After Europe, I’m in Israel For A Month
November 18, 2016 by admin
My story is the same as it was a month ago, except that I’ve covered different ground. I flew from Paris, France to Tel Aviv, Israel on October 29 and it feels as if I’ve been here far longer than just three weeks. Maybe, TIME just expands here, or something that mysterious? Maybe, it’s because I caught a cold during my midnight layover in the Cairo, Egypt airport on the way, and I haven’t shaken it yet? Still coughing, hacking and feeling lazy with it, though I have stayed on the move, spending a week in each of the three major cities.
The first week, I stayed in the Abraham Hostel in Tel Aviv, enjoying the warm weather of my new latitude. Paris was definitely showing signs of Fall. Then, I took a Sheroot (a small bus/large taxi) for two hours to Haifa, up on the northern coast, where I stayed for ten days in the Port Inn and enjoyed wandering about in the city of Mt. Carmel. It felt wonderful to have chosen a hostel that was still in the flat, port area; as the mountain rises very steeply, just a few blocks from the water. Then, a few days ago, I took the bus to Jerusalem and am staying in another Abraham chain hostel. Next week, I’ll shift over to the Stay Inn Hostel, which is closer to the Old Town. I’ll blame my cold on the lack of photography but here are some few that I have taken this month. In my walking explorations in this hostel’s neighborhood, I discovered the nearby Marketplace, or Souk, which bustles with life and interesting activity; plus piles of merchandise, fruit, vegetables, meats and tiny restaurants.
Here are some miscellaneous shots of some curious things I’ve seen lately.
It’s only his safer smoke! Have you ever wondered about the new conversion to electronic cigarettes?
This guy really seems to love his new and healthier gadget! He sort of sucks on it like a pacifier! What is MANkind coming to? So, let’s call a spade a spade…. it’s a “MANCIFIER”…. A man’s afire?
Oh no! Is he actually on fire? Could be! He walks around in a real cloud of smoke. What’s cool about this?
Have you ever played Beer Pong? Obviously, I hadn’t because I thought these cups were for us to fill and drink water from. Later, I learned that they toss ping-pong balls into them (like tennis). Those balls are all over the floor and in many hands. Maybe that’s where this “cold” came from?
This is a ship on a Paris canal that serves the neighborhood as a library.
Here is the floating library’s interior.
Maybe somebody lives aboard this Paris converted canal barge?
OHHHH! It’s a restaurant!
In Israel, I visited the ancient fortress city of Akka, near Haifa.
Here is a Souk, (market) not far from my hostel in Jerusalem.
The Souk’s glass roof protects us from the weather and gives a lovely light throughout.
A meat seller and Orthodox customer
Have you EVER seen such convoluted and gigantic eggplants? Like small, purple pumpkins!
More giant Aubergine and their tremendous cabbage cousins…or are those cauliflowers?
Fancy cakes, anyone?
This is a one-stop-shop that just doesn’t stop. It takes up blocks!
Isn’t this just plain pretty?
You can probably find anything here…. nuts & spices, cell phones.
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