My girls and I are currently on vacation visiting my oldest sister and in-laws in Palestine.
It’s been three years since J and I have last visited and we missed it dearly. It’s little M’s first time here and she’s already enjoying the less strict lifestyle [read: No car seats]. I’ll splitting my time between my sister and in-laws. Unfortunately they are nearly 2 hours apart so it’s not an easy transition from house to house.
I’m being spoiled silly by both parties. Foods I’ve been craving and haven’t had in years are constantly being presented to me without even asking. Luckily my nightly walks with my sister-in-law have begun to ward off any excess calories.
Life here moves at a much slower and leisurely pace. While naps are a rarity and indulgence back in America, they’re a part of the daily flow of things in Palestine. It’s going to be hard to go back to the daily grind of go, go, go when I return home. For now, I’ll savor each moment.
A few pictures from our trip thus far:
Dome of the Rock – Jerusalem, Palestine
Little M striking a pose.
The most refreshing drink I’ll have while I’m here. Fresh lemonade slushie with fresh chopped mint.
J enjoying a shady spot, perfect for a quick shot at the Dome of the Rock.
The quintessential Palestinian breakfast. Fresh falafel, hummus, cured olives, cucumber, tomatoes, zeit wa za’taar {olive oil with a crushed dried thyme and sesame seed mixture}, and labneh {a thick yogurt topped with olive oil}. All scooped up with fresh pita bread and downed with hot mint tea.
More pictures to come.
No car seats? Isn’t that hard to adjust to after being so used to have them secure buckled in?
Is this your sister and Iman’s, too? How many sisters do you all have? LOL!
It was very difficult and frustrating, but the girls were a-okay with the freedom.
There are 4 of us girls total!!
That breakfast looks delish. I might have it for dinner tomorrow!
It was super tasty. A great vegetarian meal as long as you don’t mind the fried aspect of it.
Looks gorge Mashallah! Hope to visit one day Inshallah. And M has grown so much mashallah! The food looks gorge as well. All in all, enjoy your stay in the beautiful city!
Thanks Humaira. It really is a wonderful place to visit. So many different kinds of people can be found walking through the old cobblestone alleys of Jersusalem.
again just breathtaking photos….so bright and colourful…that blue blue sky…
Thank you!
ما شاء الله .. الله يهنيكم
انا حلم من احلام حياتي الصلاة في المسجد الأقصى
ان شاء الله في يوم من الايام يتحقق
شكرا على عرض هذه التجربة الجميله
InshaAllah one day your dream will come true!
Beautiful photos! Hope you all have a great little vacation!
🙂 Thank you!
These are gorgeous photos, and those lemonade mint slushies look incredible. I crave them anytime it gets hot. A perfect way to cool off! Im looking forward to your new posts. Hope you have a lovely vacation.
Those slushies were my choice of drink the entire time I was there. Who needs water? Glad you enjoyed the photos.
I just found your blog by way of a mention from my sister who mentioned you as we were passing Michaels 🙂 I heard of your sister awhile back from their first documentary I wish I knew about hers and your blog a long time ago! I love the pictures they are beautiful.
Glad to have you along as a new reader now. You can always make up for lost time and go through my archives 🙂
I love your photography! I’m so looking forward to seeing more of your trip. Your ‘new’ blog is absolutely wonderful as well. Have fun.
Thank you Donna! I’m glad that you enjoyed the pictures.
AA Amnah,
Love the photos of Dome of the Rock….I want to come!!!…and Palestinian falafel ….. Yum ,Yum
my favorite. Have a great vacation!!
I am assured that anyone that visits Jerusalem would love it. Plenty of falafel for all too!
Lovely shots. The photo of J in front of Masjid al Aqsa almost looks like a fake background! So beautiful!
Thank you! Yes, it does look quite photoshopped. The background was intensely lit by the sun and we were standing in the shade.
Simply great and charming. Thank you for Sharing totally so sweet and pleasant.
You’re welcome, glad you enjoyed the post.
I just found your blog. It’s truly a beautiful place to visit. Happy Ramadan!
Melissa
Welcome! Glad you like what you see. Ramadan mubarak!
Gorgeous photos mashaAllah, you really captured a mix of the food, the kids, the sights, mashaAllah, can’t wait to see more.
Thank you Mona. Unfortunately, there really isn’t much more pictures. Glad you were able to capture the essence of our trip through these images.
Asalam alekum, ramadam mubarak. Looks like you had a lovely time, i hope to visit there one day inshallah, have probably checked your posts almost on a daily basis, so im glad your back and hope you and imaan post soon x take care
If you are able, you should try to visit. It really is a nice place to visit. Very tourist friendly.
Assalaam aleykum sister, ur blog is great
and you have very beautiful daughters ….ma’shaallaah
Wa Alaykum Assalam, Thank you 🙂
ماشاء الله
المسجد الاقصي 🙁
كم اتمني زيارة فلسطين
شكرا علي الصور ويارب يرزقنا جميعا لصلاه فيه قريبا