I wanted to spend some time readjusting to life in Toronto, and give the experiences of my trip time to settle before I shared them with all of my readers. It was ambitious of me to try to write while away, but I am glad I got two posts out while in Tel Aviv, and now that I am home, the jetlag has subsided and I am caught up with work and life I am ready to show you all what a magical place Israel is. 

Tel Aviv is an amazing cosmopolitan wonderland, where you can shop, play, and eat, but Israel itself offers all of these things everywhere you go. Day three saw a short journey, early in the morning, to the religious centre of the three world's biggest monotheistic religions, Jerusalem. The drive from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem can be a very pleasant one, assuming you aren't crippled by traffic. We weren't, and we were all very excited riding together in a van hired by my brother in-law, and enjoying the scenery of the Judean hills as we made the climb up to this 2000+ year old mecca. Each part of Israel has its own energy, and each is unique. Jerusalem evokes strong emotion for me, on so many levels, and I was feeling quite happy with an underpinning of melancholy. Excited for new experiences, but missing those with whom I had experienced this city in the past. 

This trip would be the longest I had spent in the holy city, and the first time truly on my own to explore. I was most excited for the chance to scour every inch of the old city for hummus, pomegranate juice, and any other delicacies that we could get our hands on. Also, I was hyped for my reservation at Mahaneyuda, the hottest restaurant in the city, and some say in the country. More about that later. It was time to get settled in the hotel and start the exploration. 

Walking beside the walls of the old city towards Jaffa Gate

One of the views; you can see the "green line" in the distance

Did I mention one of the best things about Jerusalem? There are olive trees everywhere! Figs also. 

The Arab souk was one of the things I wanted to spend more time exploring in the old city, and to really garner an appreciation of this centuries old market. Of the 4 days I spent on this trip in Jerusalem we were there 3 times in order to maximize our exposure and to ensure we didn't miss a thing. Thankfully, in our modern age we have smart phones with Google maps on them which makes exploring even the most complicated cities a breeze. Winding alleyways, and colourful people everywhere. Spices, teas, incense, religious artifacts, carpets, jewelry, electronics, meat, fish, produce; the list goes on and on. What a place! 

Zatar (hyssop) is a very popular spice throughout the Middle East

One of the places that I had wanted to get to was Abu Shukri, and depending who you talk to (everyone in Israel has an opinion, it is the Jewish homeland after all) this might be the best hummus joint in Jerusalem or the country. The sons of the original owner, located in Abu Gosh an Arab village just outside of Jerusalem, have been serving their secret family recipe to hungry tourists and locals for ages at the bottom of the Via Dolorosa. Seems luck was on our side, and we happened upon it by accident. Or did we? Stepping into Abu Shukri is a delight for the senses. It's loud, colourful, and smells great. Being Ramadan there were some special falafels on offer with pickled onion inside, and what a treat they were. The hummus? Don't even ask; just have a look for yourself. 

You could literally spend days walking around the old city exploring, and lose track of time quite easily. So much to do, see, and of course eat. Beyond the old city there is also a vibrant culture to explore, which I will talk about in another post. Here are some more images to leave you wanting more.

Jerusalem bagel