Saturday, December 22, 2012

A Favorite Jerusalem View

I must admit that I was among those who mocked that String Bridge, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, as it was being built in Jerusalem, spanning the Central Bus Station and the Kiryat Moshe neighborhood.  I also admit that it really doesn't fit the ambiance of that area, but every time I approach it from a certain angle, my camera finds itself in my hands and there's that "click."


Yes, rain or shine, whether there's dirt or not on the windows of whatever vehicle, I just can't stop myself from taking a picture.

Having learned photography in the days of film and expensive developing and printing, I rarely take more than one shot of any scene.  But this I have taken on many occasions.

5 comments:

Sandra said...

Shavuah Tov! I call it the harp, because that's how it seems to me. I think it's an oddity in the area, but you can't deny that it helps find the way, as you can see it from many places and it helps get a sense of direction! Is that rain on your picture....hope so as Israel needs it so much! Here in the UK we have had so much rain that many villages are flooded and rivers are running down main streets in some parts of the country.

Netivotgirl said...

I run a poor bride's fund. The money spent on this piece of ugliness (Beauty is in the eye of the beholder) could have fed many hungry people and helped marry off many poor brides!!!

One thing I DO miss are the bushes that used to say 'Welcome to Yerushalayim,' instead of those ugly white letters... there was also a menorah made out of greenery not far from there. I would look for these 2 things on my entrance to the city each time we traveled up from Netivot.

Batya said...

Sandra, yes it was a rainy day, B"H.
Netivotgirl, that money never would have gone to poor people. It is easier to walk baby carriages on the bridge than crossing all those dangerous streets. and the lovely landscaping we all miss is on another street. About that, you can write to the Jm municipality.

Leah, Maaleh Adumim said...

@Sandra and Batya - I have also always thought (since seeing it while it was being built) that it resembles a harp. I don't know why it is called the "String Bridge" (implying that it is something patched together from paper mache and bubble gum) instead of "David's Harp Bridge" (a Jerusalem landmark!)

Batya said...

Strings of the harp