City feature: Haifa

Now that summer is upon us, there’s a new series of jokes going around the cynical Israeli circuit, which revolve around the same punchline:

“So, what are you doing this summer?”
“That depends – when does the war start and end?”

“Hey, feeling like a weekend in a tzimmer?”
“Maybe; but let’s wait for the wartime deals.”

All jokes aside – though it’s hard – I would like to get out to Haifa one of these days. The last time I was there was in 2004 and it was only for one day. It’s a fascinating city in its own rite, totally different than Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. In fact, I remember feeling like I was in a different country altogether. It’s a city of religions, but unlike Jerusalem, it’s calm and peaceful. It’s a city of modernity, but unlike Tel Aviv, it’s laid-back and green.

Here are some photos from that day nearly three years ago – and hopefully I’ll have updated ones fairly soon; before ‘the war’, of course.