with a couple of pizza nights at our house (nothing else has been open on the holiday evenings; good thing the nearby pizza shop serves yummy pies!), and Eva and Ari joined us one morning to play with the boys while the others went to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum here in Jerusalem. Needless to say, Alexander and Benjamin loved visiting with their cousins! We'll look forward to seeing everyone else again in the summer, but we're grateful to have spent some time with family here in Jerusalem.<br />
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Kate W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01414598879178645073noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023836734443723459.post-75255602667993969042013-04-13T12:49:00.000-07:002013-04-13T12:53:39.147-07:00The Teva Museum<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Have you ever been to a museum where it looks as if the exhibits haven't been touched in about fifty years? The exhibits are dated, the decor is old, and everything looks a bit neglected? Today's trip to the Nature, or "Teva" Museum, brought us to one of these old-fashioned cultural institutions. If you go to a museum such as this one with (as one travel website says) "modest expectations" and an eye for the kitschiness of the place, you might not be too disappointed. It also helps to bring along a 21-month-old child who finds things like salad spinners and pine cones interesting; he's bound to find something to "ooh" and "aah" over, no matter how lame the museum actually is!</div>
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The Teva Museum is in a beautiful part of the city, the German Colony, and the Museum is housed in a very old building, so those two factors alone drew us to the site. (We also had to go because Alexander's middle name is Teva!). Turns out the building was originally built by an Armenian merchant at the end of the 19th century; it was then occupied by a Turkish governor and the British High Commissioner before being abandoned after the War of Independence in 1948. In the 60s, the space was turned into a natural history museum. I honestly don't think it's been touched since. Inside, the building has a steep stone staircase, very tall Victorian ceilings, and many dark rooms that contain exhibits on the wildlife that has lived in Israel (from dinosaurs up to the present), as well as exhibits on everything from the human body to "color in nature." It was an eclectic collection, to say the least. I was a little unnerved by the exhibit on human embryo development, and I was distracted by the poor electrical connections in some of the rooms, which caused flickering lights and strange buzzing noises. But putting aside those oddities, there were some nice dioramas containing all sort of (stuffed) wildlife. Alexander had a great time running through the empty museum (yes, we were the only visitors) and checking out everything from the cheetahs to the peacocks to the owls to the giant turtle shells. He definitely had a good time. So while the Jerusalem Nature Museum is a funky old place, and probably not the first site I'd suggest you see if you spend a few days in this city, we enjoyed our visit there today.</div>
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We took some pictures of the dioramas inside the museum, but rather than bore you with photos of dead, stuffed animals, here are a few shots of us outside the museum. The photo at the top of today's entry is a window box full of flowers we saw outside someone's house on our walk to the museum (flowers are everywhere in the city right now!). The photo below of Alexander and Eric with the dinosaur outside the museum is one of my new favorites. And below that are a couple more photos that show the outside of the old, historic building.</div>
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<br />Kate W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01414598879178645073noreply@blogger.com1