Nazareth is a unique city: it's Arab, located in Israel, and has a significant Christian presence. It's home and coexistence. I arrived with Edu, and while I had to pay for parking, he started chatting in Hebrew with an Arab. We started walking, but then it started raining. We entered a cozy church. There was art and silence. That is to say, art twice. There were also two men praying.
Then, we went to the shuk. That market commonly found in Arab and Jewish cities. A beautiful stroll, under the Nazarene drizzle. Arab men and women were selling olives, various fruits, clothes, or antiques there. There was even a hair salon. I took a photo of the barber while he was cutting a man's hair. He saw me and respectfully asked me not to take any more photos.
We started to feel hungry, so we began looking for a nice and cheap place to eat. As we walked through the narrow streets, cars passed by. We let them pass, and they returned a smile. In Nazareth, the street belongs to everyone. Children come out to play.
While we were looking for a place to eat, I saw Israeli flags and a graffiti of the Palestinian flag. Here, nobody crosses out others. Here, nobody burns others. Here, there's art and peace. Art twice.
Finally, we found that awaited place. Edu saw that characteristic rotating shawarma, typical of kebabs, and he knew. It looked very fresh and juicy. We entered and ordered in Hebrew from the Arab workers a table for two. They responded with good vibes. They served us an exquisite shawarma, with good French fries, olives, and salad.
While we were eating, I filmed Edu a bit. I was also a bit distracted by the soccer match that the Arab workers put on a big TV: a Japan-Iran from the Asian Cup. Edu finished eating very quickly, as usual. He started chatting with the waiter: "Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?". He chose the villain: "I'm a Real Madrid supporter".
I smiled at him and said I accepted it, even though I'm a Barça fan. And I didn't tell him this, but I really enjoyed talking to a Muslim Arab who doesn't serve alcohol in his restaurant to a Jew who doesn't mind not being served alcohol. Because that Jew likes wine, but above all, he likes to immerse himself in a culture as wonderful and influential as the Arab one.
We finished eating, they invited us for a hot and intense coffee, and we paid. Edu asked them to recommend us some sweet shop to buy knafe and take it to Andrea and Sofi. We walked a bit and found it. Edu placed the order, and in the meantime, I was taking stolen shots with the camera of those preparing the knafe. One of them saw me and invited me to see a giant plate they had at the back of the shop, where they prepared the sourdough.
Once the order was ready, they invited us both to a good piece of knafe. Additionally, I bought a tray with the mythical Argentine cornstarch alfajores. In Nazareth, they have a good palate.
Nazareth is a beautiful city. It's known for its Christian tradition because it's where it originated. But unfortunately, not everyone knows that it's an Arab city located in Israel. And even fewer know that in Nazareth, Arabs speak Hebrew, Jews speak Arabic, and everyone smiles at each other.
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