Israel/Palestine – mmm-yoso

Jerusalem (Before Covid) – Exploring Machaneh Yehudah Market and the Old City, Lunch at Jachnun Bar, Dinner at Machneyuda, and Beer Bazaar

April 22, 2022 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Beer, Israel/Palestine, Israeli Food, Middle Eastern Restaurants/Cuisine, Travel

**** This is another long one as I try to finish up our Israel posts; thanks for dropping by

I made sure to keep our last full day in Jerusalem open. I figured that we'd have seen enough over the last couple of days to figure out how we'd like to spend the day. And we started off at Machaneh Yehuda Market.

It was early and the food vendors weren't open yet, so we had a chance to check out the produce, bakery, and meat stalls….something we always enjoy and this was no exception.

We always learn so much about the culture and a region by just exploring the open air markets.

We stopped to check out the varieties of tea available in this shop and the very friendly young man started chatting with us. He was so nice and we came to find out that he is originally from new York City! Of course the Missus finding out he was from the states immediately started the "interrogation"….boy did the questions flow. And he was so nice, with a great sense of humor. I ended up getting a coffee and the Missus some tea….She even purchased some tea as well.

I asked the young man where to grab a Sabich and he made a recommendation…..he was so nice.

Machaneh Yehudah Market
Agripas St. 90
Jerusalem, Israel

From here we walked past Mamilla Mall and into the Old City.

This was a Monday and things seemed much quieter than the previous days.

And along with the now familiar sites…..

There were things we hadn't noticed on the previous day. At the Fifth Station of the Cross we saw this.

Apparently, this is where Christ stumbled and placed his hand on the wall to balance himself. And this is his handprint in stone along the Via Dolorosa.

We went ahead and followed the route in reverse from where we had started the previous day.

Until we arrived at the First Station where Pontius Pilate condemned Jesus to die and the Crown of Thorns was placed on his head.

Right past this spot is the Church of the Flagellation where Pilate had Jesus flogged. We had wanted to see this area the previous day, but our guide would not take us because it as in the Muslim Quarter.

From here we decided to explore the Muslim Quarter for a bit.

Which seemed pretty mellow and relaxed. We stopped for some tea at this shop.

And just hung out with the old timers outside and watched the world go by…..

We were starting to get a bit hungry so we headed back to the area around Machaneh Yehudah Market and found the recommended Sabich Shop. We walked in and the menu was in Hebrew. There were no customers when we arrived so I asked about the menu….the two young ladies working were not very nice; I was told; "you read the menu and order….it right there…" And she walked away. I did a Google translate thing, walked back to the counter and was ignored. Two customers walked in behind me and their order was taken. So, I figured that they really didn't want my business so we crossed the street and went into the Market and stopped at this stand.

The Young Man working the counter was a hoot….he loved flirting with all the girls walking by.

There was something on the menu She wanted to try……

The Shakshuka. This was quite good; great acidic-sweet tomato flavors…..like sunshine in the form of food. The eggs were lovely, the Missus just loved the seasoning. She even enjoyed the bread!

I was told; "you better up your Shakshuka game!"

Hmmm…..

Me, well I got the namesake item; the Jachnun.

Man, this was quite good as well. Loved the pastry used to wrap the simple fillings; egg and eggplant was particularly tasty.

This was a very nice lunch…I'm glad we came here; I guess it was fate, huh?

Jachnun Bar
(Machaneh Yehudah Market)

We strolled back to the apartment and packed, we had a morning flight back to Paris, so there would be no time to dilly-dally in the morning. After which we had a nice afternoon nap.

For our last meal, I chose a highly recommended and very popular restaurant near Machaneh Yehudah Market named Machneyuda. I kept reading about the place and when Yotam Ottolenghi mentioned the place in several articles online; well it just seemed like the right pick for us.

We had 645 reservations and arrived at a hair past 630. The place was already packed and we were seated upstairs where the music and the discussions weren't quite as loud.

The menu is a single sheet; but there's quite a bit to choose from. The direction of our ordering was based on our previous meals and we also selected dishes that caught our attention.

And as we often do; we made a meal out of several starters as those menu items seemed the most interesting.

The first two dishes were easy to pick. We had really enjoyed the vegetables in Israel, so we made sure to get a couple of veggie based items.

Starting with the Turkish Tomato Salad.

Man, the wonderful sweet-acidity of the tomatoes; just perfect.

The Cabbage Siniya was also very good.

The cabbage had been charred thus creating a nice smoky-sweetness and wonderful textural contrast. The nutty-earthy tones of the tahini gave the dish some heft and the chilies added a bit of zip.

Our least favorite item of the night was the Shaour Tartare.

The tartare was delivered covered by spinach leaves; which were browning and getting discolored. The fish itself was quite chewy and very mild in flavor which was just over-powered by the aioli, herbs, and spices.

Meanwhile, the Sweetbreads were so delici-yoso!!!

Firm at first bite, giving way to a wonderful creaminess; the tomato and radish paired quite well, smoothing out any strong metallic-offal flavors with the dill adding in a grassy, slightly anise touch to things. The flatbread was crisp and nicely charred.

Our last dish was the Crispy Brain with Eggplant.

As if things couldn't get better; the brain was nicely fried; the interior so crisp then creamy, the tender eggplant smoky, the bread added a brioche like sweetness.

Overall, this was a excellent dinner and a great way to end our stay in Jerusalem.

Machneyuda
Beit Ya'akov St. 10
Jerusalem, Israel

After this wonderful dinner, the Missus treated me to a nightcap, stopping at the Beer Bazaar location in Machaneh Yehudah Market.

Hipster Jerusalem anyone?

Actually we enjoyed the vibe here; the bartender spent time in San Diego!

She told me to keep the coaster to remember our time here.

Cool folks!

Beer Bazaar Jerusalem
(Machaneh Yehudah Market)

Like I said, this was our favorite area in Jerusalem.

Back at the apartment, I sat on the porch for a while.

And tried to take in all that we'd seen and done over the last couple of days….whew…..

The next morning we were off to Ben Gurion International Airport. We had time to check out the lounge since we were flying Business Class on El Al.

And had a light breakfast.

And we got fed again on our flight to Paris…..

We arrived in Paris on time. We'd have one night before moving on to our next stop!

Jerusalem (Before Covid) – A Tour of the Old City and Dinner at Hachapuria

April 21, 2022 mmm-yoso Georgian Cuisine and Restaurants, Israel/Palestine, Travel

**** I'm sure I could write chapters about the Old City. But I'm going to try to be as concise as possible

We had really planned to learn a lot more about the Old City on our third full day in Jerusalem. So, like the previous two days, I figured a private tour might work for the best. And we had really enjoyed the tours we took the previous two days. I had gotten the Missus and I a private tour, that was supposed to be secular….I should have known better. Our guide wasn't very friendly, nor did he take much time to explain things; he basically drove or walked us to places, would tell us what the place was, and set us out on our own and go for a smoke. Oh well.

We started the morning by grabbing our caffeine fix from the nearby Nadi Cafe, which seemed to be full of students.

Our "guide" then met us at back at our apartment and drove us up to the Mount of Olives. We kinda knew what we were in for after he basically left us and went back to the car to wait for us.

Still, it was a lovely view.

We then drove down to the city and parked and then walked along the old city walls.

And eventually crossed a trench that led us to some alleyways. Soon enough we saw a spire rising in front of us. This is the Church of the Dormition. We were led into a room and were told this was the "Room of the Last Supper"; the Cenacle. To imagine that this was where it was believed that the Last Supper was held!

This was also supposedly the place where Christ washed the feet of his Disciples.

We were led down some stairs to a hallway, which had been converted to a synagogue. From here, the Missus had to go one way, I another.

And I entered this room.

This is David's Tomb. While not considered to be the actual resting place of King David (the tomb is empty), this is a quote from Professor Doron Barr on the Wikipedia Page:

"Although the sources for the tradition of David's Tomb on Mount Zion are not clear, it appears that it only began to take root during the subsequent, early Muslim period. Apparently, the Christians inherited this belief from the Muslims, and only at a relatively late juncture in the city’s history were the Jews finally convinced as well"

We were then taken into the Church of the Dormition. Dormition means to "fall asleep" and it is claimed that this is where the Virgin Mary fell into "eternal sleep". The crypt is quite an amazing place; it features a life sized "Sleeping Mary".

And the walls are adorned with mosaics and images of famous women from the Bible.

It's quite stunning.

We also visited the Church as well.

This is the view from Mount Zion.

From here we were led thru the Zion Gate.

To an area lined with colonnades.

We walked down the stairs to the excavated street known as the Cardo, which dates back to Byzantine times and was once the main street of Jerusalem.

It's now a pretty swanky shopping arcade. Regardless, it's quite impressive.

From here we were led past Hurva Square.

And taken to a shop named Everest Cafeteria Ramzi where we had lunch; while our guide left and did whatever stuffs he needed to.

After lunch we were guided down the street……to an area I'm sure most people have heard of.

The Western Wall. Because of the walls proximity to the restricted access Temple Mount, this wall built by Herod the Great is considered the Holiest site in Jerusalem and is a place of pilgrimage and prayer for many Jews. There are separate sections for men and women. The Missus had made sure to dress appropriately for this visit and after going thru security I wore a temporary Kippah (aka yarmulke).

I saw many folks placing "prayers"; slips of papers into the wall. I know some folks to whom a visit to the Western Wall has been one of the most important and cherished events in their life. I had been told that I should never turn my back to the wall as it is considered disrespectful, so I made sure to back away.

One of our requests when we booked the tour was to see all the stations of the Via Dolorosa, the "Way of the Cross"; basically the path Jesus took to his crucifixion. Our guide decided to start at Station III of the Via Dolorosa; where Jesus fell for the first time.

You can see the relief of Jesus falling under the weight of the cross above the door of the Armenian Chapel. Right next to it is the Fourth Station of the Cross, where Jesus met his mother, Mary. This is right in front of the Armenian Church.

We were then walked past the Fifth and to the Sixth Station of the Cross.

This is where Veronica, who would become Saint Veronica, wiped the sweat and blood off of Jesus's face. That cloth, called the Veil of Veronica is said to have the image of Jesus' face on it.

Down the street is the Seventh Station.

The Seventh Station is where Jesus fell for the second time.

The Ninth Station is where Jesus fell of the third time.

From here, we were taken into the main plaza of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Volumes could be written on this, but I'll keep it brief.

Built on what is believed to be the site of Jesus' crucifixion, locations in the church complex are run by various Christian religions using what is known as the Status Quo.

It was quite intense watching folks praying over, weeping, and in one case a woman cried out and threw herself over the Stone of Unction (Stone of Anointing) which lays upon the site where Christs body was laid after being removed from the crucifix and prepared to be buried. Man….

And of course there's the Tomb of Christ, where Jesus laid buried for three days before rising from the dead.

All these sacred sites in one place is kind of overwhelming even for an Agnostic like me.

If we'd had more time, I would have gotten a private guide just for the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Our guide just pointed to the entrance and told us where to meet him. He seemed uncomfortable in this area.

After leaving the church, we decided to cut our guide loose. Instead of taking us back to his car and driving us back to the apartment, we decided to walk back. The Jaffa Gate was close by and we strolled thru the Mamilla Mall and did some window shopping. And listened to some music…..

We took a nice break at the apartment before heading out to dinner.

After a pretty full day, I decided that we should go to the area around Machaneh Yehudah Market to grab something to eat. And while strolling around the market something clicked. This was the place we felt most comfortable in Jerusalem. So we'd return here for sure; especially since we had reservations at Machneyuda the following night.

We just wanted something casual for dinner and I had a place in mind right outside the market called Hachapuria whose specialty is a Georgian specialty called Hachapuri (Khachapuri).

Service was efficient and the prices were quite reasonable.

We started with a "salad", which was so very good, especially the wonderful smoky, earthy eggplant.

Man, the vegetables in Israel just seemed to good!

Here's the Acharuli Hachapuri.

We loved this. The boat shaped dough was so tasty; a perfect balance of yeastiness-salt-sugar, the texture perfectly crisp; the Sulguni cheese had a mild salty-sour-acidity, was stringy, and not overwhelming….and who doesn't love that egg???? And yes, that's a blob of butter on top of the egg!

We forgot about even using the provided sauces!

A wonderful dinner!

Hachapuria
5 Ha-Shikma
Jerusalem 9432305 Israel

After dinner we strolled back to the apartment. Tomorrow was our "free day" and we were looking forward to just wandering around and Machaneh Yehudah Market was definitely on that list.

Thanks for stopping by!

Jerusalem (Before Covid) – Dinner at Pergamon

April 9, 2022 mmm-yoso Israel/Palestine, Israeli Food, Travel, Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants

After returning from our tour of Bethlehem, we relaxed and I took a short nap. Before you knew it the sun had set and Shabbat was over. I hadn't made any reservations for dinner on this night. After having the wonderful vegetables during our Shabbat dinner at Mamilla Rooftop; I thought we'd try our luck at a place known for their vegetarian Mediterranean cuisine named Pergamon. So we headed out to see if we could get a table.

We headed down Shamai Street, then crossed Jaffa Street and found the restaurant. And guess what? They had just opened and there were no customers, so we easily got a table!

I started with a "cold one" and the Missus had a glass of wine while we perused the menu.

We started with the Beets with Pistachios. Man, this was good!

The perfectly roasted beets were tender and sweet; the salty-savory-milkiness of the Manchego cheese really balanced the dish out.

The Eggplant was nicely roasted, tender and smoky.

Of course the nutty and slightly bitter tahini is the perfect foil for the eggplant. The pseudo Tabouli and the peanuts finished off the dish nicely.

The Missus loved the Roasted Butternut Squash and Lentils.

I thought the curried tahini and chilies was a really nice addition to the dish.

They key to the dishes for us here was that the sauces and additions really complemented the main focus of each dish without overwhelming the key element. We were really enjoying the vegetables in Jerusalem.

Pergamon Restaurant
Heleni ha-Malka St. 7
Jerusalem, Israel

It was still pretty early when we finished up dinner; so we decided to walk on over to the Old City.

Entering thru the Jaffa Gate we wandered around David Street……

It was quite interesting as we'd pass something we totally expected…..

And then come across something…well totally unexpected in Jerusalem…..

Roll Tide????

After wandering around a bit more, we ended up at the Damascus Gate.

And decided to head back to the apartment.

I went and picked up a couple of bottles of beer on the way back to the apartment and enjoyed a beer while sitting on the balcony.

As I watched the street below, I still was amazed that I was here; having a beer on a porch…..in Jerusalem.

Thanks for stopping by!

Palestine (Before Covid) – Visiting Bethlehem

April 8, 2022 mmm-yoso Israel/Palestine, Travel

**** Not much food in this one – so, unless you want to see and read about our visit to Bethlehem, you may want to return on another day.

After a nice night of sleep, the Missus and I got up fairly early and had some coffee. It was still Shabbat, so the streets in front of the apartment was very quiet.

We decided to take a short walk into the Old Town.

We passed the sculpture above, called the Center of the World Sculpture on our way to the Jaffa Gate.

Before heading back to the apartment to meet our driver.

We had arranged a half day private tour with Elijah Tours and our driver was right on time. We drove past a barrier check points to meet our guide. I was surprised to find when I returned home many folks I spoke to didn't know the city of Bethlehem is actually located in Palestine.

We met our guide who explained to us that this was a very special day. We saw a stage being set-up near the huge Christmas Tree, as of 2018, about 12% of Bethlehem's population was Christian.

We were guided to the Church of the Nativity, which was constructed under the orders of Constantine on what is believed to be the site of Christ's birth.

We entered thru the tiny Door of Humility, which had been made smaller during the Ottoman period to prevent looters from bringing in large carts into the Nave.

Once inside, I quickly noticed the painted columns lining the Nave.

Along with the "trap door" which displays some of the original mosiac pavement from the 4th century basilica.

The item that really caught my eye were the wall mosaics; which were truly spectacular.

The mosaics date back to the 1160's and were restored between 2015 and 2016.

You can read more about that here.

Our guide walked us to the back of the Nave and pointed to some stairs leading downward. We were told that "if you are Christian, this will be the most important part of the visit." These were the steps to the Grotto of the Nativity; where Jesus was born.

The place where Jesus was supposedly born is marked by a star.

There's also a spot where the manger lay, called the Grotto of the Manger. Whew…..intense stuff that I had only read about and never thought I'd ever see….

Arising from the grotto we were lead thru the Nave into the Church of Saint Catherine.

Which was built in the 1880's by the Franciscans and is the parish church for Roman Catholics in the area.

When we got back out to the street area we noticed barriers up around the street and crowds lining up…….

Our guide told us; "you are very lucky…..today is a very special day. Today the Vatican is returning a piece of Jesus's manger to Bethlehem as a gift from Pope Francis." Whoa….

There was quite a procession; marching bands…and soon enough the folks bringing the relic back to the Church of the Nativity; right at the beginning of advent.

More on this story from the BBC's website. Talk about getting lucky……such serendipitous timing.

Our guide also pointed out the "Popemobile"; the vehicle used by Pope Francis when he visited Bethlehem in 2014.

We were told to take a quick look at the chair the Pope sat in……..which cracked us up…..it's a modified Barber Chair!!

We then had a short visit to the Chapel of the Milk Grotto.

Our next stop was a a short drive outside of central Bethlehem, to the Shepherd's Field. This is where the "Annunciation to the Shepherds" reportedly took place. First, the Chapel of the Shepherd's Field, built by the Franciscans in 1953,

It was beautiful……

Then we were taken to nearby caves which have now been turned into small chapels for worship. These are the very caves that were used by shepherds as shelter.

And it appears that there is still archaeological work going on in the area.

From the hill you can see the new settlements and walls that surround Bethlehem.

We were then taken to a quick tour of Bethlehem which culminated in seeing Banky's iconic Love Is In The Air, Flower Thrower.

From here, we visited the offices of Elijah Tours where we were kindly fed…..

And were given some gifts made by this hard working young man……

And we ended up buying a few items for our more religious friends "back home".

And then our driver appeared and we were driven back to the apartment we were staying in. The Missus and I were pretty quiet on the drive back trying to take in what we had seen on this day. We aren't religious, but it had been quite a day; one that I'm certain we'll never forget.

Kerri; this one is for you, I know you've been waiting for these posts, I hope you enjoy them!

COMC: Jerusalem (Before Covid) – A Wine and Cheese Tour with Israel Wine Journeys and Shabbat Dinner at Mamilla Rooftop Restaurant

April 7, 2022 mmm-yoso Cheese, Israel/Palestine, Israeli Food, Travel, Wine Bars/Wineries

**** I'm trying to get these pre-Covid trip posts done; so I'm not going too deep on this one. So consider this a C(learing) O(ut the) M(emory) C(ard) post.

For our first day in Jerusalem, I booked a wine tour with Israel Wine Journeys, mainly for the Missus. And just let me say that Yakov was a joy to work with and tailored the two tastings to the Missus.

While for me; Yakov decided to take us to a Dairy and Cheesemaker for a light lunch – a goat farm; Iza Piziza Dairy.

Yakov was amazing…..we do recommend Israel Wine Journeys; they did a custom tour for us.

This was a Friday; so Shabbat started at sunset. There are specific rules to food preparation on Shabbat; no cooking or baking or using any heat source for preparation of food is allowed. Many restaurants are closed on Shabbat, but I really wanted to have a Kosher Shabbat meal. After doing a bit of research I found that the Mamilla Hotel's Rooftop Restaurant had a cold Shabbat menu. So we made our way down the eerily quiet streets of Jerusalem and got to the Mamilla Hotel and the rooftop restaurant.

Which was really quiet…..

The view was wonderful though…..

And we had a light dinner of cold dishes. The vegetables we had during our time in Jerusalem were excellent and this was our first real exposure to it; the tomatoes were especially wonderful.

The two young "kids" serving us were a bit green, but very sweet……

This was a nice, light and refreshing meal.

Rooftop (In the Mamilla Hotel)
Shlomo ha-Melekh Street 11
Jerusalem, Israel

After dinner we headed back to the apartment along the quiet, almost silent streets of Jerusalem.

We had a busy day planned; so it was time to get some sleep……

Jordan (Before Covid) – Petra at Night and Wadi Rum

March 19, 2022 mmm-yoso Israel/Palestine, Jordan, Middle Eastern Restaurants/Cuisine, Travel

**** I'm trying to finish up our pre-Covid travel posts, so will try to keep this brief, the photos speak for themselves. Not much food in this one.

After seeing the wonders of Petra in person, we decided to do Petra by Night. I had planned on being in Wadi Musa on one of the three nights the light show was available (Mon-Wed-Fri). We had an early dinner in the hotel we were staying at; Petra Palace.

And then walked over to the Petra Visitors Center to stand in line for tickets. We got there early and were the fifth group of folks getting tickets. Just before 830 we were let in and proceeded to head down the Siq toward Al-Khazneh (the Treasury).

The path was lined with candles.

After getting to the Treasury, we found sat on mats along the candlelit ground.

And soon enough, there was the sound of a flute and the lights shining on the Treasury came on.

And then more music, more lighting effects, a reading/poem…..more lights…..

After a while it got a bit monotonous; but heck I guess it's worth doing once?

And then we marched back out of Petra and back to the hotel.

The next morning we packed up had a quick breakfast in the hotel…..

We checked out and waited excitedly for our driver to pick us up…..well, that is, I waited excitedly. You see, the next part of our tour was for Wadi Rum. Not that I knew a lot about Wadi Rum….but what little I knew surrounded the tales of one T.E. Lawrence, probably more well known in the west from the movie Lawrence of Arabia. TE Lawrence fought alongside the Arab tribes revolting against Turkish rule and is known to have been launched from Wadi Rum. In fact, there's a set of peaks in Wadi Rum named after one of Lawrence's writings. Anyway, Lawrence of Arabia was one of my late Mom's favorite films and without fail, she would watch it everytime it was on television. You can read more about TE Lawrence and Wadi Rum here.

That's the "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" above; named after Lawrence's Autobiographical work of the same name.

It's quite possible that I enjoyed Wadi Rum even more than Petra in some ways. Perhaps it was our amazing Bedouin Guides and Drivers, whose sense of humor was great and also the Australian couple, who was on our tour of Petra the previous day who were so much fun and easy going.

From the Nambatean ruins…..

To the amazing peaks and valleys….

The views……my goodness….

We would and take a short hike to one of the peaks…..things were so beautiful, so serene, so colorful….you could have what I call a "Bourdain moment" of your very own taking in the amazing vastness of Wadi Rum.

And our Bedouin Drivers made a pretty good lunch……

That chicken grilled over a live fire was awesome……..the Missus and I started talking about returning to Jordan at this point and staying in a Bedouin camp in Wadi Rum….maybe even one of these places!

After lunch we headed off….our Bedouin driver asked us if we wanted to go "dune surfing"……and having our wonderful Aussie companions in our Jeep it was all go……

Man, it was so beautiful here….I know, I keep saying that over and over…..you get the point!

One of the last stops was the Jebel Umm Fruth Rock Bridge. There were younger folks climbing up the rocks to stand on the formation….

Of course, I'm not a big fan of heights…nor scrambling up the side of the mountain….but you know who the only person on our tour who was all in for doing this was, right?

And here's the photo She took of us "wussies" waiting below…..

We really enjoyed Wadi Rum and like I mentioned above, hope to return and spend a night here one day. Our Bedouin Guides and Drivers were so accommodating and had a great sense of humor.

Once our day was done; our drivers took us to the border crossing at Aqaba, where we crossed over to Eilat and then were taken to Ramon International Airport for our flight to Tel Aviv.

Our flight arrived in Tel Aviv we suddenly realized that we were no longer in our "little bubble" of vacation. Our flight arrived and we took the shuttle bus to the main terminal.

Once we got to the baggage claim and exits, the Missus bargained with one of the cab drivers (our scheduled transfer never showed up) and we got into his cab. Just before we left a young Orthodox Jewish man spoke to the driver who came to us and asked if we wouldn't mind splitting the cab fair into Jerusalem. The young man would pay a third and we two-thirds. We said sure, why not. When the young man entered the front seat of the cab we said hello to him; but he would not speak, nor even acknowledge our presence. I mean, he spoke to the cab driver, but refused to speak to us!

Once our driver dropped the young man off, he pointed to the neighborhood and said; "tomorrow evening starts Shabbat….do not come to this part of the city". Our driver was a really nice guy and dropped us off at the apartment we were staying at. Once we unpacked, showered, and got ready for bed, I walked out to the patio……

The Missus and I wanted no part of the politics…….we just wanted to enjoy the history, sights, and food….but people are one of the biggest part of any trip we take. As looked out at the street I wondered; "would we be able" to do that?

Jordan (Before Covid) – Petra

March 6, 2022 mmm-yoso Israel/Palestine, Jordan, Middle Eastern Restaurants/Cuisine, Travel

**** I need to dedicate this post to two "FOYs", Kerri, who I know has been waiting for this one and RonR who emailed me – "This morning for the third year in a row I cancelled (postponed?) our 3 month European tour which of course included Tel Aviv, Israel, and Petra. Then, of course I opened up my favorite website every morning and there you are talking about Tel Aviv. Aaarrrggghhh!" Oh man, I'm so sorry Ron, I hope you'll be able to visit Petra and Wadi Rum soon!

Also, not much food in this one….even though I'm going to try to keep verbiage to a minimum, it's pretty looong….so I wouldn't be bothered at all if you decide to come back tomorrow for a more food focused post!

After a nice, relaxing evening at the Intercontinental Aqaba a van arrived to pick us up in the morning. We saw the landscape change as we drove from Aqaba to the town of Wadi Musa.

We stopped twice for bathroom breaks; once at a viewpoint above Wadi Musa and Petra….which was interesting…..you'd never know what lay in the valley below from here.

We arrived a Wadi Musa and transferred to a larger van with several other folks' including a wonderful couple from Australia whose company we really enjoyed! The tour company, Eco Desert Tours was amazing. They dropped our luggage at our hotel while we were dropped off at the rather chaotic ticketing area.

Where we met up with our guide. Once everyone was accounted for, we headed off, down the Bab el-Siq, the path and valley that leads to the Siq.

There are actually tombs and what is called Djinn Blocks, carved blocks of stone. The word means something along the lines of "spirit" in Arabic, but is also credited with being the origin of the word "genie".

And soon enough you reach the Siq, the narrow gorge which leads to into Petra.

There's a lot to see here as well, like the Niche Monument, a shrine created with two Djinn blocks.

This of course, is just an "appetizer" as most folks come to see what right ahead. It goes without saying that the last few steps to view Al-Khazneh, known as the Treasury is quite dramatic in its own right. First, you get a peek, then as you walk closer, it comes slowly into view….the pink-hued wonder, with intricate designs chiseled on it.

One could imagine the moment that Swiss explorer JL Burckhardt, disguised as a Muslim Scholar, became the first Westerner to enter Petra, and laid eyes upon this amazing structure.

It's about a mile to get to the Treasury; which of course, is the most crowded area of Petra. With folks selling Camel rides to various other items……

If you're not inclined to walking…well, you can catch a wagon, camel, or even a mule to get around…….

The portion past the Treasury is called the Outer Siq and is comprised of burial chambers of various designs.

We walked on over to the Street of Facades, a collection of more tombs, these crowded closer together.

Carved into the mountain right past the Street of Facades into El-Khubtha Mountain are what's called the "Royal Tombs".

And then beyond that; the actual city of Petra.

And then, it was lunch time. We had chosen just the simple lunch. We were then told we'd have free time to explore and the meeting place and time were indicated to us.

Which was perfectly fine. Actually, the falafel were not bad at all.

And then we set off exploring……..and had a great time exploring the City….the Great Temple and Qasr al-Bint, a Nabataean Temple.

Of course the Missus couldn't help but climb and explore the Royal Tombs.

After which we headed back to the Treasury.

It was amazing how the colors seemed to change as the sun moved across the sky.

The Missus had seen folks standing on the cliff across from the Treasury…and so…She just had to get there…..sigh.

So, we found a trail across from the Treasury and started climbing up. As I was set to start climbing I saw a gentleman wearing a long black robe and a clerical collar…my goodness; it was a priest climbing and inching his way down the rocks! I stuck out my hand and helped him down the last few steps. He smiles at me and said: "thank you my son"!

Anyway, it wasn't a super hard, but not an easy climb up. But of course, the Missus made it look easy.

I will say, the view was amazing.

Pretty amazing huh?

Of course, the climb down was much harder than going up. But…I'm here right? So I obviously made it.

By now we met our guide, whom we tipped, and told the nice guy that we'd just walk back to the hotel we were staying, the Petra Palace. We chatted on the way back to the hotel and decided to return and do the Petra by Night light show. But first; it was time to check in, hydrate, and most importantly, take a nap!

If you stuck around to the end of this post I thank you.

Have a great week!

From Israel to Jordan (Before Covid) – Masada, the Dead Sea, and the InterContinental Aqaba

January 22, 2022 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Buffets, Israel/Palestine, Jordan, Middle Eastern Restaurants/Cuisine, Travel

**** Not much food in this one as I try to get our pre-Covid trip posts done.

We decided to use guides during our trip to Israel-Palestine-Jordan because things were a bit spread out and transportation a bit more complicated than we wanted to deal with. We also wanted to learn about the sites we visited and also just enjoy the ride. We contracted the company, Desert Eco Tours to help with coordinating our tours thru Israel and Jordan. They were wonderful to deal with and we got a private tour of Masada and the Dead Sea and some really fun group tours to Petra and Wadi Rum.

On this day, our guide, David was perfectly on time and we headed off. First visiting areas near Ein Gedi so we could get a bit more familiar with the area.

From our viewpoint we had wonderful views and could see folks headed toward the oasis and waterfall.

From here it was off to Masada, a place I was a bit fascinated in since I had to read a book for a book report waaaay back in Intermediate School (that would be "Middle School" for most folks). There are three different "paths" you can use to walk/hike up to the fortress, but we took the Cable Car to the Visitors Center and then out into the plateau and amazing views of the ruins.

There was one very interesting thing about David……he does his tours barefoot! He told us that it "keeps him in touch with the earth and history"….

Also, when we arrived he broke out a conch shell and just like Hawaii, proceeded to blow into it!

I came to learn that the "Conch Shell Trumpet" played a large part in many cultures!

And I was captivated by the crows who seemed to "guard" the area…..which belonged to them.

A lot of what is known about Masada was written and compiled by Josephus Flavius, who wrote that the first fortification of Masada began in the 1st century BC; though that has never been confirmed. Between 37BC and 31BC Herod the Great built two palaces. It provided a protected and fortified winter haven, which included cisterns, storerooms, and a casemate wall. If you're like me; the first time you really read about Masada was about the siege where a group of Jews, less than a thousand who then held off the Romans for 2 years before the walls were breached. According to the story, upon having the fortress breached, the Jews dispatched each other rather than surrender to the Romans.

You can still see the remains of the Roman base camps from the mountain.

We wandered the ruins from the Columbarium Tower Ruins.

To the Western Palace, to the Hanging Palace which had three terraces.

You could actually see folks hiking up the mountain. I'm quite glad that we chose the cable car!

The terraces were my favorite part of the ruins.

This complex, called the "Hanging Palace" was Herod's private residence. The views were quite dramatic…..

At least that's what this little fella' kept telling me…..

It was quite an amazing place to visit.

We had a quick bite to eat in the restaurant before heading to our next stop.

Where I got to swim….well, actually float in the Dead Sea. Because of the high salt concentration; over 30%, the water feels very "thick" and floating is easy….I did a back float and because of the density of the water, I had to work to stand back up. An interesting experience.

From here David drove us to the Eilat Border Crossing; where we crossed on over to Jordan.

A representative from the tour company greeted us as we crossed the border and then got us a taxi to our accommodations for the evening; the Intercontinental Hotel Aqaba.

A beachside resort…..the rooms were quite comfortable.

Dinner was a pretty standard buffet.

And we took a nice walk around the pool area after dinner.

We slept well and had a light breakfast.

Before checking out and meeting our driver. Next stop?

Petra!

Thanks for stopping by!

Tel Aviv (Before Covid) – HaBasta, Abu Hassan, and Falafel Ratzon

December 20, 2021 mmm-yoso Beer, Israel/Palestine, Israeli Food, Markets & Grocers, Mediterranean Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Seafood, Travel

*** Here's a condensed post as I try to finish up all our pre-Covid trip reports.

Our flight from Paris to Tel Aviv on EL AL was on time and uneventful.

We were fed pretty well on the flight and arrived at Ben Gurion Airport right before 5pm. Getting a taxi to our hotel was also very easy and took about half an hour. Not quite sure about how long it would take, I made reservations at a restaurant I wanted to try, which was a nice walk from our hotel at 8pm. The restaurant is right next to the Carmel Market and I'd read a bit about the place.

On this Sunday evening, things were pretty quiet….and we really enjoyed the wonderful flavors and freshness of the food.

From the Cauliflower with Tahini….

To the Creamy-Smoky eggplant, to the slightly tangy-acidic Matbucha (a Arabic/Moroccan Roasted Tomato dish).

And the savory Cured Fish with Soft Egg…..

This was a wonderful meal and a great way to start our visit to Israel. I wish we were a bit more hungry and were able to try more dishes, but we left quite satisfied.

HaBasta
HaShomer St. 4
Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

The next morning; our only full day in Tel Aviv, we headed out early. Taking a walk thru the very quiet (on this morning) Carmel Market.

The fragrance of spices floating thru the air…..

And then past Hassan Bek Mosque….

To Charles Clore Park, where we could see Old Jaffa ahead of us.

We walked along to the beach area, where we saw this cat…..

Who was undoubtedly checking out these pooches having a great day at the beach!

We took a quick detour to check out the the Clock Tower and Saraya House in the old town.

There is so much much history here.

We took time to check out the Clock Tower which was built by the Ottoman's in 1901.

That structure to the left of the clock tower is the Saraya House and was once the residence and offices of the Turkish Governor. It was blown up by the Lehi a militant group.

We walked along the street checking out various churches and folks just going thru daily life.

There was quite a bit to take in here…… from the Monastery of St Nicholas to many other places which had no signs…….

There always seemed to be something that would catch your eye.

I was starting to get a bit hungry and really wanted to try a place that wasn't too far away so we headed up the stairs from Nemal Yafo Street connecting to HaShahaf Street….

To a place I'd a good deal about Hummus Abu Hassan, a very low keyed, but very busy little shop.

The folks here were very nice and even though the place was bustling we ordered and found a table.

Even though it was not even 10am, the place was busy. Our order arrived in minutes and just look at this will ya'….it is by far the most delici-yoso hummus I've ever had.

The Masabacha was amazing. And one of the old timers even showed us the proper way to eat it. You take the wonderful pita and dip it in the peppery lemon sauce, then the hummus, then you eat it was some of the sinus clearing onion! It was sooooo good.

During our short "brunch" we saw two taxis stop in front of the restaurant and older women get out of the car, walk up to the counter and pick up their hummus! This place really lived up to what I had read. In fact, twice during our stay in Jerusalem we mentioned this place and kinda impressed the locals!

Hummus Abu Hassan
Ha-Dolfin St. 1
Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

We finished up and walked back to our hotel.

And wandered the streets along the way.

We had a nice cup of tea back at the hotel…..

And then it was nap time.

We awoke later that afternoon and went back out for a stroll…spending most of our time around the beach area, walking from one end to the other.

The people (and pooch) watching was fun.

This being near the end of November, the sun would set around 430pm, and we were treated to a beautiful one.

After the sun went down we wandered around a bit more; then decided on some dinner. We just wanted something quick and easy and another place; fairly close to our hotel came to mind; Falafel Razon.