April 9, 2001 — Mudeif Productions

*The ceiling of the Church of Flaggelation.*

Today was a quiet day, nice and slow. We traveled the Via Dolorosa, visiting both the impressive churches along the way (like the Church of Flaggelation with its impressive ceiling artwork of the crown of thorns) and the small chapels that simply mark one of the Stations of the Cross.

One of the highlights was the Coptic Monastery, resting next to the Holy Sepulchre. Down below is the cave of St. Helena, which invites visitors to sing hymns and appreciate the acoustics. We couldn't resist dropping off a few Easter Hymns, and Marthame's mom's and sister's voices were multiplied into a choir.

*This simple wood contraption replaced the ancient bells that were forbidden to Armenians for a time.*

*Daily prayers at the Armenian Orthodox Cathedral.*

After a quick visit to the Holy Sepulchre, we went to St. James' Armenian Orthodox Cathedral for their daily dose of smells and bells. It begins with one of the priests knocking against a piece of wood - there's nothing quite like it for Old World mystery in the Old City.

*Marthame’s family in front of the Wailing Wall.*

We eventually wound our way to the Western Wall, stopping in the Jewish Quarter for lunch (but no sandwiches - it's Passover). Lunch offered the opportunity to do some crowd-watching, marveling at the various attires found among the population of Jerusalem's Jewish section. There are soldiers whose machine guns rest on their laps; ultra-Orthodox men with silk dresses and large, fur hats; Orthodox women with simple headcoverings; secular young women with belly shirts, dyed hair, and pierced eyebrows - all sitting side by side in the cafes.

We tried, once again in vain, to visit the Dome of the Rock. It is closed to non-Muslims for the foreseeable future (as it once was many years ago), as the Islamic Waqf in charge of the property has become nervous about what an open visiting policy might lead to (e.g. Mr. Sharon).

We dined with friends in the New City, enjoying the fact that we chose a dairy rather than meat restaurant as we gulped down our ice cream.