On to Jerusalem

There is something special about driving to Jerusalem.  From Haifa, and especially once you get passed Tel Aviv, the ride is mostly flat.  The new road (Route 6) is fast and you speed through fields and villages - there is construction everywhere.  But in the approach to Jerusalem, there is a fork - Route 6 bears off to the left taking travelers further south, and to the right the road begins to climb... and this is the first clue that something special lies ahead.

When a Jew moves to Israel, we call it "making Aliyah."  Aliyah means going up - we go up to Jerusalem, the shining jewel of a city on hill.  The old road was a trip through modern Israeli history - it was littered with the wrecks of makeshift tanks and jeeps, relics of the 1948 War of Independence, so the ride was full of drama.  The new road is a multi-lane highway - and truth be told, not much charm.. but still.... but still....  you are going up to Jerusalem.

For me it is also a trip down a personal memory lane, full of sights and sounds from the year I spent there when I was in college.  While much as changed, with a little effort I find the old neighborhoods,  many of which are strikingly the same as my memories.  And with luck (and courtesy of my cousin Hagai), there is a trip to the Mount Scopus campus of Hebrew University, with its classic view of the Old City, marked by the shining Dome of the Rock.

Ok, so I departed from tradition just a bit, and instead of searching out the best felafel in the city, I decided on shawarma...  not a bad second choice!

This evening will be a quiet visit with Hagai and Billy at their lovely house in the outskirts of the city.  And tomorrow on to Ramat Rachel where we will begin to gather for the official kick-off.  Monday is informal settling in.  Tuesday the bikes all arrive (I have mine with me), and we get started in earnest... but I am getting ahead of myself.  So I will stop.

Until next time.

L'hitra-ot