Herman Melville

A Gaza sea Moby Dick ? (Old City souk)

Isadora Duncan

"Isadora", an all-black cool place, with operatic rather than ballet flavour...

Django Reinhard

A performance of "jazz manouche" by "Les Gadjos" at the "Borderline" in East Jerusalem,

just where the border line used to be, some 40 years ago...

Bob Smith

The bar at Adom, (West) Jerusalem

* Bob Smith was one of the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous

Mstislav Rostropovitch

What has the death of the Master to do with my current endeavours ? Well I saw and heard him in Lisbon (Teatro de S. Carlos) in 1981. And I remember well that before the start of the performance we observed a minute of silence for the death of Anwar Sadate, killed that very same day.

Yann Thiersen

All ready for a concert by Yann Thiersen of "Amelie" 's fame, at the Bethlehem Peace Center,

( for the record, it took us an eternity to clear the re-entry check-point...)

Thanks to amplification technology a violin still works even after losing practically all its strings...

A "valse guinguette" transported us to the shores of the Seine...

Feodor Chaliapin

We discussed over dinner if she should bring some sturgeon stuff from Moscow...

(Photo courtesy http//doubtful-value.livejournal.com )

* Although most Russians will have their "ikra" with blinis, the great singer Chaliapin, an accomplished gourmet, recommended a slice of white bread with a very thin coat of butter as the ideal bed for caviar..

Cristiano Ronaldo

Future fans of the Manchester United player... (a secularist moment at a Bethlehem football pitch)

Sting, Andy Summers, Steward Copeland

Hill Street Blues...

Jean Piaget

Educational struggle between teachers-on-strike and defenders of public order... (Al Bireh)

John Lobb

Playing with shoes, an innocent game for the youth of Ramallah...

Earl Grey

"Tea with Nana" (mint) at all times

Al-Khader / St George

The Dome of the Rock in mother-of-pearl, thanks to the generosity of my hosts from Al-Khader (Bethlehem)