Change of Scenery - A Taste of Belgrade

Change of scenery  is more important than one may think. In my case, an 'escape'  to a place with a different decor and a different language  always inspires me, lifts my spirits, improves my health. It's worth the effort.

Duty Free area at the Ben-Gurion airport in Israel

The cheapest flight on the market starting with end of September, was to Belgrade , the capital city of Serbia, and of former Yugoslavia .  So, here I come, Belgrade.

Life in Belgrade ('belgrade' means  white city)  revolves mainly around three bodies of water ( river  Danube, river Sava, artificial lake Ada Ciganlija) , the old fortress Kalemegdan, , and Stari Grad (old town).  These places offer a lot of activities to all:  adults and kids, locals and tourists.

Sava river bank seen from the bankmost bridge

souvenir stalls at the entrance of Kalemegdan park and fortress

Oops! Belgrade doesn't have a metro ( only a mall named Metro..). I was rather disappointed as the Metro is the shortest, cheapest, fastest way to get around. Bus frequency is  pretty good here, but it may take some 20 or more minutes to reach your destination, and that's a lot of time when all you have is a week (albeit a week netto. I don't count the arrival day in the evening and the departure day before noon.).

On the other hand, the main squares  that make up the heart and center of the Old Town (Stari Grad) with its various  landmarks, are not far from each other. So, if you have good shoes and a good map,  you can do it on foot. 
English language, by the way, won't help you much here. I've got some knowledge of cyrillic letters, and that helped find streets and places.

Beautiful Moskva hotel in Terazije square

Amazing Sava Temple (in Slavija sq.) as seen from the little street with the same name

Zeleni Venac square, reminded me of the saying "all the roads lead to Rome". Yes, this square is a kind of Rome, as everything is here : buses to and fro (including airport bus), a McDonalds, a city market, a tiny flea market, little shops, banks, you name it; very colorful square- not far from the main railway/bus station, and from the other main squares (Republik, Terazije, Slavija) of the old town.

the roof covered market in Zeleni Venac

railway station building; looks good, but inside seems deserted

The symbol of the city is a very popular tall, greenish, bronze monument - the Victor statue - erected in honor of serbian victory over the turks in the first balkan war . It represents a naked man holding a sword in one hand and a pigeon in another. It has an ideal location - up on the fortress plateau - overlooking the confluence of Danube & Sava rivers, and the newer part of Belgrade . It can be seen from many parts of the city. 

the Victor monument

Me at the monument site

While walking on the bridge (bankmost) connecting the two parts of Belgrade, from the cosmopolitan USCE shopping center back to the old city, I looked up to see the guy - and there he was; a very distant but familiar sight.

Usce shopping center

on the bridge from Usce to town- 'Victor'  seen only by enlargement

More about Belgrade - in my next posts.

My Dear Readers,

Please be informed that I'm taking a break from blogging now (to honor  our High Holydays, and  for some vacation).

Wishing you the very Best!
Duta.

What's in a Name?

Moses is a biblical name (prophet). Noah is also a biblical name (pre-flood patriarch;  Noah's Arc). 
Noah Moses sounds like a powerful name combination.Well, it is.

Noah Moses was a powerful person - publisher and longtime editor of the large, influential hebrew newspaper "Yediot Ahronot" ("Last News"). He died at 73 after being hit by a car outside the office building of his newspaper in downtown Tel Aviv.

The street segment close to the building was then named 'Moses street', in memory of both Noah and his father Yehuda. Until quite lately I thought the entire, long street was named Moses, but no, the rest of the street has retained its original name -'Nachalat Yitzhach' .Yitzhak (hebrew for Isaac) - another biblical name; one of the three patriarchs of the jewish people. 

Oh, but what a spot this tiny Moses street  is!  It starts with a bridge over a river (or what has remained of it), Hayalon river. It is within  walking distance  from Azrieli center with one of the greatest malls in the country, from a central railway station, and from bus stations to any part of the country. 

on the bridge

The noise under the bridge coming from cars , trains and water (in winter) is deafening and the proximity to a major road makes it even worse. So, only Nachalat Yitzhack street is ,in fact,
residential ; it has low buildings, several towers, a community center, a tourist agency, a bank, eateries {the shawarma eatery was recommended on Trip Advisor!}, a mini market, and a cemetery at its end .

the Hayalon river now in summer;train rails nearby

eatery

'Eshet Tour' - tourism agency

mini market

bank

the cemetery . Yes. the sign points at a tzadik's grave

The newspaper's headquarters which was at nr 1 of Moses street, has been demolished. They (Noah Mozes' heirs) sold the land to Azrieli Center and moved to a new place in another town, Rishon Letzion, where they already owned a printing facility and a distribution center.

demolished site behind the green sign; construction going on.

What's interesting is that they demanded and obtained that the adjacent street at the new place in Rishon Letzion town, be named Moses too, and their offices building marked nr 1. Interesting, but not surprising. The newspaper has money, influence and probably pays high taxes to the municipality,so what the publisher wants, the publisher gets. And the publisher is Arnon (Noni) Moses, the son of the late Noah Moses.  Arnon in hebrew means 'rushing stream' (in honor of Hayalon stream , perhaps?!); 

Like the stream, and unlike his father,  Arnon Moses seems to be fickle and somehow manipulative like most of the  news people today who foolishly believe they're God-like, have the power to do anything they wish. Both his  newspaper and its online edition (Ynet) though  most popular, often present the reader with  onesided news to promote a certain  agenda.  Luckily, people have lost their naivete, they look more at life around , and less at the printed word.

Mystical Energy in the Upper Galilee

Two of the four holy cities in Israel: Tzfat (Safed) and Tveria (Tiberias) are located, pretty close to each other, both in the Upper Galilee area of the northern part of the country. Tveria is on the western shore of Lake Kinneret; Tzfat a bit further to the north, up on the hills overlooking the lake.

There's a mystical atmosphere in both these ancient places which is very strongly felt in their old cemeteries where many venerated sages and tzadikim  are interred. During the last decade I've been visiting Tzfat old cemetery once a year , before the High Holidays, to pay my respects to the memory of  a specific tzadik and his wife whom I've had the privilege to meet in person. (I 've mentioned them in two or three previous posts).

graves of tzadikim (holy righteous people)

behind me, the shed with the couple's graves 

woman with iphone in corner inside shed; it got on my nerves

It's a very long way; heat from hell; proximity to the Golan Heights-Syria border  (red line on the map) where there are battles going on between Assad's army and the rebels; with Daesh, Iran, Hezbolla in the background, and the two 'biggies' America and Russia as cheerleaders.

Tiberias, Kinneret , Safed , Golan Heights  *

Not far from the cemetery - a regional hospital which among its usual duties to provide the locals with medical care, also gives humanitarian medical aid (to both battling parties so that not to ruin relations with either America or Russia). The hospital is quite heavily secured as it is on the 'black list' of some terrorist factors.

Last month (July), there were some minor earthquakes in the area with the epicenter in Lake Kinneret (The Sea of Galilee). Based on history and probability - a big earthquake is expected. When and how big, no one can tell. It could happen any day .

lake Kinneret (as seen on the way back from Tzfat)

I'm no young chick, so I've said to myself : ' That's it; not for me any more. Hopefully, God, and the late tzadik &wife , will forgive me for not coming'. 

Well, as the time approaches  I feel there are forces stronger than me that attract me like magnet. I also remind myself that I get to charge my energies there. Indeed, I come home exhaused, fall on the bed and sleep till noon. But then, next day when I wake up, as well as in the following days, and during the whole year I  feel highly energized - till next year pilgrimage. I've had my share of museums, galleries, shopping centers and the like; now,  I'm at a stage where I need Energy, to be able to go on with my life.  And this is good energy.

orthodox boys' school, Makor Chaim; path by, leads down to cemetery

(there's also a main entrance down along the street)

 orthodox guy , bus shelter ,on the main street near the cemetery

I like the way back, down the hill of Tzfat  as it gives me the chance to see from above, lake Kinneret ( the lowest fresh water lake in the world), in its blue splendor; and then at the foot of the hill the picturesque little town of Rosh Pina awaiting me to visit its mall and treat myself to a bite before getting on the bus back home.

Lake Kinneret - blue strip seen from above (enlarge photo!)

Rosh Pina Mall

Rosh-Pina - water fountain 
(compression socks -leg and knee- helpful for walking /climbing)

Sadly, things seem to be deteriorating: the woman sitting on the bench inside the shed, a place of prayer and meditation, and shamelessly using her i-phone; the red chairs left there after some ceremony (why red and not blue, the color used at graves of the sages?) The city is in bad hands, methinks.

* Web picture (map of Golan Heights)

We Can?!

Next month we enter the jewish New Year ׂׂ(5779ׁ) The period of preparations (starting mid-August) for the High Holidays, creates an atmosphere that always puts me in a pensive mood.

The era we live in, is full of 'we can' slogans: we can change the climate/the world/the planet/the human race...if only we'll do this or that. 

Who's we? People can hardly change a small personal bad habit like smoking, overeating, drugs, alcohol. It's sometimes incredible as even doctor's warnings won't do the trick.
So, where does this lack of humility come from? Bad education, I guess. The younger generations in particular are not fully aware of human limitations , and do a lot of 'we can'  talking, spreading empty slogans around. 

Climate change, is here to stay , and that's very frightening. True, we still have the islands, we still control fires and famine, but the emphasis is on the word 'still'. We're approaching the abyss slowly but steadily, and we're quite helpless.

Air pollution is frequently mentioned in connection with climate change. Indeed, we should be fighting pollution with all the means at our disposal. It won't be easy , but it's possible, and we have to do it for the sake of our health and the health of the planet.

However, in my humble opinion, air pollution is but a small factor in this whole issue of climate change. Climate is the domain of a higher power; most of us refer to it as God, others as  Universe, Supernatural power, Nature. We, people, cannot control climate, only the higher power can, and this power seems to be angry with us. Not without reason.

Humans, have always been involved  in violating the rules and order of  Creation (by way of war, migration, slavery, colonialism, imperialism...the list is long); thus, making endless changes to the world, but changes which are Not accepted by God, not written in His book, and therefore not solvable in case of conflict, but rather swept under the carpet waiting for a spark to ignite the big fire.  

We might be facing a world Reset in the future, When? No one knows .
We should  pray and ask for Mercy - that's all I can think of..

The Greatest Fear of All ..

Over the years, I've sometimes wondered about the fate of an 11 year old boy kidnapped by his father without his knowing at the time, that prior to  that, the father had already murdered  his (the boy's) mother and grandmother.

Only recently, twenty years later, the boy, now a 31-year veterinary doctor,  married man, and father of a child - has decided to open up on his traumatic story.
(I got to read only the written version, an exclusive interview; haven't watched yet the doco entitled 'Daddy where are my Mom and my Grandma?' created by the journalist - interviewer).

Both parents were scientists at the prestigious Weizmann Institute of Science in the town of Rechovot; they were not married,  but had a court parenthood agreement regarding the boy's  living with his mother and being on certain days at his father's place.

The police had no clue about the whereabouts of father and son. It was the kidnapped boy that finally provided the clue.
Whenever left alone in the hotel room in Bern, Switzerland (fugitive father being busy with getting passports) - he tried and succeeded to dial to the phone numbers of his mother/grandmother in Israel;  these unanswered phone calls were intercepted by the police and eventually led to the capture of the father.

At the trial, the child, still in trauma and tearful, was brought to give testimony , but he refused to do so in his father's presence; he was terrified and unable to face him. So the father had to be taken out of the room.

The young vet has still good reason to be afraid of his father. The latter (sentenced for life) might find a way to get a temporary leave from prison and try to meet "his  boy". So far, his repeated requests for such a leave have been rejected. But... one never knows. The interview, however, ends on an optimistic note.

Somehow, reading  between the lines, I got the feeling that the son's  greatest fear of all was ...genetics. 

We can never predict the right combination of genes that one inherits from mother and father, if at all. As a medical person and son of two scientists, he knows more than we do about that, and I suppose he's, naturally, worried if not for himself, then for his offspring.

They say (jokingly) about money that Money's not all, it's just the One thing.  Genetics, they say (seriously), is not the One thing that determines our future; Environment is also a factor and it can influence our genes and traits.  True, only no one seems to know the proper formula. (By the way, the father grew up in the best environment one could dream of - in one of the most rich and respectable families in the town of Rechovot).

The Fall of the Rock

It was breaking news a week ago: a huge, ancient stone (about 100 kg!!) had fallen from the Wailing Wall (Jerusalem Western Wall) in the mixed gender prayer area. It almost hit a 79- year old woman who was praying there.

Man looking over the divider at the women's praying section

This unusual matter is under investigation. The mayor of Jerusalem, the chief of police, the chief archeologist, the city engineer  and other professionals have arrived fast at the scene of the fallen stone (according to the Media).

men's section 

The fall of the rock  could have been  caused by natural erosion and/ or lack of proper engineering supervision  (I opt for the second possibility). 
The ultra-orthodox, claim this is a red light, a message of warning from God regarding the area of mixed gender prayer established after heavy pressure from the Reform leaders. 

The Reformists , claim the opposite; the message of warning is addressed to the orthodox who practice 'sinat chinam' (senseless hatred). On T'isha b' Av, 'sinat chinam' is  the main topic of discussion and prayer, as according to talmudic sages this is what led to the destruction of the first and second temple.

mother, girl, and baby coming from the Wall

I don't belong to any religious camp. I'm not for organized religion anyway.  I believe in God and pray to God  as my heart, thoughts, and traditional background guide me.

Having said that , the  detachment of the stone from the Wall cannot and does not leave anyone indifferent. It  came as a big surprise, at a specific timing (on Tisha b'Av, just a few hours after the fast of the mourners at the Wall ended), and in a specific place - the controversial temporary platform of no segregation between men and women, in use since about 2013.
So, all that makes one ponder....or, as the rabbi of the Western Wall has put it- 'this calls for soul-searching'. It certainly does.


*  (the above photos were taken during my visit there in December. See the post on the visit by typing 'Wall' in the search box). 

The Chain of Being

'The great chain of being' - this is what they call the hierarchical life structure  of humans, animals, plants. Humans on top, plants at the bottom, animals in the middle. Humans (except those with disabilities) can take care of themselves; not so animals, and certainly not plants.

I often think about that on my way to shopping at one of our local grocery stores, located on the edge of the town. To get there, I have to pass by a small park, a tiny garden for dogs, and a  bed of various flowers.

The park is for humans of all ages ; it has metal benches to sit on,  two  wooden tables and benches for picnics, gym devices, a water facility, tree shade (  across the street there's a children's playground too).

the park with the things enumerated above

gym devices

people with disabilities on wheelchairs and their caregivers in the park

two girls and a doggy

guy with dog on his way to the dog garden

Further on, a tiny dog garden. It is for dogs and their owners only. There's sand, playing devices for the dogs, a bench for the owners,  a water facility, a box with poop bags, fence . It is the owner who cares for his dog's various needs: gives it water, washes it, plays with it.. He's supposed to collect the poop, but not all of the dog owners do that. There was brown feces in several spots of the sand.

the little dog garden

dog between the fence and the water facility

box with poop bags

Nearby, there's a  beautiful  bed of flowers.
That's how I love the flowers, in their bed, not in our vases. The sight is, sometimes, pitiful. The spot , at the corner of the street, does have a water system, but I don't know how often it's operated by the gardener of the municipality. We won't have rain until winter, and the flowers need water. I hope they won't be  the little orphans in the great chain of being.

flower bed at the corner of the street

The Port

Last week, I happened to be near the Port of Tel Aviv. The heat was unbearable, so I decided to enter the area,  go to the promenade and get some cool, fresh sea air.   Alas, at 6 pm, almost no breeze; only an hour later it became a bit cool and a light breeze was felt.

almost no breeze

The port (Ha-namal, in hebrew) is no longer active;  you won't see any ship, perhaps, only some boat in the distance.Over the years, the big hangars that used to store  goods for shipping (oranges, for instance) have been converted into structures for commerce, entertainment, culture. Only their numbering reminds us of the past.

'Hangar' 9

'hangar' 11

There are lots of shops, restaurants, pubs, night clubs - both inside the hangars, and outside lining the promenade. The place has become one of the biggest  day and night attractions of the city - for families during the day, and for party revelers at night. And of course, tourists are always part of the happenings.

Upon entering the port people like to take photos near a stone structure with the letters TE IV and a heart in the middle, expressing love for Tel Aviv.

LOVE  Tel Aviv

The promenade is one  huge wooden deck. Why wood? I don't know, I only know I don't like that. I don't think it integrates well with the sea , the beach and the.whole environment.
At the northern end of the promenade one can see Reading, the power station and lighthouse; it stands out.

wooden deck;   Reading power station

Lots of people, adults and youngsters, are engaged in  various activities near and along the promenade: strolling, jogging, running, biking, taking photos. The noise is deafening. Only the sea is a big, silent witness to all that.

jogger

children driving toy vehicles

bikers

on rollerblades

Small kids are the big winners of the place.There's a huge sandpit and a carousel for them, ice-cream shops, and of course, McDonalds'.

sandpit

naked kid to the bucket of water- struggles with Mom

carousel

(On Fridays and Saturdays it's particulary crowded as there are special activities going on,  like yoga , and displays of a variety of market goods).

Well, crowded places are not my 'cup of tea' whether it's weekday or weekend. So, after having a bite, I took a couple of selfies and left the restless spot to go home.