Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Old Jaffa, 2008

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Last Saturday we decided to take advantage of a beautiful day and headed to the Old City of Jaffa for an afternoon's ramble. (Follow the link to read more about Jaffa.)
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The Old City, even the reconstruction that is this one, is tailor-made for the old-fashioned look and feel of sepia.
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In this shot you can see how the old and the new sit in uneasy coexistence. The building on the far side of the arches is in fact a brand new luxury apartment building.
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Of course these 3,300 year old walls hardly need processing - they're already naturally monochromatic - and beige to boot. They are part of the remains of an Egyptian fortress built around 1300 BCE.
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These is just small glimpse into what makes Old Jaffa so unique, and such a great place to spend an afternoon. There is something for everyone - alleys full of artists' galleries, winding staircases, an old port, sea views, restaurants, and of course photo opportunities around every twisted alley. I'd show you more but at this point the kids were clamoring for ice cream so we left the charms of the Old City behind for the infinitely more fattening charms of the oh so good Dr. Lek's flagship ice cream parlor down the road. Maybe next time.
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32 comments:

Kahshe Cottager said...

A lovely series! I think the first photo would make a lovely printed fabric!

Anonymous said...

Very nice selection; a great choice for sepia scenes.

maryt/theteach said...

Sepia is very appropriate for these buildings. And a pale sepia makes them look very old (which they are!) Great job, Robin! :)

Robin said...

That's what's so wild Mary - the sepia buildings are primarily modern renovations/reconstructions. They were recreated to be faithful to the original structures, but they themselves are relatively new. It's the antiquities in the color photos that are truly old.

marLou said...

I like the brick road that has a bluish tint to them. Would like to go these places. By the way, your raindrop shot is amazing!

Janet said...

except for the palm trees, it reminds me a bit of downtown Lowell! Maybe it's the cobblestones...

Libby's Library said...

Just mosied on over from P-Dubs site. Love the pictures. Makes me want to travel.
I think breastfeeding is the best. Nursed 8 out of my 10 (last one was 9 when we adopted him - even by my standards that would have been a little "far fetched"! Got bullied out of breasfeeding by the pediatrician with the first one!
I'll be back.

Baker Watson said...

Jaffa looks like an interesting place to visit. I love anything that ha to do with old cities, fortress, and the like.

Nice series of photo's.

Baker

Anonymous said...

What a great tour! Thanks for sharing all the old architecture, excavations and detailed text. Kids only have so much patience for old beauty.

judi/Gmj said...

Great work! I like all of them.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful series of photos! :D

Mine is up HERE. Hope to see you there! Happy SS!~

Carletta said...

I like all of them but the first one is my favorite - old worldly - very nice!

Baba said...

Good evening Robin, I am thrilled to meet you.. I am loving all of these great shots and learning about you and different places..Thanks for your visit to my place today.. I will be back to read more of your blog... come and visit me anytime!!!
hugs, Baba

Mojo said...

There are many places where the old and the new sit side by side like this, but rarely is the age difference so vast!

Wonderful series, and perfect for the theme.

Phyllis Sommer said...

great post. i love old jaffa - especially the whale sculpture:-)

beautiful shots!!!

CharmaineZoe said...

Great pics, especially like the 1st one with the palm trees. Very interesting to see the old buildings & ruins, and very effective in the sepia.

Drop by my site (another old ruin) at Tails of Terror from the Black Lagoon!

MyMaracas said...

That first one looks just like something from a Victorian postcard. I really enjoyed these, and you're right -- that place is made for sepia.

Maribeth said...

What a beautiful series of photos.
I am in awe of the history around you. Places I have only read about. How fortunate you are to be there!

Anonymous said...

These are fabulous Robin. Such amazing history speaking from the stones...

Dianne said...

I love that your photo session was interrupted by kids needing ice cream :)

wonderful old stone, you can feel the texttures through the photo

Gattina said...

That would be a place for me !!

Jan said...

Wonderful photos, sepia and not. I love your post, I always like learning.

Shannon said...

Gorgeous photos. Sepia suits it perfectly. How amazing to have such history on your own back yard.

Jientje said...

This is such a great post, Robin. I enjoyed reading about this beautiful place and I really love those old Egyptian walls!

Anonymous said...

So gorgeous. :)

I am now back online after nearly 2 months of making do with 1-2 hours a day, so I hope to be visiting again more regularly. I'm glad I came by to see these ancient structures--made my day!

Linda

Annie Jeffries said...

The palms remind me of my daughter's trip to Tunisia a few years ago. A fascinating time and memory.

Claremont First Ward said...

Another spot to add to my "must visit someday list". Thanks for the interesting post!

Anonymous said...

When I am rich I am coming to you and we are going wandering.

And I will bring you a brand new mixer.

Cause you are THAT awesome

me ann my camera said...

What a wonderful location you live in photography; love all of it.

Unknown said...

those pictures are great! and the sepia adds a nice touch, too.

Julia Phillips Smith said...

So amazing that you can hang out in such a place, Robin, just a drive away from your home. So amazing.

Cindy said...

All nice shots, but those walls are awesome! What an incredible place to visit.My sepia scene for this week is
here Hope you can stop by!