Day 7 found us checking out of our hotel and making our way to Jerusalem. Our first stop was Beit She'an National Park.
This place has the best preserved theater, beautiful Roman/Byzantine paved roads complete with gutters, and cool mosaics.
I have to confess that most of these pictures are from previous visits. This particular day was SO hot ðĶI had no desire to go wandering the whole site. The first two are the most recent and were taken from the cooler shade of the overlook.
Lunch today was the BEST lunch we had on the entire trip. It was a large, and I mean plate-size, pita with fall-off-the-bone chicken and some kind of amazing spices on top. Delish. Then fresh watermelon for dessert. They even had some musicians who wandered through and entertained us. Great fun!!
After lunch we went olive wood shopping. We bought some stuff that I can't show you because they are gifts! ð I think the shop was VERY happy with the profit they made that day.
Our last stop before the hotel was the baptismal site often used by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It used to be quite unknown but is now becoming another pilgrimage site for many Christians. Again because of the heat and because I have been there a few times, I stayed in the bus.
This is looking across the river onto the Jordan side:
This is a common site in Israel. "Danger mines!" Steve Densley, here, works for Cruise Lady.
The rest of our stay was in Jerusalem at the King David Hotel! This is the patio/dining area. There were actually several dining areas. We never ate out here.
There were fresh flowers in our bathroom . . .
In our room . . .
These pipes were heated so that you had a warm towel when you got out of the shower!
This is how the rich travel [and those who get to tag along!]
Down the middle of the main hallway were tiles with signatures of famous people who had stayed there. Gregory Peck, Paula Abdul, George W Bush, just to name a very few.
Today, I stayed in Jerusalem. I took some videos as I went walking, but they are too big to download from my phone! Here is one picture of the YMCA bell tower. The organist at the Jerusalem Center plays the bells once a week here.
The rest of the group went to Masada and the Dead Sea. Talk about hot!!
Masada was the palace and fortress that Herod the Great built.
Kent didn't float in the Dead Sea either so no pictures!
Day 9 - Today we visited another one of my favorite places - Bethlehem. We stopped and walked next to the wall that divides Bethlehem and the rest of the West Bank from Israel.
Pretty sobering, actually. And sad.
Before going to Manger Square we stopped at another olive wood store. But this one also had a factory that we toured. That was cool:
Manger Square/Church of the Nativity:
We had lunch at the Tent Restaurant where we got to see our good friend Mohammad Alshiabat from the Bethlehem branch.
After lunch the group kind of split up. Some wanted to go back to the hotel and some had tickets for a tour of the area under the Western Wall inside the Old City. So Kent and I took those who needed/wanted to go to the Old City and took them on a short tour of a few places, dropped off those who were going on the tunnel tour, and continued HIS tour through some more of the Old City. We took them to the students' shop of choice - where several of us bought T-shirts for grandchildren. Each semester the students design T-shirts for their semester. Shaban [the shop keeper] sort of "borrows" their designs and reprints and sells them in his shop. We bought our favorite design for our 2 youngest grand children:
Here are some pictures of Old City streets and the Western Wall:
This place has the best preserved theater, beautiful Roman/Byzantine paved roads complete with gutters, and cool mosaics.
Lunch today was the BEST lunch we had on the entire trip. It was a large, and I mean plate-size, pita with fall-off-the-bone chicken and some kind of amazing spices on top. Delish. Then fresh watermelon for dessert. They even had some musicians who wandered through and entertained us. Great fun!!
After lunch we went olive wood shopping. We bought some stuff that I can't show you because they are gifts! ð I think the shop was VERY happy with the profit they made that day.
Our last stop before the hotel was the baptismal site often used by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It used to be quite unknown but is now becoming another pilgrimage site for many Christians. Again because of the heat and because I have been there a few times, I stayed in the bus.
This is looking across the river onto the Jordan side:
This is a common site in Israel. "Danger mines!" Steve Densley, here, works for Cruise Lady.
The rest of our stay was in Jerusalem at the King David Hotel! This is the patio/dining area. There were actually several dining areas. We never ate out here.
There were fresh flowers in our bathroom . . .
In our room . . .
In the elevator . . .
On the tables.
These pipes were heated so that you had a warm towel when you got out of the shower!
Down the middle of the main hallway were tiles with signatures of famous people who had stayed there. Gregory Peck, Paula Abdul, George W Bush, just to name a very few.
Today, I stayed in Jerusalem. I took some videos as I went walking, but they are too big to download from my phone! Here is one picture of the YMCA bell tower. The organist at the Jerusalem Center plays the bells once a week here.
The rest of the group went to Masada and the Dead Sea. Talk about hot!!
Masada was the palace and fortress that Herod the Great built.
All but the last one are from the museum. Since Kent has been to Masada several times he didn't take new pics of the site. Sorry. You'll have to go back to my earlier blogs from 2010-2013 IF you want to see more pictures.
Storage vessels:
Fresco
Cosmetic and perfume containers:
Jewelry and keys:
Stone vessels:
Cooking vessels:
Soldiers' belongings:
ððððð
Day 9 - Today we visited another one of my favorite places - Bethlehem. We stopped and walked next to the wall that divides Bethlehem and the rest of the West Bank from Israel.
Before going to Manger Square we stopped at another olive wood store. But this one also had a factory that we toured. That was cool:
You can also go down into the grotto where the "very spot" where Jesus was born is marked. But, there was a long line and we didn't want to wait. But, here is a picture from a previous visit so you can see what it looks like:
Now imagine this place surrounded by dozens of people and you'll have the true picture.
There are several Shepherds' Fields commemorated but we only went to the Fransiscan one.
This was next to the church and is called the Cave of the Shepherds.
We had lunch at the Tent Restaurant where we got to see our good friend Mohammad Alshiabat from the Bethlehem branch.
After lunch the group kind of split up. Some wanted to go back to the hotel and some had tickets for a tour of the area under the Western Wall inside the Old City. So Kent and I took those who needed/wanted to go to the Old City and took them on a short tour of a few places, dropped off those who were going on the tunnel tour, and continued HIS tour through some more of the Old City. We took them to the students' shop of choice - where several of us bought T-shirts for grandchildren. Each semester the students design T-shirts for their semester. Shaban [the shop keeper] sort of "borrows" their designs and reprints and sells them in his shop. We bought our favorite design for our 2 youngest grand children:
Here are some pictures of Old City streets and the Western Wall:
Men's side:
Women's side:
The complex around the Western Wall:
The other stop we made was at one of our favorite churches in the Old City--St. Mark's Church. It is a Syriac church where tradition says the Upper Room was, where the Day of Pentecost took place, and where Mark's mother lived. What made it even more fun this time is that it is also the church where our guide worships and where he was baptized!
After dinner those who wanted to went to a light show at the Tower of David Museum - outside. It had been a long day of heat and lots of walking. Kent and I were exhausted and did not go to the light show.
More to come.
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