The Streets are Full

 It is hot, very hot. Most people are trying to avoid going out in the sun,    

  

 but the streets are still full of buses, lined up at the usual tourist sites.       

      

   Jerusalem is suffering in a heat wave, with random power outages as the electricity grid is strained.         

       

 The weather is not bad for all things,        

        

         

  this  ‘recycle’  garden does not seem to be affected at all.         

                  

        

 

  Mamilla Mall was full and comfortable in spite of the high temperatures.        

        

    

 On any afternoon you might find musicians outside the walls of the Old City   

or inside them.      

      

Music can get little feet     

     

  and not-so-little feet moving.       

                       

Street musicians often play in the area around the Machane Yehudah Market, the shuk.  

         

         

          

             

The variety of instruments       

         

 entertainers,       

          

         

          

          

        

        

        

        

performers       

        

                 

          

          

          

          

          

          

          

  

 and music festivals      

 is just astounding.    

      

The month of August is full of music.      

       

        

        

        

      

From a band up on the roof in the shuk     

          

  down to the street below; there was music on Monday night.      

      

   

BenYehuda Street was full of young people who came to hear Funkenstein on a Friday afternoon.   

       

There was lots of beer and too many cigarettes.     

   

     

At the other end of the Ben Yehuda Mall, a night bus was blasting music from the top deck. 

  

      

 On Thursday night, large crowds came to Mamilla Mall     

        

and to Kikar Safra for free city concerts.     

      

     

At any time and any place, the Reb Nachman vehicles can stop, and music and dancers fill the streets.     

The streets this summer might be full of the sound of music, 

     

but until the heat wave breaks, during the day there will be lines and crowds for icy drinks too.  

 

Not a Regular Day in the Park

 Gan Sacher, Sacher Park, lies in the midst of a huge desert region,

 it is a refuge for birds from the Middle Eastern summer sun.

The large trees provide shade for people,

 groups both large

and small.

Summer days can be quiet,

maybe a water fight after a frisbee game,

 a  bike ride

 

or a nap.

As the sun goes down though,

 

it comes alive, with people and picnics

 and baseball 

and often there is even a white horse to ride.

But Thursday was not a regular day.

 There were police vehicles

and beautiful police horses in the park,

 a blimp hovering above

and a second one near by.

There were major street closings; it was not a good time to be a passenger in a taxi.

For awhile, it felt like a ghost town, a movie set, like when President George W. Bush visited Jerusalem.

 The Gay Pride Parade, with an estimated 3000 participants, came down the hill from Ramban Street

and past the park towards the Knesset.

 

Police seemed to be everywhere, in the center of town and along the parade route.

Photographers were also out in great numbers, running after that colorful shot .

More police than marchers?  Maybe.  And the Ultra-Orthodox?

 This family wanted to get to the park for dinner,

but waited patiently to be allowed to walk across the street.

 A long day with lots of red tape, but no large, violent protests and few outlandish displays.

Plenty of pink cotton candy and

  in the end, a regular day in the park after all.

Lights Back On

There are many museums in and around Jerusalem,

 including the Museum of Natural History,

the Museum for Islamic Art,

and the Tower of David.

 

There are displays from angels & demons

at the Holyland Museum 

to water at the Science Museum.

Located high on a hill is the Israel Museum.

  After months of construction noise, in November 2009, renovations were well under way

and in December 2009 the last building crane was removed.

 

May 24, 2010, the chimney was really smoking.

Work has also been done in the area surrounding the museum,

 resulting in newly paved walking and biking paths

with “street” signs,

 a sculpture, “The Struggle”

and new sidewalks.

For the official opening on Sunday night, the viewer stands were up, but there was still work to finish.

The dome of the Shrine of the Book, site of the Dead Seas Scrolls,  was visible behind the security area.

Streets were closed to the public long before the Prime Minister and President were to arrive.

The fireworks ending the program of the grand opening could be seen by all in the area.

 Inaugural events continue all week with musical performances at night.

The rock concert in the Art Garden 

could be heard not just by the new entrance and cafeteria, but in the surrounding neighborhoods as well.

The closed gift shop was well-lit

but more impressive when viewed from a distance.

The Israel Museum, popular with locals as well as tourists, has signs up seeking renewed membership.

After a very long time, the lights are back on at the Israel Museum. 

Next week a wine party, all you can drink…