Christmas in Jerusalem 2021

Sadly there are no overseas tourists visiting Jerusalem this Christmas. However plenty of locals were out and about last Saturday evening when I joined a friend to check out the Christmas lights at this holiday time. We weren't disappointed. Walking from the Russian Compound we popped into the Holy Trinity Church where we were enchanted by the heavenly singing.

From there we wandered through the City Hall complex to the Notre Dame Pilgrim Guesthouse. Opened at the end of the 19th century, this magnificent building faces New Gate where a local Christmas Market was in full flow. The view from the roof is spectacular. I was surprised to discover this gem after almost 40 years of living in the city. The spectacular views from the roof show the Chritmas tree in the courtyard below and the Christmas market just inside the New Gate across the road.

After tasting some of the delcacies on offer in the market, we continued through the alleyways of the Christian Quarter to the home of Jerusalem's Santa Claus Issah Kassisieh, who has turned his family home into a Christmas wonderland. We didn't visit this time but many others waited patiently for their special visit.

Touring Again, Finally! Scenes from a recent Old City Tour

How wonderful. After nearly 20 months, I have actually toured the Old City with friends and international tourists. On November 1st Israel opened up its gates to vaccinated tourists. What a joy to see familiar faces and sites in the glorious November. weather. This is a great time to visit. Sites are pretty quiet and accessible and locals are happy to see tourists. I want to share some of the places we saw on our walk from the Jaffa Gate along the Ramparts to Damascus Gate - one of my favourite routes. The colours, the sights and even the smells are tangible through the wonderful pictures taken by my friend, Viva Press, who visited from Tel Aviv. Apart from the Ramparts, we wandered through the Muslim Quarter savouring the sights, tastes and smells. We toured the Haram eSharif - The Holy Sanctuary housing the beautiful 7th-century Dome of the Rock - a Muslim shrine marking the site of Mohammed's ascent to heaven, and in the Jewish tradition site of the First and Second Temples, the place of the Foundation Stone and the Binding of Isaac by Abraham. Below are views from the ramparts: the bustling market streets, fresh sesame breads and delicious foods, and views to the Western Wall and the Mount of Olives from the Haram. We ended up in the iconic Mahane Yehuda Market at Rachmo where we ate Kurdish kubeh soup. Yum! We hope to see you here soon!

HAPPY 2021 - IDEAS FOR PLACES TO VISIT ON YOUR NEXT TRIP TO ISRAEL

Now we have shut the door on 2020, we can now focus on renewed hope for travel and tourism by the second half of this year. Israel is steaming ahead with its vaccination roll out and on target to see a return to nearer normal by April. Here is an article by VIva Sarah Press about some of Israel's natural wonders No Camels. (NoCamels.com covers breakthrough Israeli innovation in tech, science, food, health, cybersecurity, clean energy, art and design and more). I hope you enjoy it. The landscapes are certainly spectacular. We are waiting for you!