I just returned from a fabulous Travelujah day tour - to the market in Jerusalem. Walking along the narrow streets through the market, tasting cheeses from around the world, learning about the different types of olives and getting a behind-the-scenes peek in a sourdough bread bakery were just a few of the day's highlights. A group of 25 women from Ra'anana and Ramat Efal met up with Elisa from Travelujah for a sensory-overload experience. I could hardly make it back to the bus because I was shlepping (yiddush for carrying!) my day's purchases which included 2 whole salmon, sea salt, frozen borekas dough, homemade granola, vanilla beans, and a pistachio-cranberry salad topping mix! We had a wonderful guide for the tour, Tali, who is also a master chef and apparently quite well known in culinary circles. Her explanations about the fresh produce and her stories about the people in the stalls were fascinating. I was frustrated that I couldn't carry more because I wanted to buy the fresh peaches which were HUGE - and I've seen some pretty big ones in South Carolina and Georgia! They were the size of grapefruits. The best thing about the trip though was the camaraderie and spirit - it was like a school outing (for grown-ups!). A lot of fun, new friends and great bargains. Thanks, travelujah!

Tags: food jerusalem culinary machane yehuda market