Flavor in Everything

Jerusalem 93627
Today I officially became a resident of Jerusalem, as far as the municipality is concerned based on their regulations for purchasing a discount card to special events and museums. The Yerushalmi card, as it is affectionately known, gives me access to discounts of all kinds, which makes everything taste better, naturally.

After buying the card, I went with Sheeran and Sharon, my roommate and his cousin, respectively, to take advantage of the card for the first time. We each bought tickets for the next big show: Shlomo Artzi in Sacher Park. The last time I saw Shlomo Artzi was the summer of 1996, the first year I visited Israel. No doubt it will be an emotional reunion for us, so stayed tuned for the concert report.

Moroccan Meal Aftermath
After hanging out in the city center for a bit, at which point Sheeran was conned into signing up for a credit card (true story), Sharon invited us to her mom's house for dinner. It was quite an incredible feast, though it was just Sheeran and me that ate. The aftermath (pictured) evidences that there were, indeed, nine flavors that were mixed together to form the perfection of the Moroccan feast. To show my appreciation for the abundance of food and hospitality, as well as my eagerness for the next invitation, I helped Sharon mop up the top roof where the kiddie pool provided a nightly relaxation hotspot.

Land of Hops & Honey
The next night we all reconvened, with more of Sheeran's cousins, at the 6th Annual Jerusalem Beer Festival. After pushing my way through the massive line for tickets, I felt like I deserved a decent beer. Though the festival touted over 100 types of beer available, I kept it simple and tried two. The half liter I bought was Triple Carmelite, an 8.4% ABV tasty brew. We listened to some fun live music, put on by a known Israeli band called Girafot. That means 'giraffes' if you couldn't surmise already from the similarly sounding word. After hanging out with other friends we ran in to, I went over and tasted a beer by Israel's Negev Brewery. I wish I had stuck with that label all night - I tasted their paciflora (passion fruit) beer. Quite an experience and flavor explosion of a beer. Where are you sold Negev Beer? I'd like some more, please.