I've been fortunate enough to visit Israel on business in the past and once before on holiday with my father, but I've very much wanted to visit again with Linda. Earlier in the year, when chatting to my Dad, it was clear that he'd be keen to visit again too. From initially planning for the three of us we quickly added Cordelia to our group and later on in the year, Jamie and Louise decided to join us too.
As a Christian, a visit to Israel is always going to be more special than a typical holiday. A chance to see for yourself the landscapes and places described and mentioned in the Bible, brings another dimension to so many well known stories.
Our plan was to fly to Tel Aviv, pick up a couple of hire cars and drive up to Galilee via Caeserea and Nazareth. Stay in Galilee for three nights. Drive, via the Dead Sea, to Jerusalem and stay for four nights. Return to Tel Aviv for three nights before flying back to the UK. All went accordingly.
Caeserea:
Well worth a visit with many ruins to check out, a fascinating museum, the old harbour and an ancient aqueduct.
 |
| Remains of Stadium at Caeserea (Think Ben Hur Chariot Race) |
 |
| The gang exploring ruins, Caeserea |
 |
| First of many Biblical references encountered. |
Nazareth:
The town itself is a bit of a dive. An impressive church has been build over the point at which Mary was might have been visited by the angel, to announce the impending pregnancy.
 |
| Church of the Annunciation |
 |
| Church of the Annunciation |
Galilee:
Our three nights were spent in Migdal, a village overlooking the sea of Galilee, in a CMJ guest house,
Beit Bracha. It was an excellent location and during our stay in the area we were able to visit Capernaum, and several other areas mentioned in the gospels. It's easy to forget that you're over 200 meters below sea level - the net effect being the temperature is a couple of degrees hotter than elsewhere in Israel. While we were in Galilee, the temperature ranged from 28 to just over 30. I also took a day out from the family for a slightly insane walk -
click here for more details on that.
 |
| View from the Beit Bracha, looking towards the Sea of Galilee |
 |
| Ruins in Capernaum |
 |
| Find ruins linked to Jesus - build a church on top! |
 |
| Ruins of St Peter's house (allegedly) below the church. |
 |
| St Peter (with fish) |
 |
| Remains of 2000 year old boat |
 |
| Joining with other Christians for prayer and worship on Galilee |
The Dead Sea:
Definitely worth visiting and at about 430 meters below sea level, it's the lowest elevation on Earth.
 |
| Yes - it really is easy to float in the Dead Sea |
 |
| After a quick shower, time for a pint |
 |
| The view from the bar |
Jerusalem:
An absurd amount of history packed into a fraction of a square mile. Interesting on so many levels. Four nights was not enough to do it justice. Moving up market on the accommodation front, staying at the King Solomon hotel, just over half a mile from the Jaffa gate and the Old City.
 |
| Exploring the maze of alleys in the Old City |
 |
| View of the Dome on the Rock, behind the Wailing Wall |
 |
| The Wailing Wall |
 |
| The Jaffa Gate to the Old City |
 |
| View of Herod's Palace ruins, within the Tower of David Museum |
 |
| Looking across the Old City towards the Mount of Olives |
 |
| Christ Church, the oldest Protestant church building in the Middle East |
 |
| Chilling in the Garden of Gethsemane |
 |
| View of the Old City, from the Mount of Olives |
 |
| Entrance to The Church of the Holy Sepulchre |
 |
| Exploring Mahane Yehuda Market |
Tel Aviv:
And finally a wind down in Tel Aviv, some eating out, exploring Joppa, some swimming in the Med and further market shopping. We were again staying at a CMJ Guest house:
Beit Immanuel which happens to be home to a Messianic Jewish congregation. It was a thrill to be able to join their Erev Shabbat service on Friday evening.
 |
| Jaffa Clock Tower |
 |
| Tel Aviv, looking north from Jaffa |
 |
| Statue of Faith (Jacob's Dream, Sacrifice of Issac, Fall of Jericho) |
 |
| Something to do with some bloke called Jonah |
 |
| More dishes than you can shake a stick at. |
 |
| Paddling in the Med |
 |
| Market views |
 |
| A buying decision? |
 |
| More market views |
 |
| More market views |
And too quickly it was time to go home. A great ten days and I've missed out a whole bunch of stuff we did. But there was still more to see that we never got round to. Bethlehem is an obvious miss. So hopefully, one day, Linda and I will go back for part two.
No comments:
Post a Comment