Top 10 Favorite Things We Did In Jerusalem

For the last and longest part of our trip we rented an apartment in Baka on Derech Ha Rakevet. It was lovley and we could not have asked for a better location. It was on a nice quiet street that was one block away from Emik Refaim and a 7 minute walk to Derech Beitlechem. It was great for us Manhattanites who are used to being able to get what we want right away. I imagine it's a little bit like living in Park Slope. You can live on a nice quiet street but 7th Avenue is right down the block. 

Derech Ha Rakevet. They just renovated an old rail road track and made it into a beautiful walkway. Kind of like a mini High Line!

The think I really like about Jerusalem is that it is not an enormous city like New York. It kind of reminds me of a smaller American city like Portland or Seattle. It has everything that you want in a city such as good restaurants and lots of culture but it is a little more mellow and life seems more relaxed and less frenetic. Below is our top 10 list:

1. Hamster balls in the Malka Mall!

2. Eating at the all kosher food court at the Malka Mall!

3. Going to the kosher Aroma that was a 3 minute walk from our apartment.

4. Davening and dinner on Shabbat at Netivat Aryeh, over looking the Kotel (Western Wall).

 5. Visiting the Old City, including the tunnel tour under the Kotel (Western Wall)

The Kotel

Plaza in front of the Kotel

Street in the Old City

Tunnels under the Kotel

6. Walking, shopping and eating on Derech Beitlechem

The gourmet store whose name I forgot. If only this kosher cheese was available in NY!

One of the produce shops

Sitting out side at Cafe Kalo. It was so hip.

Breakfast at Cafe Kalo

The Waffle Bar!

7.Visiting friends and their new dog and Tzippy at their home that backs up to the Eshtol Forest

Tzippy!

 I love that in Israel you can have a pomegranate tree in your back yard.

Eshtol Forest

8. Meeting our friends in Tel Aviv at the beach

The Mediterranean was a beautiful shade of turquoise

Playing in the sand

D and her friend A

9. Visiting Eretz Breisheit (Genesis Land)

The Judean hills were absolutely beautiful. This was where Avraham lived!

The camels that we rode to Avraham's tent

Listening to Avraham and Eliezer in out tunics. It was so engaging. I wish I could show you what they looked like but I ran out of batteries before I could a picture of them:(.

Making pitas the old fashioned way.

10. Swimming at the public pool that was around the corner from our apartment. It was an oasis off of Emik Refaim!

The girls loved the slide although it was way to timid for Z who is a dare devil!

T, D and J in the pool.

It had a second connected pool that was huge. It had lanes for people who wanted to do laps and an area to play if you wanted to get out of the hot Mediterranean sun.