Jerusalem — Israel

A shot from The Old City, Jerusalem

Jerusalem — Israel

We had only one day to spend in Jerusalem, but we made the most of it!

We were in Tel Aviv (see my previous blog post) to have my wedding dress made by the incredible, Coral Confortti, and happened to be done working a day early! So, we took advantage of our free day and hopped on a train to Jerusalem!

We used Gett (like Uber) to get to the Ha’Hagana Train Station in Tel Aviv (an easily navigable train station with kind staff willing to speak English), and took a train to Jerusalem (roughly a 30-40 minute ride).

Once we arrived in Jerusalem we decided to walk from the Yitzhak Navon Train Station to the Old City, stopping at the Mahaneh Yehudah Market on our way there. There’s also a Light Rail that runs down Jaffa Street you can purchase passes for and easily hop on and off (which we did on our way back).

Images above of the Ha’Hagana Train Station in Tel Aviv on the left // walking through the Mahaneh Yehudah Market on the right.

The Mahaneh Yehudah Market —

The market was flooded with people, food, and other goods everywhere you looked. The image above on the right shows me walking through the center of the market on the outside portion, but there were various openings where you could head into the market and it seemed like it continued forever. It was filled with cafes and places to stop to eat and hang out. The market made for some of the best people watching and we too decided to stop so we could enjoy some authentic baklava with hot honey that I am still dreaming about to this day.

You can head over to my Instagram and find my “Jerusalem” highlight to see more photos and videos of this market and the rest of our journey through Jerusalem as I cannot share it all here in the full detail it deserves!

Images below of the baklava I speak of above on the left // shops you’ll find in Jerusalem on the right.

The Old City Of Jerusalem —

Truly remarkable; Like stepping back in time. When we made it down Jaffa Street (the street connecting the Yitzhak Navon Train Station to the Old City), we found our way down pathways surrounding the walled city and to an entrance gate. I believe we entered through The Jaffa Gate, the one many consider to be “the main entrance” (as seen in the image to the right).

We walked down side streets, through (what used to be) old markets, and eventually over to the Western Wall (the last remnant of the original retaining walls surrounding the Second Temple - known as the holiest site in the Jewish faith).

We then made our way over to The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (holding the Angel’s Stone - believed to be a fragment of the stone that sealed Jesus’ tomb and the tomb of Jesus Himself).

We were silly and uneducated at the time of our visit, not able to fully grasp the magnitude of the sites we had just personally witnessed, but having learned after our departure, we are very eager to return and share this surreal experience with more of our loved ones.

The images above from left to right: The Western Wall // The Church of the Holy Sepulchre’s entrance.

What we learned —

The Old City of Jerusalem is divided into four quarters — The Jewish Quarter, The Christian Quarter, The Muslim Quarter, and The Armenian Quarter. We only had time to visit The Jewish Quarter and The Christian Quarter during our visit, but both were abundant in history and powerfully energetic.

The markets in The Old City, though fun to look at and reminisce about what may have been once upon a time, seemed to be overrun by tourist traps. We avoided looking too hard or venturing too deep as some merchants minded your space, while others were sellers.

We did secure a map upon entering the Old City, which we would recommend, especially if trying to see specific sites, and make sure to give yourself ample time here, as it surely did seem to fly!

Up next — Italy!