A Day in West Jerusalem

Today's entry is about Jerusalem.

This city, for me, is the most difficult to understand. I've traveled there five times and each visit had a different flavor. In order: enchanted, overwhelmed, humbled, frustrated, and finally, smitten. It has only 750,000 people, but it feels like its own planet. This will be a small slice of a Friday spent in the Western portion of the city. First, here's Jerusalem on a map of Israel and the West Bank:

(For reference, I live in Tel Aviv-Yafo, and work slightly east of Netanya. Driving to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv feels like driving the distance from Seattle to Tacoma.)

Here's the main highway (No. 1) on the way to the city. It was an unusually stormy day.

Now, watch as the topography gradually changes. The western part of Israel next to the sea is flat, but Jerusalem is very hilly, and it sneaks up on you bit by bit:

Traffic. The road is only two lanes after all.

Magnificent slender pine trees on the left. Once you see them, you know you're getting close.

Now, here's a map of Jerusalem between West and East, with the "No Man's Land" and the walls of the Old City in the center. The Old City gets its own post later, because it's extraordinary and I've been afraid to blog about it. All the photos you'll see in this post take place in the blue portion, just Southwest of the Old City.

One quick precious photo: Na'ama and I at the viewpoint of Hebrew University. You can see the famous Dome of the Rock in the left-hand side of the picture.

Another shot looking into East Jerusalem.

This is a shot looking North from Hebrew U. I really recommend enlarging this one: you can see the Palestinian villages, and the Judean desert. If it was a clearer day, you could see the Dead Sea. This photo also gives an idea of how hilly and twisty Jerusalem's road networks are.

We met up with Na'ama's friend Michal, who is a tour guide, and decided to go to the shuk, or common market. On the way, I saw this example of "subtractive" architecture that Israel really likes, but just freaks me out:

First stop: Marzipan. This shop makes small chocolate pastries that are worth the trip alone, as you shall see..

And there they are...!

Cakes.

Having our pastries boxed up. They're extraordinary when fresh out of the oven.

Now, the shuk proper. My idea of shopping for food has forever changed. If you're in the states, next time you walk into Whole Foods or QFC or any other high-end grocery, take some time to notice the mood lighting, paneled flooring in the organic section, prominent prices (with sales noted!), perfect pyramids of honeycrisp apples, soothing music, and other things to ease your shopping experience. Those things are wonderful, and I miss them, but not as wonderful as this:

The shuk is loud, chaotic, improvised, and a marvel to behold. One can sample anything. One can try to get a better price by arguing with the shop owner. As the day grows later, merchants will yell out deals, trying to sell out their day's stock. Below is the most organized of the shops, a shop with excellent cheese:

(quick aside: the shuk is basically a series of ventilated tent hallways suspended over real city streets. Here are some examples of the floor and ceiling):

And now, back to cheese.

Here was our cheese maestro. He sold us some great Roquefort.

And here are the cheese maestro's wares.

I love this photo. The sign proclaims: "BEST GRANOLA IN THE UNIVERSE". The men selling it obviously agree.

Halva:

Almond juice. Michal suggested I try some.

Yes, we got some. Yes, it's an acquired taste.

We began to feel hungry, so it was off to get Kubbe -- a food from Iraq that is made by filling a dumpling with meat and tossing it in a deep-fryer. This is the favored kubbe joint near the shuk:

Popular, it was. Served cafeteria-style.

Here is what you could order:

And here is the ordering window. The kitchen seemed to be entirely powered on kerosene burners.

Michal prepares to dig in to her kubbe and beet soup (in my estimation, a steal at 24 shekels).

I ordered the same.

More shopping. Na'ama and a very healthy-looking leek:

And the leek merchant, who was totally cool:

One guy bought this entire pile of leeks! He told us it was for a week's worth of soup for his extended family.

After the Shuk, we walked to a quiet neighborhood just south of where we parked. It seemed like a wonderful place to live: pedestrian, quiet, surrounded by plants.

Nearby was a Haredim (ultra-orthodox) neighborhood. The buildings surround a courtyard where there used to be communal wells and ovens hundreds of years ago. Now, they are used to hang laundry:

A temple in the Haredi neighborhood:

There was a bit of time before dinner, so we checked out the Jerusalem Cinematheque, just west of the walls of the Old City, which can be seen centrally and left:

The Cinematheque has a great cafe!

Also, displays of old cinematograph equipment, such as the Magic Lantern,

and the Zoetrope.

First glimpse of an interesting fountain in the same neighborhood:

Too interesting to not have a photo in. I'm reminded of my favorite Onion headline: "Fountain Simulates Vomiting Lion".

On the same hillside is a super-charming neighborhood of small houses owned mostly by ambassadors and other government officials (the Israeli equivalent of the Fed Chairman lives in this neighborhood)

End of the day: a Shabbat dinner at the home of friends Danny and Ella, who are expecting a new child. Here is the table before the frenzy:

And the guests beforehand.

I will have a more definitive Jerusalem post in the near future, as well as posts on Bethlehem and Hebron. I wish each of you a relaxing Spring, and I'll see you all soon.