May Our Wish Come True !

In Israel, when visiting the Western (Wailing) Wall in Jerusalem, people insert a wish note addressed to God, in the cracks between the stones of the wall.  (Haven't been there for a long while, and I miss the site and all that goes along with it).

Western Wall - Jerusalem

women's  prayer section at the Wall (older photo)

women's  prayer section (a more recent photo)

Once a year, prior to the High Holidays (which start towards the end of this month), I visit the tombs of two spiritual figures, two righteous rabbis ;  one buried in the cemetery of the mystical city of Zfat (Safed), and the other in a cemetery of a town adjacent to Tel Aviv.

I'm not a religious person, but I do believe in God and in the power of prayer. People pray at the grave of the righteous (tzadik) asking him to intercede in heaven on their behalf. Before leaving the spot I place a slip of paper by the tombstone asking, as is the tradition, for a good, successful upcoming new year.

At Zfat (Safed) cemetery; rabbi's covered tomb in the background

Men and women praying on opposite sides of the rabbi's tomb (Givatayim cemetery)

Slip of paper?! Well, I've seen people at the charming russian church of St. Nicolai in Sofia, placing.....whole letters in a wooden box by the tomb of Bishop  Seraphim Sobolev, believed to be a miracle maker.

 the russian church of St. Nicolai in Sofia

The marble sarcophagus of bishop Seraphim is in a crypt by the side of the church. The crypt is equipped with tables , chairs, pens and paper. People write their wish on paper, place the letter in the box by the tomb, light candles, and pray.  Quite a sight!  (Photography inside - not allowed). If you happen to be in Sofia, don't miss it!

When Harvey meets Rockport

We already know  by now that the climate is not going to have any mercy on us.  Actually, we've known that for at least two decades with natural disasters increasing in number and intensity.

We cannot control climate, but we can try control our actions and planning regarding the way  houses, roads, dems are built, and the way evacuation and rescue procedures are carried out.. There seems to be growing awareness in the world to the danger of earthquakes, fires, floodings, lava eruptions, and  all the other natural disasters. This awareness should be translated into some kind of action that doesn't leave us helpless in face of the elements.

Never heard of Rockport until now, so I looked it up on Google.There isn't much about it: a small city on the coast of Texas, with a beach , fishing piers, and a history of ship building, oil drilling and pirates. Now,after being hit by hurricane Harvey, people are returning heart- broken to ruins and debris. May God strenghten them and all the others in the state of Texas!

* web map

City Protectors - Lions and Saints

Lions have been for centuries a symbol of strength, security, protection, justice, good luck, you name it. The city center of Sofia (Bulgaria) as far as I could see on my visit there, has six lion statues: two  'guarding' the entrance to the Palace of Justice, and four flanking the bridge over the Vladaya river.

The Palace of Justice (the Court House) is a remarkable white building situated at the beginning of the main shopping street, Vitosha boulevard. It is considered by many an architectural masterpiece for its beautiful simplicity; it's made of white limestone and has four (4) floors, five (5)  gates and  twelve (12) columns.

Palace of Justice

the two lions at the entrance of the Jusice Court

*

Lions' Bridge (Lavov Most) in Sofia, has four bronze lion figures, one on each end of the bridge. Two of them are facing the heart of the city, the other two are facing the exit of the city ( the railway/bus terminals and the mountain seen behind them). Beautiful, just beautiful!

one of the four lion figures;  facing the city 

I stayed at a small hotel in the area near the bridge , it was part of my daily routine, so I'm going to elaborate on it

The Lions'  bridge

The lovely bridge over the Vladaya river (now, in summer, a pitiful stream) with its impressive lion statues, light fixtures, benches, flower beds (all well kept), is not just a city attraction, it's much more than that. It's a concept, a strategic crossing, mainly due to its location.  It is placed at the intersection of two major boulevards: Maria Luiza blvd. and Slivnitsa blvd., between the city center and the city exit.

Vladaya river (now stream)

Nearby,  a Metro station, A Billa discount supermarket store, the main entrance to the Ladies' Open Market. The bridge is close to the Mosque, the synagogue, the Central Hall  market. One metro stop or 15 minutes on foot lead to the center;  the distance to the transport bus /railway terminals is even shorter.

the intersection: 

Metro  station

The area is favoured by tourists; there's a middle range hotel named Lion Hotel just across the bridge;  A bit further, there are two expensive hotels Ramada and Raddison, and some budget little hotels. 

Hotel Lion

*

The welcoming statue of Saint Sofia (Sveta Sofia), the saint patron  of the city, is a fascinating piece of art. This bronze and copper made , tall statue, is centrally located, and at street level. So, it is visible a long way.

Sveta Sofia, in black and  gold color, both dominates and guards the city ; it has the power (crown) and wisdom (the owl in the hand) to do so. I was very impressed by its majestic presence.

statue of Sofia in the background

GUAM - Where To?

*

Guam , the recent hot news item, is a small, exotic island in the North Pacific Ocean, home to some 160 thousand citizens. Its indigenous people are called 'chamorro', and tourism is an important factor in its economy.

The island is mostly known as an american military base. This fact makes  it easy for North Korea to threaten Guam with missiles, as it knows that China and Japan (the other big players in the area), despite the mistrust and rivalry between the two, are not happy with the american military presence there.  

A lot in this crisis and in the crises to come, will depend  on the USA's ability to practice restraint. Its former presidents have done nothing serious to prevent Iran and North Korea from developing nuclear power. So,  the USA has to face now a very complex and volatile reality.

The option to use military force against North Korea is neither a good one, nor a desirable one.
It's a different world now, one which finds it hard to accept american military presence away from its own shores, and won't agree to USA use of nuclear weapons .

In the meantime, let's hope  restraint on both sides will prevail, and  Guam, this little Pacific pearl, is not going to be sacrificed .


*web map

The Hidden Rotunda Gem

Hidden gem - that's what they call the little reddish brick circular church St. George (Sveti Georgi) in Sofia. Hidden, because it's practically tucked away in the  backyard of the Presidency building and what used to be Sheraton Hotel (now Sofia Balkan Hotel). Although central, it's  a bit difficult to find, as it is not seen from the street. I went through an arch passage in the presidential building and then had to descend several stairs to get to it.

the church as seen from the arch passage way

The church , considered the oldest building in Sofia, is charming, both outside and inside. I visited it twice as I have a weak spot for round structures ,and this one is particularly attractive and interesting. Photography of the interior is forbidden; there's a tiny souvenir shop inside selling photos of the beautiful icons and frescoes seen on the church's walls /dome, and some religious artifacts.

entrance to the church

This little church definitely has it all: architecture( low and simple, in  contrast to the communist style tall buildings surrounding it),religion (orthodox,still in use as a place of worship), history(dates back to the 4th century), archeology (it stands amid ruins of the ancient Roman town Serdica).

Roman ruins in the church's garden

It is now bordered  on one side by a cafe-restaurant named Rotunda and on the other side, across the entrance, by a souvenir/art gallery shop - both intended for the many tourists and locals that visit the place.

the Rotunda restaurant

                              souvenir shop across the church's entrance

When inside or outside it, one feels a kind of serenity/peacefulness overcoming him/her, and  senses the presence of  Divinity all over the place. A 'must see' in Sofia.

peacefulness