Adis, me, Roman, and Ronen at the Convent of the Rosary Sisters.
24 Day, 3-21-19,
I scrambled down from my quiet spot on the hill and began my hike early, no one was stirring but me, past ruins, and active neighborhoods. The ruins being the neighborhoods of a thousand years ago. A whole company of soldiers were training, carrying litters and pretend wounded men up steep alleyways, quite the spectacle. I was in Ein Karem, the reputed childhood home of St John the Baptist.
Olive trunk.
Then I came to some really steep steps that seemed to go on forever and kicked my morning butt! Along the way were wonderful springs, at one of which I washed myself and clothes, as it was early morning still and no one was about. Roman messaged me that the little food truck at the top of the steps had wonderful shakshuka, so I dreamed of breakfast and soldiered on.
At the top was a very unimpressive little food truck, and I was leery, but ordered the shakshuka, which is a classic Middle Eastern breakfast, of two eggs poached or scrambled in a sauce of red pepper, onions and tomatoes, and in this case, the woman spooned it all into a foot long bun. It still wasn’t very impressive, and then I took a bite, and wow! Rich and just the right spicy kick, it was perfect. Without question the best so far in Israel! Both of us will be looking for better from now on, but I’m not sure we’ll find it.
Ronen and me at the Convent of the Rosary Sisters
Oh, the market!!!!!!!
Soon after this, I made it to Kibbutz Tzuba, and reached Katie’s cousin Ronen in Jerusalem. This was as close as we’d come to the city proper. Roman was at Beit Meir, the start of the Burma Road, so I still had a few miles to catch up with him, but Ronen jumped into his car and came and swooped us both up. This meant an afternoon and evening in Jerusalem, on Purim, the festival of Esther, and also known as the Jewish Halloween, as it is celebrated in costumes of every kind, but especially little girls dressed up like Queen Esther.
I hadn’t seen Ronen since Katie and I were in Israel Several years ago, so we spent an afternoon in cafes, eateries and wandering the alleys of Machameh Yehuda, the main outdoor market of Jerusalem, just talking and talking and making a wonderful connection. Neither Ronen nor Katie had known of each other’s existence until just a few years ago, when Ronen, doing research on the family in Germany, came upon a few living relatives in the USA. Most of the family perished in WWII, but a few from his side made it to Uruguay, and a few from Katie’s side made it to the US. 70 years later, the two surviving branches of the family have been reconnected. Almost a miracle it seems at times.
Ronen and Adis in front of the Rosary Sister’s chapel
As the town was fully booked due to the holiday, and Ronen’s house suffered a flood during the recent rains, and is being repaired, Ronen and his wife Adis, put us up in the Convent of the Rosary Sisters, an absolutely gorgeous old stone convent right in the heart of Jerusalem. Adis met us there and then was whisked off to her duties as the Ambassador of Panama. She’s a fascinating woman who was a famous journalist and television personality in Central America, due to having been able to report directly on many of the guerrilla movements of Central and South America. We’d see her later for a lovely dinner. Ronen also has a fascinating background, having been a diplomat for years, who worked directly with Yitzhak Rabin in the negotiations with Arafat.
Jerusalem at night.
So, instead of visiting any more of the wonders of Jerusalem, which Roman knows well from his years in Israel, and which Katie and I had explored for weeks just several years ago, we simply talked and ate, and drank wonderful coffee. Starbucks never had a chance when they tried to enter the Israeli market a few years ago, because the coffee here is universally fantastic! Jerusalem this time around was connecting with family, talking and eating and hoping Ronen and Adis can make it to San Francisco in the near future so we can share a bit of our own wonder with them.
What a wonderful day!
shroomerhikes 