Day of rest

Sunset in Jaffa

A couple of my students forced me to take a break yesterday. I've reached the end of my mental strength last week with so many events and meetings and work ... I was near a mental breakdown. There were moments when I was just numb, unable to think or do anything. The brain was not registering what people was saying. I was just hearing noise, floating from one meeting to another. So finally 3 students told me they'll bring me to Jaffa on Sunday to rest. No plans ... just playing by ear, doing whatever I want or feel. Nothing fixed except the time to depart. No pressure.

In the Old City

So we agreed to leave at 5.15am in order to avoid the traffic ... and there was already quite a traffic along the highway to Jaffa. We arrived at 6.30am and celebrated Sunday Mass in the small Crusader Chapel which St. Louis built during the 2nd Crusade. Then I cleaned up the aquarium and we just stayed and chatted in the monastery till about 10am when we went down to the old Port to take a walk. It was still quiet and tourists had not yet arrived. We watched the fishermen angling for fish at the pier. Then we walked all along the beach till Allenby Road in Tel Aviv ... one of the main arteries of the city. That's 4km. Then after a stroll along Rothschild Boulevard, we stopped for some croissants before more walking till we reached Bograshov street and had lunch at Peking Duck restaurant. It was nice to have some warm food in the stomach.

Then we went back to the beach and rested for an hour before walking back to the monastery to collect our belongings. The sun sets at 4pm so we wanted to get home before it was too dark. All in all it was relaxing and was grateful I have students who care.

Last week while running through the Latin Patriarchate neighbourhood to get some things done, I saw this painted on a door: Santa's House. It was next to the Patriarchate cathedral. What a laugh. I'm surprised no one noticed it before.