Archive for the 'Israel'

All photos of the trip in Israel are now online HERE!

The photo galleries are beginning to form HERE. A bit long because for once you go through the box touches , but everything should be online tonight (still a good part of Jerusalem, Nazareth and Tel Aviv).

Meanwhile sorting 785 photos, a glimpse of the past week ^one ...

1. conversion to hard with the Windows-based tool, and without any retouching galleries will of course be treated better [ ↩ ]

As expected, difficult start of Haifa that day double holiday (Shabbat and Sukot). From the hotel, there is a minibus replacing municipal bus, which confirms the statements of the hotel, that the taxis normally used for inter-city routes during Shabbat are not active today ' Today. So, we agree with the driver to pay for it (at full price) of all places, and towards Tel Aviv (note for next time: no longer provide long distance trips during the holidays).

The operation has at least the merit of bringing us early in Tel Aviv, and quickly ran away on the seafront towards Jaffa, affecting the south of the city and is the artists and bohemian. We discover through the Embassy of France, the location (about 8 meters from the white sands of the main beach of the city) does little to help productivity ...

We discover a city of Jaffa in old buildings (more than 4000 years for some, including Egyptian relics) baking in the sun. After an excellent Turkish breakfast, visit the beautiful church of St Peter. It does not look from the outside, but exudes the splendor inside ^one .

Back to the hotel around 16:30, it remains just time to go take a dip in the Mediterranean before sunset. After a leisurely aperitif, snack typical crust (hummus, pita and pastrami, watered Maccabee beer) for the last meal. Tomorrow, another morning (Mass in St. Peter and beach), and it will return to Bombay.

Next destination: probably Burma, but not before January (maybe a weekend in Singapore by then). Cheers for the resumption of normal tickets!

Posted by Wordmobi

1. a serious candidate for the top 3 of my favorite churches [ ↩ ]

Early wake to take an early train to Akko. Arrived on site at about 8:15, and discovers an old town full reconstruction. It is not very big, but the design and architecture of the Templars still well preserved.

After a visit to the mosque and souq, we try the citadel but it is closed for the preparation of a theater festival. So, early return to Haifa, and still have time to visit both museums missed yesterday. One on the history of this city including postcards French Carmelite to the creation of the city, we can better understand the choice of the site!

The museum of modern art, we discover some interesting initiatives, particularly in terms of video. It is then dispatched to take the funicular before closing. At 15h, the curtains fall and the rest of the afternoon we go to study logistics to return to Tel Aviv (more Sukot Sabbath is not won ...), to admire the view from the Baha'i Gardens and wait for the IOC vote for the 2016 Games.

Posted by Wordmobi

A very pleasant surprise after petie disappointment of the previous day! After a 45-minute bus ride, we arrive in the technological capital, which drains the slopes of Mount Carmel to a beautiful cove.

Operational at 11am, we start with the beautiful Baha'i Gardens, the name of this unit religion founded in the late 19th century, which has 5 million members, including India's largest lawyer. Much of the garden is restricted to the faithful and the tomb of the founder is closed for renovations, but the contrast of the gardens and the sea is already striking.

After an excellent lunch Franco-Lebanese along the German colony, we took it towards the highly rated Japanese museum, after learning that the night of the museums announced by the Lonely (May ...) no longer existed for years ! Good choice in any case, the quality of the expo compensate their small size (no pun intended for one of them, who had the Japanese equivalent of the Kama Sutra in the 17th and 18th century).

Then the management of Stella Maris Carmelite church, which is not affected by these early closures on Thursday and Friday. We do not regret the 5 km walk, the ceilings are beautiful! Back in town and then childhood, with the National Museum of Science: stuff and stuff to push and turn to understand the principles of physics or chemistry. And not too much advocacy of national technology, finally.

Then dinner at the Bear pub, for a combined meat-cheese-Guinness you dream sometimes Bombay ¹ . Tomorrow, starting very early in Akko, sites and transportation then lowering the curtain 14h!

Posted by Wordmobi

1. the charming waitresses too, which also seems a local brand of Haifa, while the national average is already rather high [ ↩ ]

Some day disappointments today (there must always be one that is relative after all). Bus leaves at 9am from Jerusalem to Nazareth to arrive around 11am. Time to find the hotel (highly recommended by the Lonely ... what a rip off!), We have time to visit Mary's Well and the Church of the Annunciation Orthodox before a good breakfast kofta.

In the afternoon, visit the main attraction, namely the Basilica of the Annunciation (Catholic, this time). Confusing, this raw concrete building within 1969, but the proportions remain beautiful for what is the largest church in the Middle East. A few tens of meters, the church of St Joseph is located on the site of the eponymous carpenter shop. A beautiful acoustic, harnessed by a German Franciscan Brother funny, how Friar Tuck!

It then walks the streets of the old town but the old market is already closed and mosques are finally outnumber churches ^one , making end the day early. We took the opportunity to reschedule the following: exit the scheduled day of Galilee tomorrow, knowing that he had to take the bus 5 times in the day to get to Haifa tomorrow night.

So we start tomorrow morning for this city, leaving time to visit Acre unhurried Friday (well, a bit anyway, the next town rather Muslim hours) and come back sooner than expected in Tel Aviv on Saturday to take a trip to Jaffa. Too bad, one more day would have to Galilee, passing just by Nazareth. For next Jesus Trail?

Posted by Wordmobi

1. many convents in contrast [ ↩ ]

Start relatively early to (finally) go to the Temple Mount, the very random times. On the way to break the Garden Tomb, which for some, was the burial place of origin of Christ's Descent from the Cross.

After further checks Israel Police forces ^one , we finally reached the esplanade around 9:15, the Israeli and Palestinian forces subtly share custody. Moreover, the reasons for the closure Sunday we learn in passing, a group of Orthodox Jews under police protection had tried to come and pray, which led to some serious clashes.

No similar case this time around, but you learn after a small half hour wandering the plaza will be closed at 10 am instead of 11:30 am, no reason given. So we quickly finished the tour with a view of the Mount of Olives and the Old City. No regrets, however, the two mosques, they are closed to non-Muslims since the second intifada in 2000.

Rearranging a little progamme expected: exit Yadvashem, there are still too many things to do in the old town for the first day totally non-public holiday. New trip to the Holy Sepulchre, where it enjoys a sharp decline in Russian groups to wander quietly in the various chapels.

Management then David's Tower, which houses the historical museum of the city. We learn a lot about the different eras that have marked the city (not less than 25 sets of construction and destruction). Road to Zion Gate, lunch at the Armenian Tavern for a very fragrant in a fairly authentic atmosphere meal.

At the Zion Gate, we discover the last trusted the life of Christ in Jerusalem, namely the room of the Last Supper. Then head for the new town, where Jaffa Road revived. Passage through the traditional market, with Jordanian and Iraqi stands that make you want to taste everything. Return finally, returns the ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighborhood, with a stop at the beautiful Ethiopian church. Traditional clothes are still there, but their version of every day, every man in black suit with white satin shirt and curl, women in long gray skirt and scarf.

And now that clot step of Jerusalem! Drive to Nazareth tomorrow morning (via Haifa and Tiberias), and the city in the afternoon.

Posted by Wordmobi

1. but why 80% of them are of African descent? To oust any criticism of Zionist partialisme by the Palestinians? [ ↩ ]

It is believed to wake up late, but fortunately today we move to winter time. After a good breakfast (though avoid champagne for heat), we try to go to the Temple Mount. Missed, the Muslim authorities ("those crazy arabs" dixit young guys Zionist youths who guard the entrance to ensure no Jew climbs, the risk of launching a new intifada) decided to close to 24 hours ahead of Yom Kippur.

So we take a taxi to ménorial Yad Vashem, on the other side of the city (and taxis are really tough in business, no way to bring down more than 10 shekels). Once there, another disappointment: the site was supposed to be open today displays closed doors, probably from being caught between the Shabbat ended yesterday is at 18h and Yom Kippur, which begins today at 17h.

The driver, smart, offered me a ride to Bethlehem, originally scheduled for Tuesday. The price is almost 60% above that announced by the Lonely, but we did not really want to nitpick, otherwise we will do nothing all day.

So starting in very arid scenery, putting even more value if it were, the separation wall is seen running along the path. Passing the checkpoint ente Israel and the West Bank is no concern in this sense.

It is feared a rip arriving in Bethlehem as a first and a second guide mounted in the car. At the Church of the Nativity Catholic guide ^one with us inside. The main part of the church is orthodox, just above the cave of the Nativity. In a chapel on the side held a Mass according to the Armenian Rite, with absolutely beautiful songs.

It is so glad to have the guide, because it knows the Palestinian policeman guarding the entrance of the cave, and it happens we will be down for a few minutes of meditation, to the dismay of the Russian hordes who must wait until the various ceremonies. Again, a nice emotional moment, even if you fancied a bit more sober place (we see that the taste of the orthodox development scene has been there with a large silver star embedded in 14 branches down a marble altar).

It then goes into the Catholic cloister, to hear the end of the Mass (in Arabic, and it is a little lost). As expected, it is then the traditional way by the gift shop of the cousin of the driver forcefully glasses mint tea but not too push to buy. On the way back, stop at the edge of the separation wall, at first glance as high as the Wailing Wall, but with much more tags (including "We are all Palestinians" written in French). Passing the checkpoint is more impressive in that sense, but it goes without leaving the passport.

Back in Jerusalem, lunch in a restaurant of the few that has not already closed (but the opportunity to inflate the bill, already salted by its location in the Cardo, the point of separation of the four quarters of the old city) then attempt to visit sites in the south (tombs of King David and Oskar Schindler). Again, white cabbage, Jewish sites still have a bridge between Shabbat and Yom Kippur while Christian sites are closed.

Thus quietly returned to the hotel, through the different neighborhoods of the old town, now deserted, except by Orthodox Jews visiting the Wailing Wall and the Israeli military para.

A day not really as originally planned and therefore soft, but recovers before the big pedestrian walk (as it should be dead city tomorrow) on the Mount of Olives, and hoping Yadvashem and the Temple Mount will again available Tuesday, the last day in Jerusalem.

19h PS: finally, we could not resist the urge to highlight the declining day was too beautiful! Should not lead us to the new city, but finally returned in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City ... and we took it!

From the esplanade overlooking the wall, the show is magical: the minarets of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount are illuminated and the wall, and we hear in quadiphonie mingle calls to prayer Muezin of the Al-Aqsa mosque and the Mount of the rock to the right and left, while the Hebrew melodies mingle in front (prayer groups of the wall) and behind (Wohl group Torah study). Fantastic for both the eyes and ears show, and that makes us really feel at the center of humanity!

The return through the alleys of the old city now completely deserted indicates a strengthening of security measures, patrols now moving through six.

1. 60% of the population of the city, against 40% of Muslims [ ↩ ]

After a hearty Yiddish, a morning walk on the beach, and we share the Tel Aviv Museum of Art already. A beautiful arrangement, and local artists heavily influenced by the Impressionists. These (and other) are also well represented through several private collections exhibited Picasso, Monnet, Pissarro, Dufy, Renoir Dega or are waiting for you.

Luggage at the hotel and head for the bus station is recovered to retrieve a sheirut, one of these taxis are the only mode of transportation during Shabbat. An hour later, we are at the American Colony Hotel in Jerusalem.

The arrival of the thrice-holy city pays pad mine, but this hotel, located in East Jerusalem, is steeped in history, as host diplomats and visiting journalists. One hand quickly to the Damascus Gate, north of the old town, overlooking the Muslim Quarter. A good idea for buying a wide angle, because the streets are narrow. After the buildings along the Latin Patriarchate way, we arrive at the Tower of David, the main entrance to the west of the old town.

The atmosphere is pretty quiet this holiday for one of the three religions share the city. The streets are semi-covered, narrow and lined with tourist shops including (Articles of taste and / or often dubious quality).

Just by chance, we arrive at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This is the time when one of the communities (Copts) must give way to the ceremonies of another (apparently, Druze). In tan that "simple" Catholic, no way to go for now, and thus towards the Jewish Quarter.

The controls on arrival at the Wailing Wall are also less strict than I thought, even if you go through a metal detector ¹ . It is quite surprised the relatively small width of the wall, however high. The men's section, which represents three quarters of the wall should be 30m at most, with the Orthodox grouped in the left corner. Although few people pray, emotional place, with all these little papers in the interstices of the rock is very strong.

Back to the Holy Sepulchre, now easily accessible, except the main chapel trustee by the Druze. Again, a lot of emotion to touch the tombstone of Christ and pray in this church with many nooks, each the meaning more or less for each community (Russians and Ethiopians are the most represented among visitors) .

We return to the Wailing Wall to pray breaking the Sabbath: many Orthodox Jews in beautiful clothes, women's austere, children playing in the middle of the military ² .

Return to the hotel for a good Taybeh beer, the sound of the call Muezin, to visit the new city and Jewish museums tomorrow!

Posted by Wordmobi

1. which it is stated that "the great rabbis of the city confirmed that the activation is not incompatible with the Sabbath" [ ↩ ]
2. who engage in a little disturbing some exercise, pretending to pull the Temple Mount ... [ ↩ ]