Shopping and noshing through the Holy Land

From the walled city of Jerusalem to the otherworldly landscape of the Dead Sea, and from the vivacious beaches of Tel Aviv to the historic streets of Jaffa, there are many sights and activities in Israel, but spending your time shopping means taking home the tastes, smells and wares of the Holy Land.In the Muslim quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City, between the many holy sites, are tiny, crowded alleyways packed with bazaars. Glittering garments and hand painted pottery spill out onto the walkways, sharing the cramped space with old women selling freshly picked vine leaves ready to be stuffed with meats and vegetables. You will rub shoulders with locals and tourists, and there is a refreshing lack of attention paid to patrons. Unlike some markets, you will not hear calls of prices and bargains from the vendors here; no one will yell at you to buy their goods. But it will be hard pass up the temptation to take home some leather sandals or aromatic spices to remind you of your travels.When you need a break from shopping and sightseeing, cool down with an ice-cold juice from one of the many stands found all over Israel and Palestine. In Old Jerusalem one such traditional hummus place offers an unbeatable and affordable feast. Abu Shukriintersection of Via Dolorosaand Al Wad Road; 972-2-627-1538, is small and has cracked and worn tables, but the service is friendly and quick and the hummus is perfectly smooth and flavourful. For a cheap and memorable meal, try the foul, a dish of mashed fava beans, and the homemade pickles served with piping hot pita bread, followed by a mint teaIn west Jerusalem, the sprawling coveredfood market is full of gorgeous fresh meats, cheeses, fruits and vegetables being picked over mainly by locals. The prices are average and the goods, like the hot golden rounds of bread fresh from the oven, sprinkled generously with sesame seeds and piles of plump, ripe figs, are as beautiful to look at as they are delicious.Find a perch at the Topolino café(62 Agripas; 972-2-6622-3466Italian restaurant specializing in seafood and homemade pizzas and pastas. It is a great spot to watch people, busses and cars whiz past whileenjoying olives and a glass of wine. Delicious chocolate truffles are served with the bill.Ha Carmel Marketlocated in the centre of town on Ha Carmel and Allenby Streets, is the largest open air market in Tel Aviv. The rambling market’s vendors hawk a mix of souvenirsjewellery, T-shirts, woven sandals and candy, but what sets it apart are theimpressive fruit and vegetable standsTables groan under the weight of mountains of grapes, cherries, eggplant, radishes, peppers, olives and okra, when in season. Continue past the golden mounds of baklava and heaps of freshly baked bread to another section where local artists sell their paintings and handmade crafts. The market is open during week, but is at its most heaving on Fridays.End your one-stop shopping spree at Restaurant Gadera2626 GederaStreet, adjacent to the market at the intersection of Allenby and KingGeorge Streets; 972-3-5100164, an adorable little spot with a friendly staff offering a unique fusion of Mediterranean and European specialties made with fresh local and seasonal ingredients. Its variety of boutique Israeli beers and wines are best sampled with a selection of delectable during happy hour

Musical destinations Trondheim Norway

At the opening night of Norway’s Trondheim kammermusikkfestival everyone is included; even the harbourside boats get a look-in, sounding their horns as part of a musical celebration of ‘sounds of the town’. They almost upstage a spotlit musician, Bergmund Skaslien, who has been suspended upside-down from a crane with his viola. This, the culmination of an evening of quirky musical spectacle, has seen violinist Daniel Hope encourage the crowds to join in with Steve Reich’s Clapping Music, while festival composerhas performed pieces from his opera GomorraBoat horns aside, what is exceptional about the Trondheim Festival, and why it draws such outstanding namesDaniel Hope and Norwegian piano hero Leif Ove Andsnes on stage together for the first time – is this expertly crafted mix of genres. ‘There shouldn’t be a division between a contemporary music festival and achamber music festival,’ insists artistic director Sigmund Tveteviolinist himself, and a founding member of the Trondheim Soloists, he explains how the festival has grown out of the city’s pioneering development of young musicians back in the 1970s. As one of this system’s first generation, along with festival director Vegar Snøfugl, hewent on to form the Soloists in 1988 followed by the festival, which is now in its 16th year and runs alongside an International Chamber MusicCompetition. As a young performer, having seen how old some UK musical society audiences were, Tvete Vik was keen to try something new. ‘We wanted to show the young generation that chamber music can be so much more than just Mozart, so we wanted to integrate the whole thing.Another benefit to the city is the close proximity of its festival venueswhich sees festival goers hurrying from one concert to the next, dodgingflurries of bicycles these have right of way on Norwegian pavementsOne of the most striking venues is Nidaros Cathedral. Building began in 1070 over the tomb of St Olav, the region’s Viking ruler who converted to Christianity. Nearby in the shopping centre his 18-metre statue gazes down the street as townsfolk stock up on their daily goods. I’d beenthat one of the many saint statues on the cathedral’s west wall had a ‘restored’ face of Bob Dylan but I couldn’t find him among the heavenly host. Impressive enough in the day, at night – midnight to be precise – the dimly lit cathedral holds an atmospheric festival concert by its own Girls’ Choir, performing works led by percussionist Hans-Kristian Kjos Sørenson. Folk music and eerie choral swishing noises mingle as the choristers perform his work Improvisasjon.Another night time concert, in the 12th-century Archbishop’s Palace, sees Daniel Hope take a whirlwind tour through Baroque music on his 1769 Gagliano violin. A festival director himself, he knows what makes a good festival tick. ‘The Trondheim Festival is about connecting worlds and about looking at music in its context. The programming here is brave and exciting and that’s why I like coming. It’s a town thriving on music.’ Hope mentions that there’s another famous Brit in town: he’s spotted John Cleese and can’t resist suggesting that perhaps he was ‘pining for the fjordsIt’s not often you can hear a concert by the great trumpeter, Håkan Hardenberger, and meet the composer, too, who hascomposed a work, Exposed Throat2000especially for himpieces in his repertoire by living composers, he isplaying them, so that means he is bringing living music to the world.’ And that’s what is so refreshing about Trondheim: a look around reveals how the programming draws a wide mix of agesproof that the festival is planning for future generations.