There is at least one thing that is better in America

Blueberry pancakes, jam, maple syrup, coffee and grapefruit juice. Cincinnati, Ohio, 2016.

The United States is in many ways a controversial nation. There are lots of incredibly awesome places and things, but also huge problems and dark shadows of history present in the society. I know that some people wonder, whether they should travel there at all. I warmly recommend a visit to the US for everyone who has the opportunity. There are countless reasons to go there, but here, I only concentrate on one, which alone is easily reason enough to visit America.

The breakfasts.

An omelette, rosemary potatoes, bisquit ("bun" for most Europeans, I think), jam, coffee and grapefruit juice. Memphis, Tennessee, 2017.

Often, the United States thinks that it is the best, greatest and first of the World. Considering breakfasts, this indeed is the case.

Even at worst, American breakfast is better than other breakfasts. Pancaces, maple syrup, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, French toast, coffee and orange juice. San Francisco, California 2015.

The American breakfast is usually constructed around pancakes, waffles or French toast. Eggs, sausages or bacon are often served with them - but only imagination sets the limit (I've seen a breakfast menu featuring T-bone steak served with pancakes). Serving sizes are such that those used to modest European breakfasts will easily manage until late lunchtime, or longer. As the United States is a very multicultural nation, there are countless local and cultural variations of the American breakfast, such as blue corn pancakes served by the Zuni in New Mexico - recommended!

Texans have, of course, over-Texasified the breakfast, too. A waffle shaped like the map of Texas. San Antonio, Texas 2017.

Nothing in this world is perfect, not even the American breakfast (even though it gets close). It is not the epitome of healthy eating, as there generally is a lot of sugar and fat. Thankfully, lighter options are usually available, as is fresh fruit. And, although the American coffee is sometimes very good, it often isn't. Luckily there usually is enough of it, breakfast often includes unlimited coffee.

Big coffee, Brooklyn, New York 2008.

Holy Chaos

Today is the Good Friday of Eastern Christianity, and countless Christians wander all around the city in the footsteps of Jesus.
Today is the seventh day of the Passover, and countless Jews wander to the Western Wall to pray.
Today is Friday, the holy day of Islam, and countless Muslims wander to the mosques.
The salesmen, who serve no other master than Capital - at least when their shops are open - part everyone of their money, the believers and non-believers alike.
There's a sniper positioned in a window above the Damascus gate. He looks like he's about 19 years old.
On the other side of the gate there's a small cafe, with a picture of the Patriarch of Alexandria on the wall. Under his gaze the owner serves everyone, his Muslim neighbors, Finnish tourists, Ethiopian pilgrims an Israeli soldiers alike, in the same loud and friendly way, like his ancestors did when the Ottomans, or the Crusaders, or king Solomon ruled the city.
A most endearing old English gentleman welcomes us to the site of Jesus' grave. This is a different place from the other Jesus' grave we visited yesterday. There the monks took selfies with their cellphones in the Holy Sepulchre.
Slogans are chanted on Nablus road - a riot! Should we run away? Where to? But it is not a protest after all, just a shopkeeper, even louder than the others.
On the Western Wall children are more interested in chasing the pigeons than in the fact that they are in the focal point of the most volatile political crisis in the World.
In the evening three young men haul garbage on a cart, powered only by their muscles, shouting and joking at each other and passersby, past shops that sell overpriced trinkets to pilgrims, exactly like other young men did two thousand years before them.
The waiters in an Armenian restaurant are wearing t-shirts with a picture of suffering Christ, the Crown of Thorns on his head.
In the city museum there is a small Egyptian clay statue, more than 3000 years old. It bears an inscription: "Cursed be Jerusalem".

Jerusalem, April 29th 2016