{postcards from Israel-the markets of Jerusalem}

If you've been following my blog, you'll have read my first instalment of my trip to Jerusalem.
I'm still marvelling at the wonder of it all.
I thought I'd start my first feature post on the markets of Jerusalem. I really enjoyed just wandering the streets of the old city and taking everything in... from the everyday shops selling kitchen goods to the ladies on the side of the street selling grape leaves, to simply taking the time to marvel at the beautiful doors and the thick stones which make up the ancient buildings that surrounded me or the streets on which I walked.
I think the best way to describe the markets and the streets of the Old City is simply to say it in pictures:

{bread}

{opening shops...}

{frankincense and myrrh?} 

{carpets?}

There are numerous antique shops in Jerusalem. Many of them, like this shop below, sell Russian icons that were brought from people fleeing Russia, who couldn't carry money with them, but invested their capital into works of art that could then be pawned. My own research examines similar situations in the circulation of goods in the fifteenth century, so I found this particularly interesting. Many of these shops have real antiquities-ancient pots and ceramics that look like they belong in the British Museum rather than in a shop for sale! Some of these stores have ancient cisterns or ancient streets in their basements,  while tiles and chandeliers adorn the roofs-- the shops are works of art in themselves. Check out this youtube video of this shop here.

{The Palace, 6 Via Dolorosa}

{early morning rise to get to Galilee, meant we saw everything opening up at sunrise}

{more spices}

{coffee break at the side of the road}

{best coffee--Turkish with cardamom}

{pita!}

{barber shop}

{from the rooftops down into the markets}

 We met this lovely old man who had the most incredible shop--something really out of Aladdin's cave. He asked us to come in and he said he had a message for me. He sat me down and said that I needed to balance my heart and my intellect--that I was an incredibly intelligent person, but also sensitive and that my life-long struggle would be to find a balance between those two. He didn't ask us to buy anything, but gave us both a jade ring to take back with us, to remember his message and our time in Jerusalem. A rather strange but moving experience:

 & his shop:

Everywhere you look there are spice shops, which permeate the air as you wander down the streets--a true feast for the senses!

{more spices}

{check out these amazing floors!}

The spice shop below was amazing--look at this incredible pyramid of intricately stacked spices. If you have a second, I'd recommend going over to my instragram account where you can see this spice shop on video, while the muezzin calls for prayer in the background.

taking a picture in front of this fruit stand...and then this happened:

 yes he asked me to come behind and pretend to sell fruit for the photo!

& finally, here are a few of things I bought in the market:

{now safely at home on my table!}

stay tuned for more blog posts on Jerusalem, including sites of the Holy City, Galilee, and more!
xo,
L

{postcards from Israel-arrival}

{fantastic views from where we stayed}

If you have been following my blog over the last couple of weeks you'll know that I was in Jerusalem for a week. I went primarily for a conference, but decided to spend a bit more time and visit the sites and enjoy the amazing country of Israel--my friend Melissa accompanied me for part of the trip.
If you follow my blog regularly you might know that my grandparents were missionaries in Afghanistan, what is now Pakistan, and India. My Granny was born in the hill station of Simla, the summer capital of the Raj, and bore my father in Peshawer. My grandfather (Dennis Clark) was born in Bristol, but fell in love with my Granny when she was visiting England and he moved to India to start a life of mission work. He wrote a book on the life of  Jesus Christ, and I picked it up before I travelled to the Holy Land, to refresh my mind of Biblical knowledge and history of the places I was going to see and visit. I read it on the plane. Turning to Part I, 'The Birth and Early Years of Jesus Christ' whetted my appetite for the things I was about to see:

The story begins at Nazareth, a small town in Galilee, in the land of Palestine, concealed in the hollow of the hills at the head of the busy Plain of Esdraelon. A climb up the hill that hides and shelters the town gives a rewarding view on all sides. To the north, beyond a richly fertile plain, on a clear day, snow-tipped Hermon can be seen. Westwards towards the Mediterranean, the purple of Mount Carmel is an inviting reminder that just beyond are the busy ports and ships. In the days of which we are writing, winding caravans carrying commodities of the famous city of Damascus could be seen. One of the three trade routes from Accho on the seacoast to Damascus passed six miles south of Nazareth. 

It was in this small insignificant town of Nazareth that Mary lived...

{around Nazareth}

{Pistachio the camel near Jericho}

...and so my story begins too, of my great adventures in Israel. We did take a trip to Galilee and to Nazareth, but our first day was spent visiting the Holy City. Indeed, I will never forget the first evening arriving in Jerusalem. It is one of those moments that will last a life time and one that will stay with me forever.

{Damascus Gate with light projections}

We were dropped off by the sherout near Damascus Gate. There was a light festival on, and lights projected paisley patterns that danced across the façade. Entering the gate, the smell of spices filled our noses and we suddenly found ourselves in the middle of the Arab quarter and its market. Fruit and vegetables were still for sale, some shops were closed, while others were closing, and others still displayed their jelabis and baklava prominently on large silver trays, tempting the passer by.

{our entry into the old City}

We walked under arches and down alleyways, until we came to the Via Dolorosa, the road where Christ carried his cross towards his crucifixion, and we found our pilgrims guest house, Ecce Homo, at the second station of the cross.

{the famous arch on the Via Dolorosa outside the convent}

{the door to the convent}

{the door knocker}

From there, we were greeted by one of the sisters, who showed us to our room. On the third floor of this magnificent and historic building (the place where Christ was imprisoned), the terrace opened up on to the rooftops of Jerusalem. Glistening in the evening light, was the Dome of the Rock, right in front of our eyes. I think it's probably the best views in Jerusalem of the dome:

Within hours of arriving we had already made some lovely friends. We were rather late for dinner but there was a little spot open around the corner and we settled down to amazing lemon & mint drinks and I had a lamb kebab...

{best lemon & mint drinks!}

The man serving us told us his daughter was getting married the next day and he invited us. Kids were playing in the streets (even at 10pm at night) and he told us that it was his nephews who had come for the wedding--they were delighted to be in the city as they lived on the West Bank and didn't get into the city very often. 

We went to bed after our dinner and were awoken at 340am to muezzin calls from a nearby minaret--the big mosque closest to the Dome of the Rock:

We went back to bed and after breakfast headed out to do a quick wander of the streets. We were greeted very soon by our friend from the restaurant, the night before, who cried out 'Hello England!' (even though both of us are from Canada but now live in the UK everyone seemed to take us for Brits). During our stay in the Arab Quarter we met some of the friendliest people I've encountered in my world travels--eager to hear our stories, where we were from, why we were in Jerusalem, and how we liked their city. Unanimously, they all encouraged us to invite our friends and family to Israel, to ignore the negative reports in the press, and to see the amazing country for ourselves. I couldn't agree more!
In the next series of posts I'll be reporting on various aspects of my trip to the Holy Land, from a tour of the Holy sites of Jerusalem to a trip to Galilee, to the markets of Jerusalem.

{the streets of Jerusalem!}

Stay tuned!
xo,
L

{quotable thursdays}

Hello everybody! Can't believe it's been a week since I got back from Jerusalem! I have so many blog posts to share and so many pictures!
Unfortunately, I fainted on the plane on the way home and then ended up in bed for days with the most awful flu... I was so weak and so ill, I really didn't think I'd ever feel healthy again. But today, the sun is shining and I've almost got all my health and energy back.
I'm off to the Courtauld summer party tonight with a dear friend, so very much looking forward to that!
My illness was a reminder that I perhaps was pushing myself a little too hard. So today's quote:

{pace yourself!}

stay tuned for pics from Jerusalem soon!
xo
L

{quotable thursdays from Israel}

{yes, I took loads of photos, this one by Melissa Chatton}

Hello everybody from Jerusalem!
This trip has been beyond amazing. I can't quite put it into words so today, here is quote, which sums up exactly what I'm feeling:

{travelling}

If you have been following my instagram pics, you'll know I've been seeing some pretty outstanding stuff. I include a few pictures here:

{shopping}

{view from our hotel in the Old City, Arab Quarter}

{view from the university campus}

Stay tuned for all the adventures and pictures here...
xo,
L