The Austrian Hospice is as near to the middle of the Old City of Jerusalem as you can get. Run by Catholic nuns from Austria, it is quiet, pleasant, sparkling clean, and friendly -- just as all of the guidebooks say. There are a good number of college students who stay in large dormitory-like hostel rooms in the basement, and they all seem to congregate in the lobby lounge area with their laptops and i-Pods to hang out and visit.
Outside my window, if I were to pull back the white drapes for you, The Temple Mount is just to the left, its large glistening golden dome dominating the skyline of Jerusalem. It is illuminated throughout the night and is captivating in its colorful presence. (In case you didn't know, this building stands on the exact site where Solomon built his temple in 960 B.C., and where a second one was constructed later after the first one was demolished by angry Babylonians in 587 B.C. ) The second temple, on the same site, was where Jesus was presented as an infant, "stayed behind" without telling his folks when he was a young boy, and later came through and "cleansed' the area of money-changers in anger as an adult. Yep, just down the street. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is just out the window, a few blocks to the right, sitting on top of what once was the small hill known as Calvary. I can walk to either site in about five minutes.
Centuries of history in all directions from my comfy little room. Very cool. I am liking this, and can't wait to really start exploring tomorrow.
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