SED 13 - a quiet day in the south

We're at the midpoint of our week in Israel. Today I took the train to Beersheba with A and S, and we spent the day with ADC's parents and sister. From my point of view, apart from the travel, it was a nice quiet day after yesterday's excitement and the busy-ness of the next days, in the immediate lead-up to the bar mitzvah. Everyone was amazed by how much A has grown (although he is still shorter than E, but not by much) and how much S's comics have improved technically. 

A and S was rather overtired by this time, as well as not quite over jet lag, as they had stayed up to watch the Champions' League semi-final last night, after returning from Jerusalem. I refused to allow them to see today's semi-finals unless they rested in the afternoon, and this caused a mild crisis with A, who believes he can get by with far less sleep than he actually needs and actively resists sleeping in cars/planes/trains/afternoons. I managed to put my point across, and then went off for a 90-minute nap, myself, which was very much needed. Tomorrow I have a 9 a.m. meeting in Tel Aviv, whereas the boys can sleep as late as they like. 

I am really looking forward to coming home in August. Eating loquats in season and hearing A's description of the market in Jerusalem, where he had lunch with his friends yesterday, really made me homesick. In America pineapple and asparagus are as cheap or expensive as anything else, while in Israel they are luxuries, but the supermarket is a totally different sensory experience, not even a poor imitation, of a real market where you can buy staples like cucumbers and tomatoes, and they always taste good.