Next Year in Jerusalem... Here!

It's 6am and I am sitting in our Jerusalem apartment drinking coffee, looking out our patio window (looking up slightly over our drying rack filled with clothes and towels...it was quite warm yesterday) with a view of the golden Jerusalem stone is all around us. Birds flying by are the only activity as most of the city shuts down for the sabbath.  Jerusalem is huge, at least compared to TA, and there are hills...everywhere, so when I get my ten miles of walking in it is a bit of a schlep:-)

Yesterday, our 1st day here began rather strangely.  We entered a lovely courtyard to gorgeous building with a very tiny elevator (at least our luggage took the lift) and opened the door to see all furniture up off the floor and dust bunnies and messy floors, wet laundry in a basket in the hall etc.  The cleaning person was obviously not quite done.  We made do and figured the cleaning would be finished the next morning... wrong,  Turns out we arrived a day earlier than expected and the cleaning person  arrived back at midnight to find the door bolted from the inside leaving no note. We went about our day figuring the place would be cleaned by the time we got home... not.  Will be finished on Sunday... OY

We walked to the best known market in Israel, Mahane Yehuda, 2.6 km away and all up hill. Paul with map in hand guided us street by street so as to not make any wrong turns.  We arrived with empty backpacks as the thought of being without any particular food for the sabbath was horrifying.  We bought fruits and vegetables, hummous, two kinds of cream cheese (forgot the bagels), challah, French baguette, feta, and then I spotted it THE CHEESE MAN.  We needed cheddar for our baked potatoes. I asked if he had any, he said six types.  He cut me a taste and i said great, I'll take a 1/2 kilo.  With 30 NIS in hand he said 120... without thinking Paul ran back to Paul and asked for 100 NIS ($37). so goes my lesson in asking how much... I WAS NOT aggressive, and I am ( if Walden K should find out.. i'm ruined).  We had the potatoes of a life time for dinner.  We walked 6 miles for this errand.

Needing a little more mileage, and really wanted to get a glimpse of the old city, I told Paul and Noa I'd be back in 90 minutes as I just wanted to see the walls.  They laughed, and said sure... they knew I couldn't stop myself.  I did make it back, 5 minutes early, but I went inside.  It is as if something was calling me, my heart was pounding like I was having a spiritual calling... it was just the hills.  I was in Jerusalem only once and for one day 29 years ago, and my memories had faded except for walking through the Arab quarter thinking I wasn't in Chicago anymore.  It was an amazing sight... I'll give more details in next posting.