Photo: Al-Rainbow Street on a lazy weekend

I enjoyed a nice breakfast at the Bake House yesterday with Fr. Al. He ordered french toast that was made from freshly baked Bake House bread. I ordered a three-cheese omelette, which was very filling. It made me realized we don't eat cheese in Jordan often. It was very tasty. The Bake House was filled with late-breakfast-goers because they were enjoying the day after the Eid. It is a trendy place with a large room for seating upstairs. It was incredibly enjoyable. Now, I would have been happier with a vaulted ceiling so the cigarette smoke would have risen. Either that or better ventilation could have helped.

Since the morning was 72 degrees, we rolled down the window instead of using air conditioning. I remarked to Fr. Al that the city smells so good. The aromas from all the restaurants were filling the air. It delighted the olfactory senses.

We toured Al-Rainbow Street, which is the section of town that sits above the center of the city. It is known as the place where young people hang out, eat a burger, smoke some hookahs at a cafe, or go to one of the many restaurants and lounges. There is an old-time cinema in the district. Right now it is showing old halloween movies. When it shows James Bond's new film, I'll go.

I spotted three English-speaking bookstores/coffee shops. I'll head over to this area often. Now, I have three districts where I can go for a nice coffee. One of these bookstores is completely non-smoking. Even the patio out back is restricted. Most have wifi and a good selection of books. I'm in the market for water color painting classes, guitar lessons (and a guitar), and some language classes. The arts scene seems vibrant here.

A few museums are in the area. The Wild Jordan museum has some informational facts about the animals that once prowled the area. The Royal Jordanian Film Commission has two buildings were various films are shown. Art and indoor-sculpture galleries line the main street that has restricted automobile traffic.

I passed by an army officer who was guarding the British Council. He was very friendly with limited English. He asked my name so I told him. I asked his and he grimaced. I asked again and he said, "Saddam." I laughed, which caused him to laugh. He gave me a high-five twice and held firmly onto my hands as though we were cemented as friends.

Jebel Amman, the hill upon which the Rainbow district sits, is the location of one of our churches. It has great vistas of the city, especially of the ancient Roman citadel and ruins.

This walk was invigorating for me. I'm glad I did it. I went back the day after I had breakfast at the Bake House. Since it was a lazy Eid extended holiday weekend, I knew traffic would not be so challenging. It was actually a pleasant drive.

To see photos of A-Rainbow Street, click on the link below:

Pics of early morning on Al-Rainbow Street above the city center.