ACRE - THE OLD CITY

Our weekend was spent with the grandchildren, because my daughter and son-in-law took three days off into the Negev Desert, they had fun, but we did too!

We went with the two smaller children on Shabatt morning to the old city of Acre and visited an art exhibition, which is held at the ethnographic museum inside the fortified walls surrounding the town. The walls were built by the Turks, so strong that even Napoleon did not succeed in conquering them! The museum shows tools and objects of trades in the Galilee, as well as furniture,  table ware and clothing, from the end of the Ottoman period till the beginning of modern Israel. There is a shoemakers shop, an old pharmacy,  a tailoring, a carpentry, a tin smith workshop, a jewellery workplace, and reconstructions of market stores, everything arranged beautifully and interesting. The art pieces were displayed in midst and among the artifacts of the museum. The museum, called "Treasures in the Walls" אצרות בחומה was set up three years ago in an 80 meters long and 10 meters high tunnel, built inside the walls as a temporary abode and a passageway for Ottoman soldiers, a very impressive architecture.

My friend Aiva has two pieces of her artwork included in the exhibition (you remember the "cookies" from our party?) and the children were excited in finding them.

.

A visit to Acre is not complete without strolling through the Arab shouk which is relatively small, but full of color, texture, smell - fish and seafood, fruit and vegetable, clothing, sweets and nuts, coffee, spices, legumes, hats and shoes, pita, burekas and baklava, in no particularly order - what else do you fancy? They have it! 

What is this?

And that?

There is one restaurant after the other, fancy ones, fish and seafood restaurants, and small stalls with humus and felafel. And there is even one lane, called the White Shouk, dedicated only to the culinary needs!

Ahhh - what a feast for the senses - yes, for the ears as well, Middle Eastern Arab and Israeli music roaring and drumming from every corner!

We finished off with four baskets of strawberries to take home and with ice cream at the sea!

I am thankful for this great day!

Most of the photos by my husband, some I took.