Posts tagged ‘Israel’
A night in Jerusalem, from the Cenacle to the Western Wall Tunnel
Every year around 100 visitors in Jerusalem get trapped by the so-called syndrome of Jerusalem, “a psychosis characterised by an intense religious theme that typically resolves to full recovery after a few weeks or after being removed from the area” …
Beside the Hagia Maria Sion Abbey, where the Holy Mary died.
The road to the Greek Orthodox cemetery, close to the location of the Last Supper of Jesus Christ.
Olive trees in King David’s garden beside the Walls of Jerusalem.
The tower of King David and Jewish graves on the outer side of Jerusalem Walls
In the narrow streets of Jerusalem …
… on the roofs above the Arab Souk towards the Western Wall.
At the Western Wall, remnant of the ancient wall that surrounded the Jewish Temple
Into the Western Wall Tunnel, the closest point to the Holy of Holies
With such historical places and prominent names, it is easy to understand where the Jerusalem syndrome comes from. I personally got a déjà vu after crossing the Jaffa gate, closeby David’s tower. Next stop: a day in Jerusalem!
Through the rough Judean desert to the calm shores of the Dead Sea (Israel)
Through the desert where Satan tempted Jesus for 40 days and 40 nights …
you can meet the ruins of an abandoned settlement at the side of the motor road:
a black, hot ribbon that cuts through a couple of check-points to reach the shores of the Dead Sea.
Pools of water evaporation
stretch from Israel border East to Jordan, at the other side of the Dead Sea.
Enjoy the colours and shapes of this waters containing 34% of salt (10 times more than Mediterranean sea)
and its atolls made out precipitated salt
Relax by floating on the water surfaces
but keep this extremely salty water out of mouth and eyes… otherwise …
Click on each picture to magnify. Pictures shot with D800 plus 70-200 f/2.8 or 16-35 f/4
Free time at Haifa Harbour, Israel
Haifa is the city for work, Tel Aviv for relax, Jerusalem for praying, Acco for history … so they say. Still, some relax you can find also in Haifa, at the docks.
Surfers …
Chess players …
Fishermen …
European tourists …
Crab killers …
View of Haifa harbour from the city of Acco, located 17 kms away at the front bay side. In the center, the temple of Baha’i. Please appreciate the 70-200 mm f/2.8 definition. Click each picture to magnify.
Finibus Maris Nostri: the East end of the Mediterranean Sea at Haifa shores, Israel.
When in Haifa, climb up Mount Carmel at sunset and enjoy when the city lightens up at your feet.
Sunset from Stella Maris Monastery on Mount Carmel.
The Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research (IOLR), Haifa.
Bat Galim area from the uphill district Carmel Hof
Haifa from Carmel Hof
Haifa harbour and power plant.
Enjoy the full night view from the awesome terrace of Barbarossa restaurant on the mountain top.
Click to magnify each picture. All shot with D800 plus Nikon 16-35 mm f/4 or Nikon 70-200 mm f/2.8
In memory of Lorna Katharine Alison Mills, died Sept. 3rd 1924, aged 9 months, in Haifa, Israel
While wandering in an abandoned cemetery between Haifa railway and harbour, the only engrave I could read (click the picture to zoom) strongly caught my attention: “Heu Quanto Minus Est Cum Reliquis Versari, Quam Tui Meminisse!”
My poor Latin knowledge made me anyway translate: “How little there is to bury, compared to what you remind me“. That sentence got stuck into my mind and today what a surprise by googling it … it is the title of a sonnet:
The sweetest flower that ever saw the light, The smoothest stream that ever wandered by, The fairest star upon the brow of night, Joying and sparkling from his sphere on high, The softest glances of the stockdove’s eye, The lily pure, the mary–bud gold–bright, The gush of song that floodeth all the sky From the dear flutterer mounted out of sight,– Are not so pleasure–stirring to the thought, Not to the wounded soul so full of balm, As one frail glimpse, by painful straining caught Along the past’s deep mist–enfolded calm, Of that sweet face, not visibly defined, But rising clearly on the inner mind. (Henry Alford, 1810-1871)
Eighty-nine years passed since this stranger baby died, still such a huge pain touched my heart.
