There are a number of reasons to take your most reasonable shoes to the Middle East. That’s especially true in Jerusalem, where even well-traversed areas like the Old City require great care when walking. The time-worn stones – smooth as a marble in places – send inexperienced feet sliding off the edge of steps. Then … Continue reading Right shoes, good times
If you are embarking on travel to Israel, Jerusalem, and the West Bank and you’re politics-averse…then maybe consider changing plans. Or buying earplugs or one of those sleep face-masks. It is a place where politics is life. The impact of policy decisions and international agreements has an often almost immediate impact. Take the embassy vs. … Continue reading Embassy vs. consulate
I once reported and wrote a story about street musicians in Jerusalem for a publication based in the Middle East that publishes in English. Not one word in the story had anything to do with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The street musician world of Jerusalem is prolific, varied, talented, and extraordinarily interesting. They have no politics … Continue reading Travel writing on the Middle East
People are always asking me what the big deal about Jerusalem is. I always ask them how long they have to talk about it. Jerusalem is one of those places that is like no other place, and the only way to begin to understand such a place is to experience it with your own eyes … Continue reading Jerusalem: Why Bother?
There is this fantastic group of book stores in East Jerusalem on Salah Al-Din Street called the Educational Bookshop. It’s a little oasis of intelligence, humor and free speech. Actually it is three oases – one location at 19 Salah Al-Din Street, one just across the street and one at the American Colony Hotel. I would … Continue reading Smart People at the Mercy of Idiots
It’s 4:30 a.m. on a Monday morning and I’m up early to get in a couple hours of work before the family awakens. As I stand in front of the coffee machine in my kitchen to make a strong brew, I hear a faint sound drift in from the small, sliding window that’s been left … Continue reading Sounds on the Wind
Scant information exists on the Ramparts Walk around the perimeter of the Old City of Jerusalem. One of the most popular tourist sites in Jerusalem, the Old City is filled with exotic smells, flavors, and history. The Ramparts Walk is a way to see the Old City and the new city from a high vantage … Continue reading Jerusalem Old City Ramparts Walk
