“On this day, after the morning session, Frank and I went walking in the neighborhood around the Dan Hotel.

We shared a delightful lunch along the way; but I’ll share about that little jaunt later on in a different post.”

Well here is that post.

Each day we had some time in between Session 1 and Session 2, free time, to do whatever resting or exploring we wanted to do.

The first day, we took our bus ride back to the hotel for a nap.

Which turned out not to be as much of a nap, as a crash.

We had no idea just how tired we really were.

On day two, we decided on a walk around the neighborhood to find lunch.

We had our first encounter with falafel. Oh my goodness! It is served with your choice of sweet and savory additions, inside a pita pocket.

The place we first encountered this food, was no bigger than my living room; a place open to the street; charming.

We ate a lot of falafel while in Israel.

After eating, we went on a exploration through the neighborhoods around the Dan Jerusalem Hotel.

We wanted to wander a bit, and perhaps see a piece of everyday life in this place.

What we found, was that every street was different.

The unifying factor was the color of the stone. (referenced here; https://significantencounters.com/2019/09/27/day-2-jerusalem/)

About a block before turning onto this busy street again, we passed a school.

The children, like children everywhere, playing outside for recess. (I took no photos, because, kids!)

The laughter of children, a language we understood, a language universal.

A very small park in the midst of a stone and concrete neighborhood.

A breath of fresh air, and a glimpse of Jerusalem.

On the way back; reminiscent of a small town factory district, but still, family dwellings.

Although our walk was short, the heat of the day was catching up, so we headed back.

We would see many more neighborhoods on our further travels during the week.

It was a very different type of feeling walking through these places, knowing that we were actually IN JERUSALEM!

A place many want to go, and relatively few, get to experience.

Contrary to popular belief; Never, ever, did we feel unsafe.

In my childhood dreams, this would have been a palace.

I wonder how the inhabitants think of it.

Does it look like home to you?

The last home before our return to the Dan.

Not sure if the bars are for protection, or simply ornamental. (Did I mention we always felt safe?)

A bright spot in all of the neutral color.

We made it back in time to catch the second bus, and a nap at our own hotel.

Join me next time for Day #3.