Yesterday morning I managed to be up and about even before the cats in Jerusalem. I took a walk to the Jaffa Gate and watched huge sacks of flour being offloaded from a lorry at the entrance. It was very dark and no one else was around. Even the busy road that runs around the old city was silent. Later, I found myself ducking into doorways as small tractor units chugged past me, in some places practically touching both walls. I suspect they were taking the flour to the bakers in the middle of the old city.
Next, the police started to arrive for duty, lighting cigarettes sleepily as they jumped off a van which decanted them at HQ.
When the "hole in the wall" grocer cum baker cum Turkish coffee maker opened his shutters for business, I was his first customer. Oh actually no, his first CUSTOMER was a large black cat, which he carefully chopped up a boiled egg for, and ceremoniously presented to him on a clean white sheet of paper.
By this time, the cats of the old city were chasing each other up staircases, hanging out at the door of Tourist Information (another provider of food?) and guarding the tomb of the Ottoman architect.
The weather is unseasonably warm. I was walking around yesterday in short sleeves without a coat. So, once again, 98% of my suitcase is unsuitable to wear. Sigh.
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