my plan for peace in the middle east? more parks.

Every night we were in town, I forced Walker to run laps with me at a park just down the street from our little apartment in Jerusalem.
Around and around the packed park (seriously packed every single night!) we'd circle. Dodging the many strollers and toddlers of Haredi families, coughing through the smoke of people barbecuing, and getting such a kick out of the trash cans which were designed, I'm sure, to be cute, while the reality came off as anything but.
It's all etched into my memory: they sure lived it up hard in the parks over there.
And I think it's the little things like this that really leave an impression of the place.
Because these are exactly the images that come to mind when people ask if I was ever scared while over there.


More of Walker's pictures on flickr.

balcony.

(spice at the shuk).


Below our little apartment balcony there is a clothing boutique.
At around five every day, the very chic owner sets up a small table and two chairs outside the store, grabs a couple of coffees from the café down the street and then proceeds to have various friends around the neighborhood drop by for caffeine and a chat. Waving their cigarettes in the air when the conversation gets particularly animated.
The store's still open mind you, as she occasionally leaves to help a customer.
I like this casual way of doing business.

the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures.

Last night I couldn't sleep.

Walker and I had just eaten an amazing dinner. 

The eating here has been particularly wonderful in general, but last night's was a special adventure. 

We tried to eat at this restaurant we'd heard about in the Shuk that uses ingredients straight from the wonderful market - but it was booked solid (and on a Wednesday night). The host sent us across the street to their tinier, off-shoot of a restaurant instead, promising a similar experience.

It was bar seating only (I have a serious love for eating at bar tops) with the crazy chefs serving and cooking right in front of you and an equally crazy menu translated from Hebrew into gems like "Salmon that makes me think of happy times in Thailand" or "Mussels Hamusta, we win for sure we win."

A generous glass of red wine, beef carpaccio, and deconstructed baklava for dessert, plus sneaking bites off of Walker's plate. Just trust me, it was such a happy accident.

And I'm in the middle of a particularly good book: The Invisible Circus by Jennifer Egan.

And I'm also traveling.

So, Walker + food + the written word + travel = I just get so excited about life.

And stay up all night with the impatient feeling I often get when in a good bookstore: I wish I had the ability to read all of these books at one time and retain all of the information and feeling. 

...except in this instance swap "books" out for "everything in the world."