Weekend begins

Sunrise today

I guess I'm not fully recovered yet from the hectic week. This morning I had severe stupid cramps and nausea. I went down for Mass but before it started I decided to go back to my room. Was really sick. But later by 8am I felt better and went to work. It was unusual hot today ... 28 degrees ... at 2pm. That made me feel better.

Being Friday I try to avoid Damascus Gate as thousands of muslims are entering the City to pray at the Al Aqsa Mosque. But I still had to go to works I went through the alleys in order to avoid the crowds.

Vintage cars at Piazza Roma

Then it was meeting up with a student, getting book orders done up and outstanding work cleared. Later I went up to the New City to chat with a student facing study problems. First timers always face difficulties with ancient language courses ... and they need a lot of encouragement otherwise they give up. Ancient languages are never easy to learn. Along our walk in the New City, we saw a group of vintage cars parked at Piazza Roma near the Italian Synagogue. The owners were on a parade to show off their cars.

Yesterday saw a shocking bomb blast in the Tel Aviv Highway. A car was blown up and killed the passengers. Police said it was crime related and not a terrorist attack. Early this morning a terrorist rammed whisker into 2 people and tried to stab a soldier just south of Jerusalem. He was shot and seriously wounded. Looks like tensions are rising as it always does in winter.  http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Two-morning-terror-attacks-in-West-Bank-leave-three-wounded-514496

Meantime Israel's largest air force drill with an international participation of foreign air forces just ended. It's a timely warning to the north in Lebanon and the south in Gaza not to mess around. https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-wraps-up-its-largest-ever-air-force-drill/

And there're many many sharks flocking around Haifa beach. Scary. We're still not sure what species they are but a drone film over the beach shows quick a pack. They're drawn to Haifa's electric plant that spew warm water into the Haifa Bay ... now that winter is bringing in cold water.  http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Watch-Sharks-sighted-near-Hadera-514446

And the weekly struggle between ultra-orthodox jews and other jews of different confessions clashed at the Wailing Wall this morning. The ultra-orthodox hold the monopoly over the Wall and determine who and how a jew can pray there. Other jews feel the Wall is the property of all jews and jews from all confessions should be able to pray there. https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.823122