A Day in the Old City

July 22, 2010

Once again, everyone slept late this morning. I guess arriving home at 2 AM will do that sometimes :)

We decided to spend the day in the Old City doing things that we have never done before. We visited the Burnt House and the Herodian Museum. Both were super cool (Yehuda and I had both never been to either) and the kids were mesmerized. They couldn't believe all of the digging that was going on under the city and how many ancient houses had been uncovered levels beneath the surface. They were amazed that the lower we descended, the older the structures were.

The multi-media presentation at the Burnt House really put it all in historical perspective for the kids (and us) and it was quite cool to follow the family that lived there through "a day in the life". We especially thought it was amazing that the family that lived there is spoken about in the gemara and that we know exactly who they were. HOWEVER, the video was probably not appropriate for Benjamin who spent the entire day talking about the Beit Hamikdash and how it was burned and destroyed and how people were dead...The educator in me is a little bit disappointed in myself...

All in all the boys absolutely LOVE the Old City. After another visit to the Kotel (and a hand off of Leora to Racheli Carmi for a sleepover tonight in Hertziliya with Leeron), we ate dinner at Burgers Bar (yum, yum!) and let the boys run around in the Rova.

Next, we walked through the Arab shuk and on through the outdoor market outside of Jaffa Gate. The boys, and Yehuda, were fascinated by the puzzle guy and spent quite some time trying to figure out the intricate puzzles. Of course they had to buy a few to take home. Surprise! As we walked through the Mamilla Mall to our car we discovered an outdoor concert which we all, except for Benjamin, enjoyed immensely.

We are so happy that my parents, Stacy, Seth and Collin, and Josh and Davida all arrived safely today. We can't wait to see them all.

Laila tov!