"In the beginning" -- Beresheet Hotel in the Negev desert

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A few days ago you saw the Visitors Center of Makhtesh Ramon.
Let's walk a few minutes along the rim of the "crater" and see what those buildings are on the left of the top photo.

Believe it or not, it's a luxury hotel!
Beresheet is named after the first word in the Book of Genesis; it means "In the beginning."

Here are some of the 111 "cabins."
Each one has a view of the makhtesh ("crater") and some have their own little pools.

I have never been inside (because weekday rates start at $322 per couple per night!).
But this article  says there is no grand entrance to the deluxe hotel,  just this gate, and you enter and park and wait for your golf cart ride to the lobby.
There are indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a sauna and hamam, and the full spa treatment.
 You can see indoor photos in this slideshow (under "Beresheet").

From this side the hotel seems to stick out a lot, but from the crater side it blends in more with the nature.
As their website says, "This exceptional desert hotel maintains a dialog with the surrounding desert, allowing its essence to penetrate every corner ..."    blah blah ... 

Here is the simple sign on the road.
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UPDATE Jan. 2017:  Article about the hotel and its relation to the nearby town, Mitzpe Ramon.
UPDATE July 2019: The other "crater," the smaller one, just became a nature reserve:
https://www.israel21c.org/after-30-years-israels-small-crater-is-a-nature-reserve/
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New life for a Brutalist building

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Here is the arts complex/hotel that houses the new organ we saw in the last two posts.
It hugs the slope of Mt. Carmel, in the town of Zichron Yaakov.
Under the clouds you see the Mediterranean Sea. 

Our rooms were nice even though the hotel is not yet officially opened.
Tomorrow I'll show you the view from the balconies, wow! 
It may be hard concrete on the outside, but inside is the soft life.  : )

Elma is a total renovation of the Mivtachim building which originally was meant for members of  the big HMO Kupat Holim as a yearly vacation place, a "rest home." 

Built in the 1960s at the height of Brutalist architecture's popularity in Israel, there is lots of raw concrete inside and out.
The term Brutalism was coined in 1953 from the French béton brut, "raw concrete," a phrase used by Le Corbusier to describe the poured board-marked concrete with which he constructed many of his post-World War II buildings.
 (So far in this blog we have talked about architectural examples in the "Brutalism capital of Israel," Beer Sheva.)

Lily's Terrace is named for Lily Elstein, the wonderful lady who is pouring all her heart and fortune into building this unique place where artists can live and create or perform and where hotel guests can freely mingle with them.
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(Linking to Our World Tuesday and  Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors memes.)

King David awaits Obama

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Jerusalem's King David Hotel  anxiously awaits the arrival on Wednesday of President Obama and his entourage of hundreds.
Every room of the prestigious hotel is in fact booked for them. 

Recently I was delighted to find this huge historical  photo covering  a whole wall in the lobby.
It shows Ragheb Bey al-Nashashibi, Arab mayor of Jerusalem 1920-1933, inaugurating the new King David Hotel tennis courts on June 13, 1931.
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One more door opened!

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Another impressive place in the German Colony, on Lloyd George Street, is the big convent of the Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo.
Solid, locked gates are always a challenge; but yesterday I gathered my courage and rang the bell of this intriguing place.
No one spoke on the intercom, no one buzzed me in.
I just looked at the top of the ST. CHARLES (GERMAN) HOSPICE gate  and said into space:  "Hello . . . ?"

I tried the door and lo and behold a nun in white was standing there, and she said "Guten Tag."
I asked her about their policy of renting rooms to tourists, in case I have guests in the future.
We went inside to the desk and she gave me a card, told me the rates, and apologized that I could not see the place because renovations are going on now.

Below I offer you information copied from the guest house website.
It is sad to think of the German nuns and monks of Jerusalem having been interned during World War II, here in this convent; but we were a British Mandate then, and the British did what they thought they had to do.

It was in 1893 when the first Sisters came to the Holy Land and opened an infirmary and a dispensary in the German Colony, Jerusalem. These were the beginnings of St. Charles Convent. Apart from nursing the sick and old people, the Sisters took care of orphans and homeless children by offering them shelter and giving them a good education. In 1905 the Sisters could move into their new convent building, the original part of the present St. Charles Convent. In 1934 the first Holy land pilgrims were given accommodation and were offered meals for groups and from this source of income could be financed school, boarding and shelter for poor children.

World War II entailed hard times for the German Convent. All German Sisters in Palestine as well the Benedictines of the Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem were interned in St. Charles Convent. In addition, British officers occupied a number of rooms. After the war, the Sisters took on another work of charity; they offered shelter to German Jews who had survived the Holocaust in concentration camps and had emigrated to Israel.

In the years to come St. Charles Convent saw an ever increasing flow of pilgrims who wanted to visit and worship the Lord in Jerusalem, the heart and origin of our Christian faith. The traditional hospitality of the Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo makes their guests feel at home in the peaceful atmosphere of the house and in the friendly and comfortable rooms. Apart from their various activities the Sisters run a kindergarten and a pre-school class in the building next to the convent.

- 50 Rooms

- Full Board

- Dining Room

- Parking also for Buses

- Soft Drinks

- Chapel

- Elevator

- Garden

- Heating

- TV only in Salons

- Public Telephone

- Payment in Cash

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(A post added to Toby's Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors.)

Libby's cobblestones

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Lovely Libby in the Le Meridien Dead Sea lobby.

While her mom/my daughter registered for the scientific conference at the hotel, little Libby was busy re-arranging stones.
She liked the sound they made when they landed on the floor or on the other rocks. (So did I.)

Had we stayed a little longer than four days, she likely would have built a cobblestone street with those smooth stones!
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Oi, this could have been good for the City Daily Photo group's Theme Day on cobblestones.
But no, actually this post is for ABC Wednesday L-Day.
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Wilderness & civilization reflected

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Naomi, Libby, and I drove from Jerusalem down down down to the Dead Sea on Monday, when it was still fairly sunny and clear.
This photo for Weekend Reflections shows the light at 3:30 pm when the sun was getting low in the west.
The shadows of the mountains were reflected in the still waters of the Dead Sea, as was our destination, the tall white Le Meridien hotel at the Ein Bokek resort complex.
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For how the weather totally changed in the next days, please see the earlier post.
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Location, location

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An unusual view of the famous old YMCA from the back.
The tall tower and the dome are part of the Y.
In back of it you see the venerable old King David Hotel.

But what's the big new building going up next to the YMCA?
The round sign on the fence says King David's Crown.
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The eight-story crown-shaped residential building will have 200 apartments with underground parking and a tunnel to a new sports complex being constructed by the YMCA.

A 1.25-acre park designed by Israeli sculptor Adani will be artistically illuminated at night and include waterfalls and canals. It will be open to the public, they say.

Here's King David's Crown and the Y seen from the other side, from Keren Hayesod Street.
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Take a virtual tour of the project at their website.
Look at these prices for an apartment, in millions of shekels!
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Other posts about the YMCA are here and here.
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Destruction, reconstruction, and construction

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In 1928 Arab entrepreneurs financed the construction of the Palace Hotel on Jerusalem's Agron Street. The hotel was the most luxurious in the Middle East, with elevators, a central heating system, and even private bathrooms – practically unheard-of at the time.
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From 1935 it was leased to civil and military units of the British Mandatory government.
Later, the Israeli Ministry of Industry and Trade used it.
Eventually it was closed down.
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Now it is being turned into the Waldorf-Astoria Palace Jerusalem Hotel.
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It was gutted and the historic and beautiful facade was preserved.
Enlarge the photo above and marvel at how they dug the construction pit under the outer shell!
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I have been following its progress since 2008.
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See how the shell wraps around three sides and the new construction starts in the middle?
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This shot from last March shows how the old and new walls have been joined together.
The original Arabic inscriptions, intricate stone carvings, and decorative arches are being fully restored.
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For the nitty-gritty on the Palace then and now, read here.
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A similar project is going on for the old Saidoff Houses. See http://jerusalemhillsdailyphoto.blogspot.com/2010/10/where-history-meets-luxury.html
and
http://jerusalemhillsdailyphoto.blogspot.com/2010/10/saving-old-stones.html
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And for more about the ubiquitous construction in Jerusalem you can click on my label "construction."
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For ABC Wednesday, T is for Theme Day.
Yes, it is our monthly City Daily Photo group's Theme Day, today about "Under construction."
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.
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Three hotels and a tram

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This bloc of three huge hotels on Jerusalem's Haim Bar-Lev Boulevard is downright ugly, no?
The Olive Tree Hotel, the Grand Court, and the Leonardo.
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They are next to the site of the former Mandelbaum Gate, the checkpoint between the Israeli and Jordanian sides when Jerusalem was still divided, from 1949 to 1967.
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I think this area is called the American Colony, just south of Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.
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But the saving grace of this photo is the new tram that was passing by on its practice runs.
I can hardly wait to take a ride!
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The Maronites

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Shalom! Want to visit the Maronites today for That's My World?
Mighty nice place for ABC Wednesday's M-Day too.
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Just ring the bell.
Well, OK, not THIS bell.
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Look for the doorbell near this sign in the Old City, not far from Jaffa Gate.
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Foyer Mar Maroun is a beautiful old (1895) guest house for pilgrims.
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Their nice website says it has 27 rooms and that "The house is managed by Maronite Nuns from the congregation of St. Therese of the Child Jesus [Therese of Lisieux], who are also responsible for other parochial activities concerning the Maronite Parish in Jerusalem."
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"The Maronite church is an Eastern Catholic Church on the seat of Antioch, in full communion with the Holy See of Rome.

Historically, the origins of the Maronite Church are to be found amongst those monastic and lay people who gathered around the saintly hermit Maron, an early 5th-century Syriac monk venerated as a saint. These Christians who accepted his way of life and worship were soon identified as 'those of St. Maron - the Maronites.' "
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This is the only Maronite church in Jerusalem.
The local community is small.
Most Maronites live in Lebanon (see the Cedar of Lebanon on the altar?).
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The liturgical language is Syriac (Christian Aramaic).
Hear some hymns in this ancient language at YouTube.
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The roof of the Maronite monastery and guest house has a panoramic view.
Here we are looking east over the Old City and the Temple Mount to the Mount of Olives.
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Would you like to book an overnight here? I would!
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Through the looking glass

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A peace pole in Arabic and Hebrew in the outdoor cafe garden courtyard of the Pilgrim Guesthouse.
With reflections for James' Weekend Reflections.

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Offering hospitality since 1923, the guesthouse is attached to St. George's Cathedral, which was dedicated in 1899.
The cathedral, on Nablus Road in east Jerusalem, is the seat of the Bishop of the Anglican (Episcopal) Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East.
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And from the inside you can look out the window through a mirror (or something like that).
Enlarge it to see the birds carved in the old frame of the mirror.
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Shabbat shalom.
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The Pool of the Towers / Hezekiah's Pool

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The post yesterday told of my first-ever visit to the Petra Hostel.
On the roof one woman was sitting on a mat and another was living in a tent behind her line of laundry.
You probably recognize the Citadel or Tower of David across the street.

Right behind the hostel was this giant pool, surrounded by residential houses.
I was so excited to see it! I had read of its existence but could never get a view of it.

It looks like a dump now, but what a history it has!

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Two thousand years ago King Herod and the Romans built aqueducts and a system of pools and cisterns in order to enlarge the water supply of Jerusalem.

The pool shown in the photos above was fed by an aqueduct from the Mamilla Pool, as explained in an earlier post.

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This huge interior rock-cut pool is today called, in Arabic, "Ḥammâm el Batrak" (The Patriarch's Pool).

Some call it, perhaps erroneously, Hezekiah's Pool.

Josephus called it the Amygdalon pool, possibly a corruption of the Hebrew Ha-Migdalon, meaning the Pool of the Tower(s).

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UPDATE!   What a difference two years can make!   See Tom Powers' blog report of the first-ever concert inside the cleaned-up pool!!
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Stairs, stones, and schools

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ABC Wednesday is already on letter S.
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So many times I have entered the Old City at Jaffa Gate and walked right past the old Petra Hostel.
A few days ago I gathered courage and entered this dilapidated old building, refuge of backpackers and other penniless types.
Slowly, so as not to slip on the well-worn stairs, I climbed to the 3rd floor and then up onto the flat roof.
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SPECTACULAR view!!
New west Jerusalem and old east Jerusalem!
The Old City and Temple Mount and beyond, to the Mount of Olives and the desert!
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But my favorite photo from the roof was not off into the distance but rather straight down.
Enlarge it, please.
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The Arab girl was bending over, opening a grate, cleaning it as the final step in her big work of hosing down the courtyard and scrubbing the stones.
Shining stones, still wet!
Aren't they beautiful?
It's like in archaeology when we pour water over an ancient mosaic and all its colors come to life!
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I wish the young lady could see her work from above and be proud.
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Not sure, but I think, judging from a basketball hoop, that the enclosed area is part of St. Dimitri's School.
It is a private school sponsored by the Patriarchate of the Greek Orthodox Church.
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I see in a 2008 news item that St. Dimitri's was then celebrating the renovation and revitalization of its building.
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Apparently the EU has a Comprehensive School Upgrading Program for a few selected Palestinian schools in east Jerusalem which "revamps the schools and upgrades the electricity networks, sanitation facilities, sewage systems, carpentry and mechanical works and general classroom conditions (paint, floors, and ceilings). It also funds new school equipment like computers, fax, and copy machines, as well as school management software."
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Along with two partner organizations, the EU provides "extensive teacher training around teaching methods, interfaith education, inclusion and appropriate methods of maintaining discipline and openness in the classroom."
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The need is great and I wish them success.
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Topless music

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Located in the Old City's Christian Quarter, this is the old 19th century Imperial Hotel -- on a normal day.

But yesterday was not your normal day.

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For some strange reason, unknown to me, five young tourist men were up on a third floor balcony serenading Omar Ibn al-Khattab Square with brass band music.

Maybe the guys were simply celebrating the fact that they were here being warmed by Israel's still-summer-like sun. They were bare-chested.

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Inn reflections

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Friends Kristine and Mark and I looked for a modest place to stay for one night in Tiberias last month.

The pilgrim inn that we found was built in 1907 by ANSMI, the Associazione Nazionale per Soccorrere i Missionari Italiani.
For its first decades the building served as a school for children.
Since 2001 it has been the Oasis San Francesco, and now Oasis Emmanuel, run by the Emmanuel Community which is part of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.

Kristine popped out of her room at 7:00 p.m.
She and her door are reflected in the full length mirror.
The big wardrobe looked so old and mysterious that I dared not open it, fearing I would be pulled through into Narnia. ;)

I did, however, take a look BEHIND the wardrobe and found--no, not a lion--but a nest!

So THAT'S why the pigeon was pacing nervously by the rail, waiting for us to go away.
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At 6:55 a.m. the already-risen sun, playing with clouds, was turning the Sea of Galilee silver.

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As the non-native-English webpage of the Oasis so charmingly says,

"The simplicity of the rooms is compensated for the eyesight overlooking the lake and Golan Heights."

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I was happy to find these reflections for our growing group at James' Weekend Reflections.

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Shabbat shalom.

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Old and new, co-existing

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For James' Weekend Reflections , here is the new reflected in the old.

The old is about 900 years old, a building from Crusader times that now houses the Tiberias Tourist Information office.

The new is the Leonardo Plaza Hotel next to the Sea of Galilee.

Which architectural style do you like better? I'll take arches any day.
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Bench music

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For RuneE of Visual Norway's "Bench on Friday," here are some boys on a bench.

Grandsons Dean and Eyal were here visiting from Australia almost a year ago.

The benches are in the center garden of the round Belgium House, Beit Belgia, on the campus of Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

A nice little hotel where visiting faculty can stay.

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