Whatever Enters My Head

So true.

The Smiling Monk:

To get in to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, our guide lead us on to the roof, as it is the easiest way in. We didn’t climb perse, the city just kind has grown around the structure, like the way a tree will grow around a nail in it’s trunk. At one moment we were on the street and the next we were on the roof. There were more churches on it’s back, almost like barnacles on a giant whale. There was a small Ethiopian monastary and chapel up there, and this friendly chap was enjoying the sun and watching the tourists. This was the second of two pictures I snapped, and the first candid I ever took where I met the subjects eyes before I raised the camera. We looked at each other, I motioned to my camera and raised my eyebrows to ask if I could take his picture, and he shrugged and laughed quite hard. And I got this picture.

I didn’t realize quite how lucky I was until I got back to the hotel and looked at it on the iPad. This might be my favorite picture of the trip, maybe my favorite candid I have ever taken.

This is pretty awesome.

A Little Bit of the Orient:

As I said in the last post, the streets we dub the Via Dolorosa, the traditional path that Jesus walked to Golgotha, is still a busy market and business area. This little fellow was just sitting on top of his cage near a street sweeper, if I remember correctly. He didn’t mind when I got in close to take his picture.

If I ever build a house…

On Holiday:

We then walked down the Via Dolorosa, which was a neat experience, not only for the traditional spiritual quality of the journey, but because it’s still in use as a normal thoroughfare for those who lived their. Their faces had the expressions that we might if a tour group walked down our neighborhoods, into our business, oohing and aahing while they pointed at our houses. It’s amusing to picture myself on the other side of the situation.

Anyway, the picturesque buildings were usually fairly drab in color, but this street clearly had a party at some point and had strung lights around. They added just enough pop to capture my interest. I’m really glad it did, because this is one of my favorite pictures from the trip.

The Vault:

The high, gothic churches tended to present light problems. Intensity, and even sometimes color would be different from dome to dome. I just decided to work with this one, and it turned out all right. It was some trouble screening out distractions, when you are working with such a wide lens.

Heavenly Light:

As we were exiting the church, I stopped for one last look and saw this lovely ray. I was stunned, and stared at it stupidly for a few seconds before I started to capture it. I was only able to get two shots off before the clouds blocked the angle and the beautiful ray of light was gone.

Worship:

This little shrine was in the magnificient church at the Pool of Bethseda, whose name escapes me. It had splendid acoustics, and people singing just sounded amazing in there. We sang a hymn, looked at the ornate mosaics and vaulted gothic ceiling, and went on our way. I stopped for a little sip of bokeh before I left. :P

Pool of Bethseda:

This is what remains of the pool of Bethseda. You are seeing multiple levels, as there were several over the course of history built on top of one another, leading to this rather Escheresque landscape, with doors to nowhere and hallways on top of doors. The pigeons own it now, and there are poppies growing everywhere.

This is pretty stunning. I love street art like this.

Golden Domes:

I’m honestly not sure what the name of this building is… it’s across from the Mount of Olives. I shot this long range while we were walking down the Mount of Olives on our way to the traditional site of Jesus’s praying before his arrest.

The Holy City:

This is Jerusalem, as seen on a clear day from the observation point on the Mount of Olives. (To look around, use the GPS link on the top right there, all my photos on this trip were tagged.)

It was quite a breathtaking view, and we had come so far to see it… it was wonderful.

You should click the magnifying glass above the picture. :P It’s quite a big panorama.