ben's first day

ben's first day
Originally uploaded by nostalgist

And here he is on the way to class, first day, grade 1. To me he looks brave and tentative. His teacher told me he was "metzuyan" (excellent).

bee

bee
Originally uploaded by nostalgist

On the way from Benjamin's school - where the bee sucks there I drink coffee.

cafe cat

cafe cat
Originally uploaded by nostalgist

I sat at a cafe today, eating my heart out because it was Benjamin's first (two hour) day at school. Also eating a chocolate croissant. This cat, however, seemed to have no worries.

window view

window view
Originally uploaded by nostalgist

Not a good picture, but a fairly accurate rendition of the view from the dining room window in the corner seat. This is my favorite spot, but Benjamin also likes it and sometimes he gets there first and I catch him staring out the window.

incense in the market

incense in the market
Originally uploaded by nostalgist

Incense in the market. I don't think the colors have any natural relationship to the odours.

woman praying

woman praying
Originally uploaded by nostalgist

This is another photograph from our visit to the old city.

notes in the wall

notes in the wall
Originally uploaded by nostalgist

old city view

old city view
Originally uploaded by nostalgist

We went to the old city yesterday. Here is a picture of Benjamin languishing in the heat in the little decrepit park we found by the outer city walls. The platform by the Western Wall seems to magnify the heat. I wonder what happens to the notes left in the wall - do they fall out and get swept up at night or form a kind of sediment that becomes a part of the structure?

benjamin and the walls of the old city

benjamin and the walls of the old city
Originally uploaded by nostalgist

ben and lev

ben and lev
Originally uploaded by nostalgist

Yesterday was quite hot so we stayed close to home. Our only expedition was to the library in the local community centre, which has a very good collection of English and Hebrew books for children. So now we have a library card but no bank account yet - that seems about right.

chocolate pudding

chocolate pudding
Originally uploaded by nostalgist

Lev wants to eat chocolate pudding for breakfast. Every day.

rhino in the hills

rhino in the hills
Originally uploaded by nostalgist

We went to the zoo yesterday. The animals were pretty incredible, but my favorite part was this fabulist sculpture park for children by Nikki de St. Phalle. Apparently the zoo is the most visited tourist attraction in Israel - at first I thought this meant it beat out the western wall, dome of the rock and the church of the holy sepulcher but they only track the sites that charge admission.

lev inside mirrored cat

lev inside mirrored cat
Originally uploaded by nostalgist

lev and jer in the belly of the beast

lev and jer in the belly of the beast
Originally uploaded by nostalgist

ben and giant ape

ben and giant ape
Originally uploaded by nostalgist

IMG_4425

IMG_4425
Originally uploaded by nostalgist

I took the boys to the mifletzet (monster), also known as the golem. That's Lev climbing up the middle.

IMG_4485

IMG_4485
Originally uploaded by nostalgist

And this is the sunset last night.

IMG_4473

IMG_4473
Originally uploaded by nostalgist

This is the view of Jerusalem from the promenade near our apartment - in the distance you can see the walls of the old city and the dome of the rock. And now I want a telephoto lens.

bougainvillea

bougainvillea
Originally uploaded by nostalgist

bougainvillea is blooming everywhere

danger of death

danger of death
Originally uploaded by nostalgist

Also danger of death!

pensive ben

pensive ben
Originally uploaded by nostalgist

Benjamin responds to Israel with characteristic thoughtfulness

jubilant lev

jubilant lev
Originally uploaded by nostalgist

Lev with rather more exuberance