Signs of winter in Israel, part I

Thought I'd start a new series of posts on what it's like in Israel during the winter...winter, ha, don't make me laugh! More like an English summer, but try telling that to the locals. They really have no idea...

Anyway, I love the winters over here, not just because of the weather. It also heralds the appearance of things you'll find somewhat harder to spot at any other time of the year. Take, for example, the multitude of citrus fruits you can currently buy. Apart from adding a splash of color to your local supermarket/market, shit are they cheap! This little lot in the picture below cost a tad less than 20 shekels (a bit over $4) - I know in England this lot would have set me back probably double that amount. And forget about buying single bananas/oranges - none of that over here, it's all by the kilo, and because it's so cheap, you end up buying a big bunch, or a fairly big bag full of oranges, clementines, whatever. Trust me, you'll only get sneered at if you don't take at least a kilo...

Ain't nothing better than half a grapefruit for breakfast, sprinkled with a little sugar... and I've even got mrs. anglosaxy hooked.

Interesting fact: oranges aren't native to Israel and were actually introduced to Israel by British Philanthropist Sir Moses Montifiore, who purchased land in the mid-19th century on the outskirts of the port city of Jaffa, specifically for planting orange orchards. They've since long gone, of course.



NOTE: If any of you can't see the above picture let me know. I've just purchased some webspace and am trying out some picture hosting. Which might just mean a whole load of pictures coming your way...