A Whole Summer In One Day - R2BC

Walking into Narnia through the wardrobe

Except for the fact that we didn't swim or go camping, today felt like a mini summer holiday all squeezed into one day. We visited friends, went on the train, shopped, lunched, went to a show and a concert. And on top of that I had a day of free taxi rides.

This morning I had to go to a shiva across town and out to one of the satellite suburbs of Jerusalem. It was either going to be three buses in the heat of the day or, so I thought, about 200 nis (45 GBP) in taxis there and back. But I've know my friend who lost her mother since we were 10 and 11 years old, and I'm also friends with her sister. We don't often see each other now as lives get in the way but we do manage to meet for coffee occasionally. Anyway, it was important to me to go to the shiva.

We headed for the bus stop with the intention of getting a bus if one came quickly. But it didn't so we hopped into a taxi. I was also watching the time because it was already 10.30 and some shivas take a lunch break in the middle of the day.  Added to that it was the Gay Pride Parade in Jerusalem today and they were closing the roads near us from 2.30.

The taxi driver 'invited' me to join Gett Taxi and he talked me through downloading the app on my phone. This gave me 100 nis in rides as a gift for joining up and 20 nis off the first five rides until August 24th. He also told me their rates to the airport and other longer distance journeys I sometimes take and they were very favourable. Our journey this morning only cost 60 nis and I paid 40 plus a tip.

For the home journey another shiva caller gave us a ride to the light rail station that I didn't even know went out that far. We got the train back into town where DD and I both got new bags (me for everyday and her for school with a matching pencil case) and we picked up felafel and chips for lunch. We got the bus home and ate in comfort on the balcony as it was close to 2.30 and I didn't want to get caught behind the closed roads.

DD sitting next to Mr & Mrs Beaver's younger brother

At 6.30 we left to go to a performance of Journey To Narnia. We made our first booking with Gett Taxi. My screen told me that there were seven taxis in the area. One of them accepted the fare straight away and I was given his name, his car (make and colour) and registration number, his phone number, how far away he was, and how many minutes it would take him to get to us. I looked to find out what he'd had in his sandwiches for lunch but it didn't say. He arrived in seven minutes. The journey cost 30 nis and we paid 10 nis plus a tip.

Journey To Narnia is an original play based on, but adapted from, The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe. It was performed by the children in the JELLY (the people who publish KIDS READ) Summer Drama Workshop. Of course we know Narnia intimately. I was impressed by the creative set, the costumes, and also the added humorous scenes like a Miss Narnia Pageant and a Beaver-Faun Rap. It was a lot of fun and DD giggled in all the right places. We were very honoured to be invited. Of course we met friends there and we knew two of the cast, welcome to Anglo-Jerusalem.

I could have danced all night... and other songs from musicals and the 1960s

We came out at 8.15 into a cool Jerusalem evening. It was so pleasant we decided to walk home via the First Station. This is a sort of Covent Garden type place on the site of the original Jerusalem railway station. We arrived just in time for the beginning of a free concert by the Harel Orchestra - The Jerusalem Municipal Orchestra. We found friends and sat with them and we even knew the tuba player, we're still in Jerusalem remember.

I thought it was going to be classical music so I promised DD we'd only stay for 10 minutes if she was bored. But turns out, it was more Big Band than concert hall. They played classic sing-along Hebrew songs, songs from the musicals, The Beatles, The Beach Boys. We stayed for almost an hour. People were singling along and dancing. There were lots of families with children even though we didn't leave till about 9.30 pm.

Then we walked the 20 minutes walk home with lots of reasons 2B cheerful and, as usual I'm joining the R2BC linky which is back with Becky on Lakes Single Mum for the month of August.