The Real Jerusalem Streets

Look out here it comes–

 

a Jerusalem light rail train is running on Jaffa Street near the Machane Yehudah market, the shuk.

In the city center, there are lines to fill out applications

for the photo ID cards to be used on the trains.

The test trains are getting longer,

 signs are up,

 traffic signals are ready,

orange barriers

have been removed.

 The once over-crowded and busy Jaffa Street is ready;

so quiet… it seems almost deserted.

The trains are running and the tickets are being sold, but no passengers are allowed on the trains yet.

When will it be a working system?

Will the crowds come back to the city center?

A new month is beginning, a new season, and possibly a new era.

Stay tuned…as the saga continues.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

as darkness fell, entertainment and restaurants closed, 

 places usually full of late night customers were dark and quiet.

Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’  Remembrance Day can be felt on the Jerusalem streets,

 flames and draped flags can be seen

on rooftops.

As the memorial siren sounded Monday, May 2 at 10:00am,

the city stood in silence for two minutes.

Against the grey morning sky

flags were flown at half mast.

Holocaust Remembrance Day goes until sunset, 

but by 10:15am in Gan Sacher, Sacher Park

and in school playgrounds, the sounds of childrens’ voices could be heard.

A day to remember the six million who died in the Holocaust…

and perhaps, a time to hope and pray for the future of all the children.

Where else should one gauge royal wedding fever in Jerusalem,

 than King George V Street?

Though in 1924, it was named King George V Avenue.

The first Friday afternoon after Passover, bakeries were open, but not very busy.

The Bezalel Street Arts and Crafts Fair was running as usual

and across the street people were out on the Mall.

Some tourists were around…

one American man did not know there was a wedding–

and no idea what these guys were thinking.

In one of the shops on King George Street there were plenty

of fish

  to eat dead skin cells, but not much interest in any wedding…

unless it was his brother’s…

Finally, just off of King George Street, the doors of this pizzeria

are wide open after being closed for the Passover holiday,

and inside there was fresh pizza and… the royal wedding on TV!

Not one Union Jack was to be seen, but Israeli flags are blowing in the wind.

Maybe those hit with a serious case of wedding fever just stayed home?

Mazel tov Kate and Will, the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge!

Nice to chat about the beautiful bride and wedding gown

 and for a bit forget about the fires surrounding us.