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So for my final full day in Jerusalem, I wanted to try and see things in areas I had not yet made it to. The old city is split up into 4 quarters, the Christian quarter, the Muslim Quarter, the Jewish Quarter and the Armenian Quarter. I had spent most of my time in the Muslim,Christian and Jewish quarters so I headed of into the Armenian quarter (which was a lot less intense!) towards the Zion Gate. Just outside Zion gate was King David's Tomb which I hesitantly visited. It was a very small room which had been split into 2 sides with a partition. One side for woman and one for men. When I walked in the woman were either sitting reading from the Torah, sitting with their eyes shut or standing touching the coffin reciting. It was a little weird. It was kind of like they were possessed. Actually most of Jerusalem seemed possessed at times!
After leaving there I went to the room of the last supper. Very disappointed as it was literally just a room with nothing in it but police. This lead me through to what seemed to be another church, in there was a group of people dressed in all white standing on a circle holding hands, singing with their eyes shut. Around the room were people literally hugging the pillars.... it was a little odd to say the least. Following that I went to the Jewish Holocaust museum. This was really interesting, tons of graves representing countries. As well as a tribute grave with ashes found in the gas chambers buried inside. There were some fascinating yet troubling photos, accounts and artifices that really hit home. One of which was a blood stained pieces of the Torah used to torture the Jews. They had also used parts of the Torah to fashion garments, handbags and shoes which they then made the Jews wear. I guess this will be a taster of what I have to come when I visit Auschwitz next year.
From here I went to visit Oskar Schindler's grave which is located in the Christian Cemetery outside the old city walls. While in the cemetery, I visited Oskar and then I got chatting to the young Israeli grounds keeper who was happy to show me around. He showed me where the original walls were and the most amazing view over the city of Jerusalem. I was so besotted that I sat there for an hour on the wall away from the hustle and bustle of the markets enjoying the peace and admiring the amazing view.
After enjoying another free dinner of spicy meatballs, rice and veg at my hostel I was chatting with another roommate called Elizabietta who was originally from Poland but currently living in London. She was telling me about these amazing delicacies she had discovered in a bakery (as such!) outside of Damascus gate so we decided to go and get some! On our way we discovered that it is so much easier to go shopping in the market in a pair, actually going into shops and bartering with them, it was so much fun! I took her into the Church of Holy Sepulchre as she hadn't been yet and then we went outside the old city and hunted down the bakery! We could ready what any of the treats were and the owner didn't speak English so he let us try samples of all of them before deciding which ones we wanted to buy. We were also both crazing a proper cup of tea (yes you heard me!) so we then want on the hunt for tea to have with cake! By the time we succeeded, we were sitting drinking tea and eating cakes and chatting for hours. I was sad to learn she was leaving the next day for Eilat. We have agreed to meet up back in London once she has been home to Poland.
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Dad Dinner was included in the price of the room? You are lucky to make friends so easily, anyone who drinks tea is OK in my book. For some reason I thought Schindler's grave was in the US but I am not surprised to learn it is there, it is certainly more fitting. As to the museum, another reminder of how evil the world can be...