MUM COMES TO ERETZ YISRAEL

The build up was quick and exciting, but before we knew it, mum was due to arrive at Ben Gurion airport. So, we made our way to meet her, only to find when we arrived that there were no flights coming from Johannesburg that night (mum was flying via South Africa) and, in fact, it seemed that mum's flight had been delayed by ten hours - this after she already had a nine hour lay-over. Big bummer. So, I was up again at criminal o'clock to collect her ...and there she was, tired, confused and luggage-less...because, of course, they had also forgotten to redirect her luggage from South Africa! Anyway, mum's luggage eventually came and we could get on with enjoying having her here, which was truly wonderful.

The first week we spent doing lots of trips. We went shopping in the Arab market in the Old City of Jerusalem (didn't buy anything, of course, because the whole experience is too stressful); we walked around Yafo (Jaffa), the ancient port next to Tel Aviv and we went with Sharron to visit the newly revealed excavations in Cesarea (which are amazing...this is the best site I can find about them) and to Zichron Yaakov.

In the second week, we slowed down a bit and stayed more at home, for a range of reasons, but in large part because Israel had been hit by a dreadful heatwave...and after we promised mum that the summer heat wouldn't start for a few more weeks! One of the activities we did at home, then, was to paint the wounded walls of the rooms with the most immediate needs. Without mum being here, I never would have had the motivation to do this and it really was a revelation to be reminded (and I know I shouldn't need to be reminded) how great mums are. As part of this, I won't bore you with the enormous generosity that mum showed to us, being confronted, as she was, by our very real olim chadishim (new immigrant) financial situation, but she gets more than gold stars for her forbearance. She joins the Solomon family in the Gold Star album.

But enough of this, here are some pics of mum's visit:

Mum and David on the number 5 sherut taxi.

Mum at the Tel Aviv Port.

Mum and Sharron in the ruin of a Byzantium 'fancy house' in Cesarea.

Mum taking a pic from Yafo of the Tel Aviv foreshore.

Mum left at the end of June, after a two week visit. By this time, I think she was secretly pleased to go (and to leave behind the accursed mosquitoes, the heatwave and all our nonsense!), but we were very sorry to say goodbye. She arrived back, having had her luggage tampered with once again! Yay for El Al!