We'll have to stay here

We last visited Jerusalem in 2014, and one of the reasons for returning, aside from being able to visit all the members of the Korner family again, was to see some of the many places we didn't get to visit last time. As if there was any doubt, this visit has demonstrated that the more places we explore in Jerusalem the more we realise how much there is still to see and do.

After a leisurely breakfast, Gil, Mary and Brian headed off for a bit of sightseeing. Mira didn't accompany us as she had a lot to do at home. More of that in a moment. First, we headed for the Israel Museum. We'd paid a rushed visit there last time, but hadn't even begun to do it justice on that occasion. We began this time by visiting a large temporary exhibition of the works of the subversive Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. The exhibition itself is highly controversial, with many powerful and eloquent statements against the Chinese government, which he has every reason to hate.

We then moved on to look at some of the excellent archaeological displays in this spectacular museum. Everything is presented in a very lean and stark fashion with subtle lighting. Its really quite something.

From there, the three of us headed off to the old city where Gil wanted to pick up a few bits and pieces from the Jerusalem Market, a place we hadn't visited before. In Istanbul, we'd made several visits previously to the Grand Bazaar and to the Egyptian Spice Market, but this was something else again. Crowded, noisy and exciting it differs from those other markets in that it is for locals and isn't at all touristy. Mary absolutely loves places like this and was wandering round the whole time with a grin on her face like a split melon. Until we came to Israel the first time, i 2014, we'd believed that hummus was hummus was hummus, but that isn't the case at all. Israelis are hummus connoisseurs, and the search is always on to find the best hummus restaurant. Gil wanted to take us to his favourite one, adjacent to the market, but there was a queue to halfway down the street. It must be good. We then chose one inside the market which was the size of a pocket handkerchief, but somehow we managed to squeeze ourselves in. Its hummus was excellent and we're now beginning to understand what all the fuss is about.

Meanwhile, back at base, Mira had been slaving over a hot stove preparing for a family dinner. Two sons-in-law were celebrating birthdays, and we felt very honoured that the dinner was in recognition also of our being there. Every family was bringing some food as a contribution, and we did our little bit by providing some very tasty fresh baklava from the market.

Living on the far side of the planet, we have very little direct contact with the family members, which is a shame, as the Israeli Korners are very close and frequently get together. We'd first seen this in 2014 when everyone got together in Beer Sheba for the Rosh Hashannah (Jewish New Year) celebrations. This gathering was every bit as large and as lively, with 30 of us, representing four generations from Mira's 93 year old mother to the one year old youngest grandchild. It was a nice warm evening, typical for this time of year, so we were all able to sit outside. A great time was had by all.Read more