A hiatus in the midst of the adventure

After all the whirlwind of adventure in this land, today was a gift.  According to the original plan, we were supposed to be on a flight bound for Toronto today, but the great mother ship (that's Canada's national airline for those who don't know the lingo) changed our flights and delayed our return by one day, thus granting us yet another opportunity to visit Jerusalem at leisure today.

Some of the group decided to play it safe and just rest at the hotel, but most of us set out on a walking pilgrimage back to the walled city, our destination: the famous Dome of the Rock.  Being not Muslim ourselves, how were we to know that this famous landmark would be closed to tourists today, thanks to the post-Hajj festival which the Muslims call Eid.  Not to worry, there is much else to occupy the time of an itinerant tourist within the walls (and without for that matter).

I do believe that most of us set our sights on the wailing wall, and a time for prayer and recollection for the Jewish people who continue to stand vigil in remembrance of the first temple which was destroyed in the first century Anno Domini. 

My own tour through the city also led me to some of the less trod paths (which I always love to discover.  There are an awful lot of doors lining the streets of this city, most of which are closed most of the time.  The curious passerby may well wonder what lies beyond their thresholds.  As it happens, some of these doors were propped open, and in the quieter areas of the city, we glimpsed visions of families who live in hidden places.  We also discovered at least one of the rooftop perches which allows a different view of the city.  Don't worry, the pictures will tell the story of this adventure into the next stratum skyward.

Lunch in the Jewish Quarter included a last foray into the world of shwarma and falafel: two of the delicacies of this land on which we have been gorging since our arrival.  The first is relatively healthy, but the second should definitely be ranked with the best of our fast foods, deep fried and relegated to the world of treats.

Some of our group then set their sights on other places within this metropol, including the Israel Museum and I believe even Yad Vashem.  In all, this day was truly a gift, before we set sail across the skies for our homeland.