Bethlehem essentials

A handful of photos from Bethlehem, Palestine. Some with commentary. Have a nice walk.

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The immortal combo of coffee and cardamom – the smell of the Middle East!

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Broad beans are another regional favorite.

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To beer or not to beer? Haram or halal? While the majority is Muslim, don’t foregt that there are also many Christian Palestinians. Especially in Bethlehem.

Perhaps Palestine’s most visited site and certainly the world’s most touched silver star – the marker of Jesus birthplace in the Grotto of Nativity.

Afteem (مطعم افتيم) is probably the most famous restaurant in town. Their falafel‘s fabled fame lauds it as the finest in Filasṭīn.

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The stuff of essence.

(I reckon that those need no explanation when discussing the Eastern Mediterranean, but for the sake of search engine algorithmics, let’s go: hummus chickpeas pitas falafel tomatoes raw onion crunchy green peppers #yummy.)

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Olive tree is the symbol Palestine. Millions of them grow there, occupying more than half of the cultivated land! They often are hundreds or even thousands of years old, like the ones on the photo above, next to a church in Beit Sahour, a town located just a short walk to the east from Bethlehem.

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More coffee and we’re good to go.

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