Star of wonder

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Whatever you are celebrating tonight -- the conclusion of Christmastide, the arrival of the Magi, Epiphany, Theophany, the Feast of Lights, or  the blessing of having a warm cozy house -- may a star of wonder guide you.
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My vintage posts about Epiphany  in Abu Ghosh and Jerusalem are here.
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Jerusalem of gold and blue

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For SkyWatch Friday here is our clear blue sky, typical for Israel's long hot dry season.

We are looking up at the Temple Mount from the foot of the Mount of Olives.
The top of the Dome of the Rock is visible.
In the Old City wall is the Mercy Gate.
Outside the blocked gate is a Muslim cemetery and below that is a Franciscan cemetery.

You can enlarge the photo twice and see the graves among the olive trees.

Shabbat shalom to Jerusalem and to you all.
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Soldiers and sandwiches

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S is for soldiers and sandwiches (or in Hebrew, sandvitchim). 
They were sitting just outside the Old City wall.
I think they were getting a head start while  "guarding" their comrades' lunchboxes.

I took the photo from across the street so you will have to click once or twice to see the boys better. 

Once inside Jaffa Gate they started trekking like Sherpas down the narrow pedestrian-only lanes of the Old City.
The whole group of young soldiers was probably waiting for them at the open square in the Jewish Quarter, where there is room to picnic.

Walking around with a knowledgeable guide, learning about our national heritage  is part of soldiers' training in the Israel Defense Forces.

And as Napoleon reportedly said, "C'est la soupe qui fait le soldat," meaning "An army travels [or marches] on its stomach," meaning  "a group of soldiers or workers can only fight or function effectively if they have been well fed."

Bon appetit, dear soldiers!  
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(A post for ABC Wednesday meme.)
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Above the city wall

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 The sky was nice and blue yesterday around 4 pm, and the wind brisk. 

The Vatican flag was easy to see, flying atop St. Saviour's (Franciscan)  Monastery in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City.

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(A sky for SkyWatch Friday.)

Tonight's moon on the ramparts

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The almost-full moon rose over the Old City wall.
We walked here just a few hours ago,  at 5:25 pm,  in the magical light of not-day not-night. 

At the base of the ramparts Arab boys were kicking a ball around on what's left of the green grass in Gan Habonim park. 
I was happy for them because if they live inside the small Old City, there they have almost no grassy open spaces for soccer.
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Jerusalem is so beautiful, day and night.  Always.
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(This post joins hundreds of other bloggers' skies at SkyWatch Friday.)
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So many photos, so little time

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No, it is not Israel!
Now, at the midnight contest deadline, I just finished three days of steady image uploading to Wiki Israel.
I contributed hundreds of photos for which I had to write informative but short titles, for almost 30 heritage sites in Israel and Jerusalem.
There were over 600 physical sites on the nationwide list to chose from. 
It was my first time and there was much to learn about how and what to contribute. 

But now I can't bear to look at even one more local picture again, not even for the blog.

So here is a favorite shot of the medieval ramparts that protected Nymburk, now in the Czech Republic!

I went there in 2006 to be at the wedding of my young friend Pavla.
Was living in Switzerland part of that year, so I took the 11-hour night bus from Zurich to Prague. Oi . . . very long and dark.

Sometimes it is tempting to start a second blog about my times outside of Israel.
What's the fun of photos if they can't be shared.
But now my eyes need a good rest.
Tomorrow is another day.
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Good night to all and to the folks at Our World Tuesday.
And the nice Czech town of Nymburk is for N Day at ABC Wednesday.
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Jerusalem by night

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For SkyWatch Friday, the black dome of the heavens above Jerusalem!

The Old City was lit up last week with dozens of dazzling light displays for the 4th International Light Festival.

At the foot of the newly rebuilt Hurva Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter--a whirling "Meetings Composition" with its movements triggered by the location of the spectator.

At the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer--dynamic illumination to nice music.

Illuminated narrow street in the Armenian Quarter.

At Jaffa Gate--the Italian "Cupola."

But even with "just" her normal illumination, the Old City is beautiful, so beautiful.
Here, the Western Wall and above it, the Temple Mount with the Muslim Dome of the Rock and el Aksa mosque.

The Citadel or Tower of David.

Hundreds of thousands walked along the old city wall and entered by various gates.
Enlarge the photo to see the people.
In the sky above the Latin Patriarchate, a big Vatican flag.

The Old City and the new city.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
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Contemplating new ways

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Here's the tram where it runs parallel to the Old City's northern wall (visible on the right).

The new trams started taking people last Friday and everyone along the route of the light rail has to get used to this new phenomenon.

Enlarge the photo to enjoy the stance of the young haredi (ultra-orthodox Jewish) man contemplating this ultra-modern vehicle.
Don't you wonder what he is thinking?
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The southern wall

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It was 8 o'clock in the morning but already a line of tourist buses was parked along the southern wall of the Old City.
The driver stands and waits for the guide to bring their group out from the nearby Dung Gate.
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Across the street from the same bench is a barbed-wired wall with an old sign of UNRWA.
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But sitting on the bench you would have this view--the old Turkish city wall and on top of what we call the Temple Mount, al Aksa mosque.
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The city is currently building ways to walk inside the Ophel antiquities at the base of the wall.
The sign said "Maslul HaMikvaot--HaOphel," meaning The Mikva Route.
Should be interesting!
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P.S. For those who enjoyed yesterday's post about doner kebab etc. --I added a comedy skit.
Thanks to daughter Naomi for this funny Armstrong & Miller video about the Neanderthal origins of shwarma!
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Herod's Gate/Flower Gate in a van window

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For James' Weekend Reflections here is Jerusalem's Flower Gate (aka Herod's Gate) reflected in a van window.
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Funny how the glass makes the straight Old City wall curve on top, almost like the springing of an arch.
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The Flower Gate's metal outer staircase also makes a fancy shadow for this weekend's Shadow Shot Sunday.
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The gate was refurbished and rededicated last June.
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The ramparts walk

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The Old City of Jerusalem is enclosed by a 16th century wall that has seven gates.
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Map is from Wikitravel

For our That's My World tour let's walk on top of the ramparts.

Like this little group is doing.

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You might have to enlarge the photo to see them.

I zoomed in on the people from the roof of St. Louis Hospital, which is across the street from the Old City.
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Here, the Turkish sultan invites you to his wall!

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The Hebrew poster bids you, "Walk through layers of time."

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The old sign tells us that an Arabic inscription on the Jaffa Gate reads thus:

"In the name of Allah, the merciful and compassionate, our lord the great sultan, monarch of the Byzantines, Arabs and Persians, Suleyman son of Selim Khan, may Allah perpetuate his kingdom, commanded that this blessed wall be constructed. In the year 945"

[ 945 of the Muslim Hejira calender, i.e. 1538 C.E.].
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Just climb the spiral staircase, push through the turnstyle (which is actually on the roof of the Kishle police station), and start walking along and above the Armenian Quarter.

Then at the Jewish Quarter, you have to come down.

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The other Ramparts Walk segment starts below the Damascus Gate and goes along the Muslim Quarter up to St. Stephen's Gate.

Sixteen shekels will buy you a ticket for both sides.

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The length of the entire city wall is about 4 km or 2.5 miles.

But it is not possible to walk around the entire Old City atop the wall.

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Yalla, are you coming up? This is one walk I don't wish to do alone.

I'll wait for you.

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Just go over

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Click on the picture and enjoy how the setting sun turns the city into Jerusalem of Gold.
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I post this, however, to show the layout of the street, which has seen much development in recent years.

The new Kikar Zahal park is on the left, at the northwestern corner of the Old City wall.

From there, a delightful promenade at the foot of the wall takes you to Jaffa Gate.
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The photo shows Jaffa Road emerging from a tunnel.
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If you look back at yesterday's post, you can just about see that the road is slightly elevated.
Grave sites were discovered near Jaffa Gate when the road was being built.
Jewish tradition (law?) would never allow a road to be constructed ON the graves, but a little bit ABOVE them--OK.
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Now I need a title . . .
"Just go over" comes to mind.
You might enjoy the Chassidic wisdom in an earlier post by that name, back here.
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The easel life in Jerusalem

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Summer is a season that draws our painters out to the Great Outdoors.
This one is painting the Machaneh Yehuda market.

Click on her canvas to enlarge and see one street of our big Jerusalem shuk.

And this woman found a vantage point on the outer side of the Old City ramparts, just past the Dung Gate.

From way up there she would be seeing the Mount of Olives on the eastern horizon.
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Robin, at her Israeli blog "Around the Island," invites us every Sunday to show what summer means for us. Take a look at this nice new Summer Stock meme , or sign Mr. Linky and join us with your own summery pictures.