rjstreets – Page 29 – The Real Jerusalem Streets

14 Jerusalem Scenes Past and Future

January 14, 2016rjstreets

Last week in Jerusalem, Israel,

during the rainy weather days

it was possible to take a color photo of the new String Bridge,

that looked like it was black and white.

But then the sun came out,

Jerusalem’s street cats returned to bask in the sun,

and this cat was back on guard at Beit Hanasi,

the Israeli President’s residence.

Families with school-age children

are busy trying to find the best school

for their child’s education, and space is limited.

But for others,

there was time to go by Teddy Park

and watch the water in the fountain rise and fall.

The weather was sunny,

cool enough,

no one went into the water,

but nice enough to just sit on the ground and relax,

in this new park across from the Old City walls.

Cloud formations this time of year make for interesting photos.

The views of Jerusalem are constantly changing:

this large fenced-off cleared area

and construction site across from the Central Bus Station

are signs of work well under way.

Posters are up announcing plans for

drastic changes to the entrance of Jerusalem,

with multiple building towers and a new fast rail system.

City construction goes on deep underground

long before it is obvious to passers-by above.

Meanwhile, a walk along Jaffa Road

shows new construction rising from the old

and some familiar old scenes.

Jerusalem of old

is constantly changing.

When the sun shines,

it is time to get out and get around.

Isn’t it time for you to see it for yourself.

Shabbat Shalom

January 8, 2016rjstreets

The weather has turned,

cold, damp and very windy, grey sky and air full of sand.

So I decided to share a much prettier picture.

from earlier in the week,

the roof of the bird sanctuary next to the Knesset,

green from the winter rain and sky clear blue.

שבת שלום

Winter in Jerusalem: Good, Bad, Ugly and Beautiful

January 6, 2016rjstreets

Snow in Jerusalem, Israel.

Last week snow was forecast,

but after all the excitement and buzz,

there was no snow.

Instead there was rain, lots of heavy rain and grey fog,

and no beautiful photos of white snow scenes to go viral.

We also had a garbage strike

with lots of not so pretty pictures.

I will only share one photo of an over-flowing bin

of umbrellas which are useless in windy Jerusalem,

and skip the photos of mountains of ugly garbage.

The security situation did not keep me off the streets,

but the weather conditions certainly did.

With the sun now shining and warming the air,

it is time to see what is really happening.

The walk through First Station was depressing,

as at midday there it should have been full of life

and more than one jewelry stall with one customer.

One family from Melbourne was wondering where all the people

were, and became my new friends and Tourist of the Week.

As for a walk through the Old City,

this pathway is usually packed with people.

I often wanted the Old City streets quiet for photos,

but this was too quiet.

Only a few people were out enjoying the weather.

Even the colorful lions were all alone.

Color, it is that time of year

when I marvel at the winter colors in Jerusalem,

red,

orange,

yellow,

green,

blue,

purple,

fuchsia,

pink,

white,

pink and white,

and the sky at sunset.

Tourists are cancelling.

Fear is keeping people away.

But those who come have had a great time.

These visitors from England

were able to be the first to walk on the new path,

near the skate park in Liberty Bell Park,

but more on that next time.

And the good out of the current situation?

Traffic seems to be moving better than usual.