St. Leo the Great

Chinese pilgrims venerating the
relic of the True Cross before
starting the Way of the Cross

There was light rain this morning but the sun came back up and it was quite warm during the day. I was extremely busy with groups. Had to accompany one group through the Way of the Cross. The streets are packed with tourists. You have to wait in line at each station for your turn at prayers.

There were easily 2000 chinese tourists this morning at the Flagellation Chapel. The chinese market is huge and is saving the Israeli economy because groups from european and american countries have all stopped coming.

There was no violence today throughout the country. That is good. After class in the afternoon, I had to go to the Jewish Quarter to buy a printed Torah Scroll. I took the shortcut through the Wailing Wall which saves me 10 minutes of walking. After buying the Scroll, I wanted to go back through the Wailing Wall but security would not let me. No Torah scrolls allowed in the Wailing Wall. What????? I said this is not even a real scroll, just a printed pedagogical tool. Absolutely NO. I had to make a huge detour through the Cardo to get back home. Took me half an hour more.

Cheesecake and cappuccino
at Cafe Cafe

Yesterday was my feast day and part of a Singaporean group when out with me for tea. Actually they wanted to buy books and I had to bring them to the bookshops but next door was Cafe Cafe (name of the cafe chain in Israel). So I was treated to my favourite cheesecake and a cup of cappuccino. It was nice. The feast was of course St. Leo the Great.

The Jewish east of Hanukkah is round the corner and sufgoniot - the jelly filled doughnuts are already on sale in all bakeries. This will be fun because the weather is cold. Nothing like a nice warm sufgoniot with a cup of cappuccino in winter.