Spring 2012/5772

Took a walk on Sunday afternoon Chol Hamoed. Spring is lovely after a good winter of rain.

Great colors in the Old City with flowers in bloom and blue pain renewed for Pesach.

The quiet of Tsfat may seem boring to some. I find it peaceful and restful and beautiful.

Leading to the Mayan Haradum square.

Flowers and the colors of the Artists's Quarter

Antiquities built into the rebuilt walls.

Even the mail boxes are artistic.

New figs are still small and unripe. I love the smell of the fig trees.

Old city wall with rose bush in bloom.

It's also bird migration season. Caught this glimpse from between the walls of an Old City alley.

Some trees in waiting for their spring green.

Leading down to the famous cemetary, all is green.

We notice the years as yellow, or red, or occasionally blue. Sometimes it goes straight to brown, if there haven't been enough rains. This year is a "yellow year".

The yellow carpet of the cemetary. Behind the tree in the center and covered with an overhead shelter is the Ari's gravesite.

Snow in Adar

Actually, I got up to town too late to get pictures. By 11 am it was pretty much all melted. But here are the remnant pics.

Mount Meron and neighboring hills dusted with snow.

Mount Meron with snow

Hah, look, snow left at noon!

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.