Part II - The video

Yay. It took nearly all day but finally here is the video I made of our little temporary home. Did I leave anything out - just ask. Click on the link to YouTube and take a look.


Our apartment in Jerusalem

Our Jerusalem Home: Part I

Our neighborhood is called Bak'ka and we are told that it's the yuppie side of town. There is a nearby shopping area with fancier cafes and shops, lots of English heard on the sidewalks, and people with obvious leisure to stroll and sip. Most coffee we have tried is good and strong, though in homes and hotels it is usually instant (ugh, why?). From here to our friend's home in the Old City is a 45 minute walk, the only way to get there and back on shabbat, unless you splurge on a taxi - though not with a Jewish driver because you would be causing him to break the sabbath. So that's what we have done the past two Friday nights. Figuring out bus routes and schedules is crazily difficult; people say they change weekly due to the many construction projects - but really I think Israelis don't worry about it (they are so not Swiss) and just ask the driver.

Here is the front of our building, which is older than many others nearby. We are on the fourth floor (no elevator). I think there are eight apartments, though it's hard to tell and impossible to ask. Even though the huge front window is clearly not maintained, the hallways, stairs, and front walk are tidy.







I narrated a nice video of the inside the other day, but alas I gabbed too much and it won't fit. Couldn't this site accept that I need to make it seven minutes long so nothing is left out? Maybe Aaron could make it work, but I can't so I guess I will try to make a shorter version tomorrow.

Meanwhile, here are two attractive nearby homes, just so you'll have a feel for the atmosphere:

Travel troubles

Okay. The straight truth is that this day is NOT going well at all. Problems at the apartment have been mounting, culminating in our spending tonight in a nearby hotel room.

This morning it became undeniably clear that the bed is hosting bed bugs. The ugly evidence on Lloyd's elbow:


So we emailed Josh and Yael (hoping to save on iphone bills) to let them know the sad situation. After several exchanges, Yael decided to hire an exterminator and send us to a hotel. So we put the bed linens in the small washer in the kitchen, intending to hang them out in the sun before departing. Alas, the spin and drain cycles don't work and water leaks onto the tile floor, so we gave up and left the sheets in the machine.

Lloyd took our pile of dirty clothes to a nearby laundry just in case they might contain bugs. We packed our other stuff, pulled our (thankfully small) bags several blocks to the hotel and checked in. Facilities are NOT equivalent to American ones, in case you wondered. We went for a walk, treated ourselves to a compensation lunch here





Then L returned to pick up our clean clothing, only to learn that he had left his pen in a pocket. The shop didn't check - so now ink is added to our troubles. You know how L. loves his (formerly) white shirts. Sigh. The laundry closed at 5:30 and is of course closed for shabbat. So the man at the counter claimed that they have chemicals to remove the ink and said come back at 5:30 Sunday. Do you blame me for being skeptical?

Hope to follow up with a happy resolution update soon.

Akko, Moshe, and the beach

Today the internet man came to hook up wireless in our apartment. Of course, Yael, the young woman from whom we are subletting this place, had to be here to translate and sign forms. So at last we have dependable service, though just now have been struggling to get to this page in English rather than Hebrew. Add to that the presence of the landlord for the last hour or so (without Yael), lots of time spent pondering, waiting for the helper, then the electrician, with the final response to the problem of fixing the heat being - I'll be back later (said in Hebrew with enough gestures to sort of communicate). So now we are alone for a bit and will attempt to update you on the rest of our visit to the north.

After two nights in our Jaffa hostel we rented a car in Tel Aviv, calculating that it didn't cost much more than train + bus + taxi, and drove up the coast to Kibbutz Nes Ammim. We spent two nights there in a comfortable modern room in the guest house, surrounded by quiet paths and greenery. But we couldn't have guessed from what we read in the hostel brochure that it would turn out to be the only Christian kibbutz in Israel (!), staffed entirely by Dutch and German volunteers. Very peculiar. They were friendly enough, but the lack of Israelis and Hebrew made us question their grand purpose of dialogue.

The next afternoon we drove to the nearby ancient port of Akko (Acre in English). A shouk, winding narrow streets between massive stone walls, and lots of history. We climbed this massive stone ramp to the top of the outermost city wall to check out the view and read about Napoleon's fruitless attempts to conquer the city in 1799.

The old city has a series of three walls, separated by moats; here we are looking into the old city garden from the inner wall:


We overheard tour guides speaking Spanish, German, Hebrew, Russian - but alas no English that day. Going back in time, there is evidence of a Crusader castle, and way before that, ancient Phonecian remains. It's chiefly an Arab town now, with the usual mixed attitude of pride and lack of attention that leads to a confused scene of restoration, mess, trash, cars, noise, and half finished projects. As Yael reminded us, one needs to remember that Israel is a 3rd world country even if it is 1st in innovative technology and military preparedness.

Lunch at Said's in the shouk. A crazy busy little restaurant with no menu, just the famous hummous. Everybody knows it's the place to eat in Akko - a bowl of hummous and a bowl of pickles, olives, raw onion, and tomato, with plenty of pita.



The next day we drove to Moshe's apartment in the pleasant town of Kiryiat Bialik. As most of you know, he is our dear friend from KY who, along with his two little boys, made aliyah to Israel last January. He was genuinely thrilled to have us as his first visitors - and he hopes many more will come. He and his fiance Liat welcomed us generously.


Her family are Moroccan Jews, traditionally very hospitable. Her mother cooked tasty traditional dishes for Shabbat dinner which we carried over to Moshe's place and enjoyed together.

On Shabbat Israel basically shuts down. No transportation, nearly all stores closed, everyone relaxing. Moshe's six year old son Yehuda announced to me, "I LOVE Shabbat"- yes, the USA should certainly reinstitute a day of sabbath rest. After a leisurely morning (kids up before 6) we went to the beach to stroll and chat,



marvel at the big jellyfish, watch kids swarming a playground as they do everywhere. There is exercise equipment disguised as fun in lots of beachside areas, so healthy.


Strange to gaze out at the huge Mediterranean Sea and imagine all who have stood beside it in ages past.

Repair update: the lights all work now, plus the water heater, which is needed when there's no sun to warm the tank on the roof; however all the power just went off as we were beginning to prepare our first dinner. Lloyd called Yael, who explained the location of the main switch in the hallway by the front door of the building. He flipped it, lights are on, and now (I hope) we'll fix some Davies style pasta.

First sights in Israel

Tel Aviv from the plane.

We usually take pictures of interesting oddities, one of a kind sights, bits that somehow signify the difference of Israeli life - so don't expect many famous historical photos.

Libby's favorite sign on first walk in Jerusalem

above this display.

Biblical symbolism in silver: the Ark of the Covenant

and Noah's Ark.

Inside Mehane Yehuda market.

Well worn poster at the entrance to Mea Shearim, the ultra orthodox quarter in Jerusalem.

The round Ethiopian Church

We obeyed this request.

And this one (though we have no idea what the language at bottom might be).

Beautiful faces at the National Gallery of Art

We began our short tour of the National Gallery with a special exhibit of works by the 17th century Dutch woman painter Judith Leyster.



In the next room are the gorgeous Vermeers, including Woman Holding a Balance.



Both depict interior domestic scenes so warm and human, so invitingly similar to our modern selves in every way but costume. These ladies seem ready to have coffee and chat, don't they?

I found this earlier portrait of Lucrezia Sommaria, by the Florentine painter Ghirlandaio, strikingly beautiful. She is cool and formal, not homey in the Dutch manner, but endlessly serene. How could she have imagined that so many would gaze upon her face these many centuries later?



Gentileschi's Saint Cecilia and an Angel is both heavenly and domestic, as the sweet angel holds music for the saint, who could be one of Lloyd's piano students, as she plays her instrument.



The only painting in America by Leonardo da Vinci is one of the National Gallery's special treasures. She is Ginevra de Benci, a cultured 15th century Florentine lady.