Out and about the city

First things first, a picture of the house I live in. There are 5 units in the house, we're in the back, on the ground floor. This is great because there is substantial traffic on Emek Refaim an arterial neighbourhood road that leads into the centre of town.

Emek Refaim 6, Jerusalem

The house across the street

And the closest corner store in my neighbourhood

Emek Refaim at Lloyd George

After Shabbat it was back to the university on Sunday morning for two days before the campus and all of Israel goes on vacation. Today, Tuesday is the eve of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) which begins at sunset (16:52 here, marked by the siren) and the 25 hour fast begins. More on that in my next post.

So on Sunday I went to the Old City (for the first time since I've been here). I was with SFU Rob (my new postdoc friend) who really wanted to see if we could get to Al Aqsa, and if we couldn't get it, at least find out when we could visit. We weren't getting in on Sunday, although I had a long skirt on I didn't have any head covering; SFU Rob had shorts on! But, we weren't even getting to the door of Al Aqsa. Entering through Damascus Gate it's a straight shot to the middle of the Old City (at the edge of the Muslim Quarter, before you find yourself in the Jewish Quarter) where you turn left and head east. Only, our entry was blocked by a gate, a couple of large Israeli policemen, and a few IDF for good measure. C-L-O-S-E-D. Questions about when it might be open were not answered. Aborting our mission we continued on toward the entrance to the Western Wall, but before we reached the Jewish Quarter we passed more police. Later I read in Haaretz that

A woman from East Jerusalem attempted to stab an Israeli police officer on Sunday, in what police believe was a response to an anti-Islam film that has angered the Muslim world.

After that action we found thought we'd found sanctuary in the Christ Church courtyard (near Jaffa Gate), which on my last visit had seemed rather peaceful and a good place to decide where to next. But on Sunday, our sanctuary was interrupted by a proselytizing chretien francais who assured us "Le Seigneur" dwells in him. And, he helpfully provided us with details of the next services at the church, in French and English.

Just before leaving the Old City, I saw...

Rental bikes in the Old City

Monday, Amit took me on a tour of the botanical garden on campus. The gardens are pretty fantastic and definitely bring out my inner botanist. We chewed carob pods that we picked off the tree, Ceratonia siliqua. Fresh carob is actually a whole lot tastier than I ever imagined it would be. And, fun fact for the geeks in the crowd, the carob seed is an old Mediterranean unit to measure weight that we now know as the "carat".

Also fun on Monday was my first trip to Mahane Yehuda the shuk (market) where there is no shortage of action. Mostly the market sells fruit and veg and a few butchers and fishmongers. It is one busy place and it is necessary to assert yourself in line if you ever want to be served - there is no queuing up in some sort of order.  The market is known for its variety of goods and also for its low prices. Prices drop, precipitously as closing time approaches...there is occasionally a relationship between price and quality, so buyer beware!

After the market I decided to walk home. No time like the present to get lost in Jerusalem. The streets are windy and hilly so the consequences of a wrong turn can, truly, be punishing. Gratefully, when I asked for directions folks were obliging (and honest) and mostly answered in English. Occasionally people answer in Hebrew (on the west side) or Arabic (on the east side) and helpfully gesture as they describe in detail the path to follow.