Livnot, the Old City, new niches

Always good to have a friend visit from out of town. I found new niches that I didn't even know existed in the Old City (The Fig Tree Courtyard), and got to take some pics of this lovely place.

My light meter is failing, so I guess it will be a good excuse to get a new camera sometime soon.

Entering the Old City

Old City newer homes

Old City Alley late winter afternoon.

Roof Top of Fig Tree CourtYard

Tourists on roof top of Fig Tree Courtyard

Fig Tree Courtyard roof top observation point

Looking North, the Lebanon border.

Water Cistern in the Fig Tree Courtyard

Livnot U'lehibanot. I used to sit on a pile of rubble at night under the stars... now it's clear that it was on top of these relics from the 1600's.

Relics from the Kahal at Livnot's dig. Now a National Heritage site.

Livnot Kahal

More relics in the Kahal

Beit Shababu in the Kahal

Livnot U'lehibanot: to build and to be built.

Sculpture in Kikar Avraham Sade

Night falls on "the bridge" in Tsfat.

Awaiting Gilad Schalit's release.

Tsfat awaiting Gilad Schalit also!

Klezmer 2011 starts Monday night 15 August

Tonight it's still quiet in Tsfat. Three nights of klezmer party start Monday night.

About 45 minute drive from Safed -- Old Acre!

Rich in history, Acre Old City has been developed by the Old Acre Development Company. You will get a sense of the layers of history, peoples, religions, and conflicts that have long held in the region.

Kidum Noar May 2011

Lag B'Omer bonfire from my window

Saturday night's festivities from our living room window.

Spring Clouds

Shot these walking home from work one spring day before the clock changed.

More plants and flowers I have known in the Galilee

Common Mallow flowers. Good to harvest in spring, dry, and save for use in home made cough syrup in the winter. Leaves and roots are also helpful.

Next few shots are of "Ox Tongue". Someday I'll find the latin name. I found out about the edibility of these plants one day from a local Arab harvesting the flower bud clusters (see below). The clusters are battered and fried. When I harvested them, my harvest bag was alive with bugs, so I didn't eat them. Very young shoots are also edible.

Ox tongue in a different light.

Ox tongue bud cluster.

Poppies!

More poppies among other friendly plants.

Come hither, Dorothy!

Mustard blooms among wild wheat, oats, and a blooming olive tree behind them.

Yup, I took this pic on my walk to work. Oh thank heaven for living close enough to walk to work!

Pointing out the wild geranium leaves.

Earlier this spring, wild nettle, plantain, and more common mallow. 

Love how the April showers have increased our green and the variety of blooms!

The almond trees are beginning to bloom - השקדיה פורחת

 

As I mentioned, on my way home from work on Sunday I saw the first almond tree blossoms. Today there were more, with the one tree pictured here already quite in bloom.

Almonds bloom and are quick to fruit. They are the first fruit trees in bloom here in spring.

Never get tired of the Galilee view

I love the clouds covering the lower Galilee mountains... looking like waves out into the distance. Closer by mist gave the trees an almost smokey look.

Winter barely here. I saw almond blossoms on the way home today from work. Will try to take my camera tomorrow to get first pics of the shkedia.