Lanes

• If you’re walking from Derekh Aza along Binyamin MiTudela (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_of_Tudela) Street (see http://jerusalemblog.blogspot.com/2006/06/view.html) and want to get to Kikar Magnes (Magnes Square), you can climb the steep slope of Shirion Street, or you can continue to Saadia Gaon(http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/SaadiaGaon.html) and turn right.
• About halfway between, are steps that lead to a footpath that seems to end at a wrought-iron gate. It's not on maps.
• Climb the steps, continue along the path between shrubs that mask the buildings and the view, turn left sharply when the lane does, and you walk out suddenly intoMagnes square. Like Grammercy Park and London squares surrounded by Regency mansions, the center area is fenced, but this gate has no lock.The playground has a water fountain (http://jerusalemblog.blogspot.com/2006/06/fountains.html ). Opposite the park two sculptured doves decorate a memorial bench.
• At least two of the houses on this square are single-family dwellings, modestly masquerading as apartment buildings. The larger streets from Kikar Magnes are Rashba (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Adret.html) leading to Ramba and and Alfasi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Alfasi).
• Go along Alfasi, a shaded, very quiet street, home to university professors for more than half a century. Looking left, you will soon see a broad, paved lane with a handrail painted municipal lavender. This footpath leads to Ben Maimon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rambam) .
• Turn right at the top of this path and walk a short distance while watching for steps to a park on the right. Down the steps is a welcoming and shady seating area. Continuing past that, you skirt a building-sized rock tomb from the time of the Macabees. To the right is a comfortable bench where you may see a student catching up on reading. Out the gate and you are back on Alfasi.
• Turning right on Alfasi (past a small arbor with inviting benches) takes you to Afodi which goes steeply down to Benyamin MiTudela, past a vaguely oriental private garden behind the wall on your left (http://jerusalemblog.blogspot.com/2006/06/windmills.html ) .
• Cross the street and turn to the right -- in your original direction on MiTudela. To the left a very narrow footpath (shown on maps) leads from MiTudella down to a branch of Aza, opposit a small park where the Neighborhood Watch is headquartered in an old bomb shelter (http://jerusalemblog.blogspot.com/2006/09/on-down.html ).
• Exploring pedestrian paths and staircases is one of the joys of walking around Jerusalem. Most, but not all, of these ways are on the Carta Street Map or on http://www.e-map.co.il/eng_index.asp (give it plenty of time to come up).
• Two long stairways lead from Rav Berlin to Harlap, and a third (not on my maps) from Aza to Harlap. Used to these shortcuts, I have trouble providing good directions to drivers.
• Maps show a footpath from Binyamin Mitudela to Alfasi, opposite Ben Labrat (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Labrat.html) Street. I have not yet found that path.

Copyright 2006 Jane S. Fox