It's the Final Countdown

For our last full day here we decided to spend some time, among the hours of packing and saying goodbyes, to visit two sites of import: HaShamen and Pituyim. For lunch we had shwara at what is rumoured to be the best shwarma place in Jerusalem*, and in terms of taste it certainly lived up to its reputation. The meat was plentiful, and there were even bowl next to the ample salad bar so you didn't have to feel embarrassed to take extras. An added bonus, never before seen at any other salad bar - fried onions. Unfortunately, the price was very steep and keeps this joint out of serious contention for the crown.

For dinner we ate at an old favorite, Pituyim, one of the first restaurants we visited when we arrived here. Their salads, fried cheese dishes, and creative combinations of different fruits and vegetables make this off-the-beaten path eatery well worth it. We ordered a series of dishes we've never tried before, enjoyed them all, and returned home at midnight to continue/begin packing for the 5.5 week trip home.

*We know that we claimed in an earlier post that we were visiting what was supposed to be the best shwarma place in Jerusalem, but it turns out we erred in our directions and visited the place next door. Oops.

Our Favorite Archangel

Taking a break from packing and planning, we ate dinner (really a very late business lunch, but still) at Gabriel, a French restaurant on Shimon ben Shetach street, a surprisingly trendy and calm road near Ben Yehuda. The space is very small, but used well, and the jazz in the background and lack of street traffic make the atmosphere very relaxed. If you arrive between noon and 5 p.m., for the price of a dinner entree you get a choice of appetizer as well as a main course. Between the two of us we tried lamb kebabs in tehina sauce, red mullet, confit of goose leg in apple something, and sirloin in a plum sauce. The presentation was beautiful and the food fantastic, and we're really happy that we saved this, one of our top restaurant visits this year, for last. Now we're off to starve in Europe!

Final Friday Fun

Today being our last Friday, we decided to join the throngs of locals and Birthright groups that descend on the shuk before Shabbat. After we did the minimal grocery shopping required for our last few days here, we sat down in our favorite dry-goods store for coffee and weird sesame cookies. Jon had what he claims to be the "best sachlav" he's ever tasted; however, he has only tasted it twice before, the 30-degree heat may have addled his brains, and the drink came with a free cookie, so his judgement is suspect. After the break we did some shopping for supplies for our upcoming trip, and had a final delicious shwarma at Melech haFelafel Actually, Rina had a pizza. Silly lady.

First Deadly Sin

For today's entertainment we went to King David street, which was shut down for the day, to watch the Gay Pride Parade. The whole thing was far more tame than expected, except for the occasional bouts of threatened violence. Of course, all the threats were made to Jon. Two different police officers, noticing that Jon was the only spectator wearing a kippah, singled him out of the crowd and advised him that if he threw anything or said anything or moved an inch toward the parade they would beat him and physically remove him from the premises. This was fine until we saw friends of ours marching - they waved at us and called our names, and we could do little more than nod politely in their direction for fear of provoking the hot-tempered constables.

Thank goodness the Brazilians colonized Israel

Tonight we had a choice between seeing the grand opening ceremony for the Bridge of Strings, Jerusalem's most recent love-it-or-hate-it architectural wonder, a piece of the not-yet-running light rail system, or we could have all-you-can-eat meat at a Brazilian restaurant named Papagaio's. After twelve kinds of meat, delivered on cutting boards, skewers, platters, and weird pitchfork thingies, adding up to a meal that lasted three hours, we knew that we made the right choice. Harp-shaped bridges are nice and all, but can't compare to all of the meat stations at a wedding coming to you instead of you waiting in line to come to them.

Jerusalem Tour

Our time in Jerusalem rapidly dwindling, today was spent visiting those sites and sights that we either wanted to see one last time, or that we haven't yet had the time to see appropriately.

We began our day with shacharit at the Kotel. Luckily we came late enough that the wall was casting a cooling shadow, and most of those begging for money weren't present. We did our duty, then stayed in the Old City to visit the Cardo and Cousin Dov's shop, Shorashim (which we highly recommend!). We had to go and come back several times, though, as there was a lecture being given to a visiting Christian missionary group from Colorado, and we didn't want to disturb them. Also, the door was locked.

After enjoying our final fantastic meal at Macaroni, still the best-priced and tastiest business lunch we've found, we were off to Mea She'arim for some final Judaica purchases. As always, we enjoyed the spectacle of the neighbourhood.

For dinner we walked over to the mall, where Jon finally got to indulge his desire for treif by eating at both Burger King and KFC in one night. While we're certain to regret this sort of outing later in life, it was lots of fun. Burger King was as good as could be expected, but KFC surprised with its crispy, tasty chicken wings that were actually really good.

The Graduate

Presentation of Participants' Posters
Standard Series of Speakers and Speeches
Delicious Dairy Dinner
Goodbye to Graduates

Let the games begin!