Following in the footsteps of Jesus in Nazareth and Galilee. Exploring the north and more impressions of Israel.

Bathing in Yardenit in the River Jordan where John the Baptist baptised Jesus Christ.

Hi again as I write on our last night in Israel before crossing the border tomorrow morning to go to Jordan. The second half of our 8 nights in Israel were to be spent in Nazareth, the town where Jesus grew up and was later expelled. From here the idea was to explore Nazareth itself as well as nearby Galillee, the Golan Heights, Haifa, Akko and the tip of the north of Israel, Rosh Haniqra near the Lebanese border which of course you cannot cross.

We took a taxi on Wednesday 8th September from Jerusalem to Nazareth and the journey was just under 2 hours. Our first impression of the town was not good. Nazareth has little to do with what we imagine it was like in Jesus’ day. It is the most Arab of Israeli towns, is sprawling and extremely dirty. Perched on a hill it seems the town is on a continuous hill which makes walking in the heat torturous. 70% of the inhabitants are Muslims and 30% are Arab Christians. There are no Jews.

One of my favourite streets in Nazareth because of the arch and the bouganvilla flowers

We have been staying at a guest house in the old city called the Fauzi Azar Inn which is highly praised by all the guide books. I expected a wonderful boutique hotel in this 200 year old Arab mansion but I found something else, a rather run down old house nearly in a ruin with some saving graces, such as the beautiful reception room. We have the best room in the house. It is big and light and sparse but has no decoration. It is clean for Israeli standards but not clean enough for me I’m afraid. On the plus side the staff are very friendly and there is a communal kitchen where it’s nice to mingle with the multi cultured guests. In short the Fauzi Azar Inn has something special about it, a certain charm and lots of atmosphere but is more suited to back packers. The only modern amenity is internet, something that works well in Israel as a general rule.

Reception at the Fauzi Azar Inn, the best part of the hostal.  The rest is not the same.

On our first day in Nazareth we explored the streets, walked through the endless souks which are mostly under a pound type stalls, got lost, visited the main holy site, the Church of the Annunciation and had a nice meal at the most recommended restaurant in the guidebooks. That was Tishreen in one of the main streets. Not a bad place but nothing to write home about.

Outside Tishreen Restaurant in Nazareth

The next day, Thursday, we hired a taxi for a day to visit Galilee and follow in the steps of Jesus so to speak, to visit some of places and events mentioned in the Bible. Our driver was Najib, an Arab who hardly spoke English and who I wished had seen to his B.O. before picking us up! He was nice enough but it was difficult to talk to him. He knew the right places to take us but didn’t want any new suggestions from us.

Photo with Najib our driver in Galilee and the North of Israel

Our first stop was at Cana where the famous miracle of turning water into wine was performed by Jesus Christ. The place was a bit run down and there were 2 churches rivaling which was the actual spot of the marriage. This competition seems to take place all over the Holy Land and is mainly a discrepancy between the Orthodox and the Catholic Church.

The Catholic church which commemorates the Miracle of the Marriage of Cana, the turning of water into wine.

Very soon after Cana we could see Lake Galilee and the Golan Heights in the distance. We stopped at a view point where in fact you could see Israel, Jordan and Siria from one place. I was most interested to see Lake Galilee from my studies of religion at school and University. It is called both the Lake and the Sea of Galilee, also Lake of Gennesaret, Lake Kinneret, Sea of Tiberias or Tiberias Lake and is located near the Golan Heights. More famous for Jesus having walked on it or multiplied the fish catch of his disciples in the Bible, it is in fact the largest freshwater lake in Israel, and is about 21 km long, and 13 km wide. At 209 metres below sea level, it is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth and the second-lowest lake in the world (after the Dead Sea). The famous fish, Peter or St. Peter’s fish is caught here. Eladio tried it at Tiberias and loved it. He ate it again today at Akko.

The part of the Sea of Galillee where you can see Jordan, Israel and Siria.  The hills are the Golan Heights

Our second holy site in Galilee was probably the highlight of our whole trip; a visit to Yardenit on the River Jordan where John the Baptist supposedly baptized Jesus Christ. A lot of people there were re-baptising themselves and bathing in the water in long tunics you could buy or hire there. The Yardenit people must make a packet. The lure of bathing in the River Jordan and at this spot was too big to resist and in we went. It was a huge pleasure, great fun, somewhat uplifting and also very funny; especially when the little fish swimming in the river bit our feet! Also it was great to cool off from the blazing sun. Here you can see Eladio coming out of the water in his wet tunic. He soon dried off! I bought mine and shall be using it as a nightie when I go back.

Eladio coming out of the River Jordan in his wet tunic.  An irrepeatable experience

Our next stop was the Sermon on the Mount, on the shores of Lake Galilee and also called the Mount of Beatitudes which I well remember from the Bible (the Gospel of St. Matthew). The 2 in particular I remember and always loved are: “Blessed are the poor in spirit for they shall inherit the earth” and “Blessed are the meek for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”. I couldn’t believe I was there. It is a well kept place with wonderful grounds and flowers and of course a church. Wherever there is a Biblical or holy site in Israel, there is a church to commemorate the event.

The Church of the Beatitudes on the shores of Lake Galilee. Brought me right back to my Scripture lessons at school.

From the Mount of Beatitudes we drove to nearby Tabgha where two of Jesus’ miracles took place, the catching of the fish and the multiplication of the loaves and the fishes. Once again there was a church but also a lovely fountain with fish in it. At the altar in the church there was the well known fish and loaves ancient mosaic. So at the proverbial souvenir shop I couldn’t resist taking some pottery back with this design to commemorate the miracle. Wherever we go on our travels if we see nice pottery we bring back serving bowls and plates to our home; thus we have our South African, our Turkish, etc and now our Israeli pottery to eat our salads off and lovingly remember our trips to these amazing places.

The ancient mosaic design that depicts the Miracle of the Loaves and the fishes at Tabgha

From Tabgha we drove to nearby Capernaum, the village where Jesus went to live by the shores of Lake Galilee when he was expelled from Nazareth. It is also the village Peter was from. Today there are only ruins but the views are spectacular.

One of my favourite photos.  At Capernaum by the shores of Lake Galilee with a view of the Golan Heights. 

After a disappointing lunch in nearby uninspiring Tiberias, we asked Najib to take us to visit a Kibbutz. I had learned about them at school and was terribly disappointed with the one I saw in the Golan Heights. It was more like a run-down Spanish type “urbanización” than anything I had ever learned about. I had imagined everyone picking oranges, living together but it was nothing of the sort.

From the disappointing, dusty and empty Kibbutz we drove high up into the Golan Heights (what an exotic and far-away place to go to). I kept wondering why Israel needed such a barren area and wouldn’t it help peace if they returned the land to its proper owners, Siria. Maybe that’s on the peace talks agenda. I hope so.

A map of the Golan Heights which really belong to Siria.  They are very dry and unpopulated except for some kibbutzes

Yesterday, Friday, we stayed in Nazareth and went on the Tour organized by the Fauzi Azar Inn. Linda, an orphan from California, is in charge of the tours and I must say they are different. She doesn’t take you on the typical site seeing trip of the official places to see in Nazareth. These you have to see for yourself. No, she takes you on a different tour to see the things you wouldn’t normally know about and I must say she did a good job. The only other person on the tour was Merek, a young Czech diplomat based in the EU delegation in Amman.

Linda took us around the old streets and explained the architecture, she took us into carpenter shops which don’t look like they’ve changed much since Joseph’s time. If you don’t believe me, judge for yourselves from this picture.

A carpenter's shop in Nazareth that doesn't look much different from Joseph's times!

Linda also took us to the El Babour mill and spice shop which I adored. It had all the colours and smells you could imagine and was completely authentic. For 5 shekels (about a euro) we were allowed to help ourselves to whatever crystallised fruit or nuts we wanted. As I hadn’t had breakfast I had a feast.

The El Babour mill and spice shop in Nazareth, a find of a place with some amazing fruit, sweets and nuts

Our next stop was to a little Greek Orthodox church which you could only visit on this tour. The gate was opened by a lovely Ukranian nun called Olga with missing teeth. She showed us the jewel behind the gate; a church full of priceless icons. She also showed us a secret under the church, a man made cave built to hide Christians when they were persecuted after Christ’s death (and resurrection). It was an emotional visit for me especially. Afterwards we sat round a stone table under a vine drinking lemonade made by Sister Olga. We were 5 people from 5 different countries. I liked that.

In the Patriarche's room at the little Greek Orthodox church which the Ukranian nun Sister Olga showed us.

Linda’s tour also included a visit to the Mensa Christi church with the stone table (now an altar) where Jesus and his disciples were supposed to have eaten. When I touched the stone it was quite something to think that could be true.

The stone table at the Mensa Christi church in Nazareth.  Tradition says Jesus and his disciples ate off it.

The tour ended with a cup of cinnamon tea at a bar in the old town owned by a young Arab whose family had always owned the bar. The important thing was that at that bar Arabs, Jews and Christians played board games and drank together in peace. We were told that Nazareth was a peaceful and united place. That’s nice to hear. Now all they have to do is clean it up (a lot!).

After our tour with Linda we went on our own to visit another relatively unknown place of interest, the newly found ancient Roman Baths under a shop called Cactus. But that is an amazing story, too long to tell now, which you can read here on the website. Here you will find out about Martina and Elias’ find, a truly incredible story.

Martina telling us the story of the extraordinary discovery of the Roman Baths beneath their little shop in Nazareth

From the incredible Roman Baths where it is thought Mary bathed, we went to see her well, the so-called “Mary’s Well” at the Greek Orthodox, St. Gabriel Church nearby. Again this is the story of the Greek Orthodox and the Roman Catholics disagreeing on where the Annunciation took place, as the Catholic church commemorating the same event is in another part of the town.

The original Mary's Well at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth

All in all it was a very uplifting and intense morning, so much so we spent the afternoon resting in our room back at the Fauzi Azar Inn. We did go out for dinner in the evening and were pretty disappointed with the choice, recommended by the staff at the Inn, Annai. You can’t always get it right, of course.

Today was our last day and we decided to visit the north, to see Haifa where our main objective was the Bahai gardens and also Akko and the northern point of the country. Thus we contracted Najib’s services once again.

The Bahais who have some 8 million followers, are an eclectic religion who profess and believe in unity, equality and peace and supposedly take the best of the 3 monotheistic religions. In the mid 19th century, the founder Hussein Alli, from Iran, (called the Bab) proclaimed himself the next great messiah of the 3 religions. The Bahais were persecuted in Iran and had to flee to other countries. In our family we know of one such family. Their daughter, Miad, is Olivia’s friend from school and is now living and working in Haifa at the Bahai Centre. It so happens that the Bab is buried in Haifa and there is an enormous shrine nearly 1 kilometre above sea level with the most beautiful gardens leading up to it in the form of 18 terraces. The gardens are among the most visited location in Israel and they are well worth the visit, for their beauty and for the views which are spectacular. Hopefully this photo will give you an idea of how wonderful they are:

The beautiful and captivating Bahai gardens in Haifa

Haifa deserves a mention. It is the 3rd biggest town in Israel and the biggest port in the country. It has 280.000 inhabitants, 90% of who are Jews. There is a saying in Israel that goes: “In Tel Aviv people play, in Jerusalem people pray and in Haifa people work”. I cannot tell you if the latter is true as today was the Sabbath and a non working day. In Haifa we also visited Mount Carmel (a mountain at the top of the city) which apart from having great views too, is home to the Stella Maris Carmelite church, another ecclesiastical gem in the Holy Land.

The Stella Maris church at Mount Carmel in Haifa.

From Haifa we drove to Akko (also known as Akre), another port town once the most important one on the Mediterranean sea. The ancient walls are still nearly intact and the most notable thing to visit, we thought, was the Templar Knights’ tunnels, an amazing construction the Crusaders built so as to enter the city safely. Today the town was full of Arab families sight-seeing and it was possibly the hottest day of our stay. We got lost in the souq (market) and were squashed by crowds pushing their way through the narrow passages. As I went past the stalls I realised just how many of them sold the horrible plastic weapons so many young Arab boys seem to like and play with in the street. As I said in my first post on our trip to Israel, this is not the right step in the direction for peace. Certainly not!

A ghastly sight, plastic weapons are on sale everywhere in Israel

You see boys like this playing with plastic weapons everywhere, an unpleasant sight.

When we finally found our driver we went for lunch to the Abu Christo restaurant by the sea which felt like a sanctuary after the rather harrowing and claustrophobic experience. It had great sea-food but what I liked best was the pitcher of lemonade (so typical here) of which I had 3 cold glasses to recover from the souq experience before I even started on my prawns.

The ancient Port of Akko in the North of Israel, famous for the crusaders.  Very different today.

We had hoped to go for a bathe but Najib was not interested in taking us to nice beaches, but to finish the tour and rush back to Nazareth. The trip ended with a visit to the very northern tip of Israel at a place called Rosh Haniqra. It was very crowded and hot again, we took a couple of photos and drove back to Nazareth.

The view from Rosh Haniqra, the most northern tip of Israel and near the border of Lebanon which you cannot cross.

On our way back we stopped at the top of Nazareth to take photos of the town and I particularly like this one.

The view of Nazareth from the top of the town, stunning

This evening we went out for dinner again and this time the choice was good. We went to a lovely little romantic restaurant called Alreda. They served very spicy gazpacho but lovely sangria; it nearly felt like being at home.

And this brings me to the end of my last blog post on our 8 day trip to Israel which has been a fascinating experience. In 8 days you can only get the feel of a place and touch some of the surfaces. So here are some of my observations and in no particular order.

There are many cats here, apparently a heritage of the British. However I have not seen one single dog and don’t know the reason for that. Nor have I seen any swimming pools and this is a very hot and not particularly poor country. Here Arabs and Jews and Arab Christians live side by side but certainly not together. I feel I have seen more Arabs than Jews and certainly feel this country is similar to an Arab country. I have only been to Morocco but there are many similarities; the noise, the heat, the dirt, the wonderful colours, the spicy food, the music, the way people dress …. Everything seems pretty run down, dusty, shabby, dirty, as if there is no pride in the towns. The country seems on the verge of war judging by the amount of soldiers and controls I have seen. But then we know that don’t we. I have seen countless numbers of U.N vehicles too. I have seen many houses, especially in Haifa, with solar panels on the roofs, as well as water tanks, something I haven’t seen anywhere else in the world. I have seen bananas growing, mango trees, vineyards, pomegranate trees (and juice), olive trees and the most wonderful flowers growing in the heat and humidity, over the roofs of the old houses of Nazareth and on the roads. This country has a lot to offer but whilst there is no peace, progress in the everyday areas of life will and cannot prosper. On the bright side, I adored Jerusalem and was amazed and happy to discover and explore and follow in the footsteps of Jesus of Nazareth here and in Galilee. Shalom Israel, I wish you peace now and forever.

Flowers in Israel are exuberant.

Bye for now. Tomorrow we are off to Jordan so watch this space.

Masha

PS You can see a selection of photos of this part of our trip to Israel here

Shalom and Shana Tova from Israel. Exploring Jerusalem, Yad Vashem, a harrowing experience, the West Bank and Bethlehem and Shalom Jerusalem

At the Mount of Olives overlooking the holy city of Jerusalem. The view is amazing.

Shalom my friends!

Shalom is the word Israelis use to greet each other here. These days, though they are also saying Shana Tova because it is Rosh Hashanah (New Year) tomorrow. The Arabs on the other hand usually say Salam Alekam to greet each other and they are celebrating Ramadan. During the time the sun is out, practising Muslims may not eat, drink, smoke or have sex.  I have made a couple of Arab friends at a little shop selling water in Jaffa Gate and caught one of them smoking.  He shamefully admitted his Mother would not be happy.

Well this is our 4^th day in Jerusalem and time to write my blog about our time here before we move on to Nazareth in Galilee tomorrow for the second stage of our trip to Israel.  Tourism is hard work in the heat and it has been hot.  To get to know Jerusalem, frankly you have to be fit because it’s all about walking and walking and walking on old stone streets and up and down old stone steps and getting lost in the process.  We take our map with us every day but I must admit neither of us are good map readers.  So you end up asking people the way and getting lost.  Young children try to show you the way for a few coins.  Everyone in fact wants your business, just as they did in India and they do in Turkey and many other tourist spots of the world.   There are many tourists here but not as many as the local businesses would like because of fear of coming here or that’s what one shop dealer told me.  Eladio and I stick out like sore thumbs and we are approached all the time by shop dealers and taxi drivers mostly.  They all try to rip us off.  We haggle but I’m sure they still make a profit.  I was told yesterday after haggling over the price of a necklace for Olivia: “you are nice but you are hard”.  Also I seem to have made a huge hit with the local men as they are always telling Eladio what a lucky man he is.  I’m not sure if it is a compliment or a way of enticing us to buy from them.  Whatever the case I do feel flattered at my age.  Today I asked one of my admirers what the reason was and his said it was because of the way I looked and smiled and the jewellery I wore, that I looked like I was “someone”. 

The old city is divided into 4 quarters, the Armeninan, the Jewish, the Arab and the Christian.  There are some 2.000 Armenians, 4.000 Jews, 2.000 Christians and 27.000 Arabs, according to our guide on the Free Tour we took on Sunday.  I like the story of how the Armenians came to live here.  As a nation they were apparently one of the first to embrace Christianity. When the Crusaders who came here and killed off all the local women, wanted to stay, they realised they needed women and thus they imported them from Armenia or so the story goes.  I have always heard from my Father that the Armenians are the cleverest people in the world and wonder whilst I am here if that is true.  My only reference point is Calouste Gulbenkian, the famous philanthropist who is of Armenian origin and was certainly clever so maybe my Father’s theory is correct.  In the Armenian Quarter we patronised the well known Armenian Tavern for dinner last night.  The place is really quaint and beautiful but the food was not as good as we expected.

A nice little restaurant in the old city in the Armenian Quarter

Everywhere we go you see a melting pot of these people going about their business and you also see many people dressed in military clothes.  On the first day in Jaffa Gate (one of the 7 or 8 gates of the walled city) I asked a man what a big group of soldiers was doing and he answered: “This is Israel”. The Orthodox Jews stick out amongst all the rest for their way of dressing, hair style and head gear.  They are like a clan and look more different than anyone else. Also I have noticed they never look you in the eye.

Soldiers are a part of life in Israel

Everything is sold in the markets in all 4 quarters, but nothing really different from other markets I have seen in Morocco, India, Greece, Turkey or even Spain.  The only difference is in some of the local souvenirs or objects such as Fatima’s hand or the Jewish Haunnukah candlestick which you can normally only get here.  You will see amazing bread, local pastries (my favourite baklava), jewellery, pomegranate juice stalls and all this on most of the streets of the Old City including the Via Dolorosa (the 8 stations of the Cross) with people from all walks of life bustling past.  I bought a David’s Cross to wear round my neck but soon realised that it was not a good idea to wear a Jewish symbol as it would call unnecessary attention.

The pomegranates in the market stalls add so much colour.  The juice is a little acid.

You could spend weeks and still not see everything that is to be seen in the Old City and I am sure we have only seen a small part.  We were not able to visit the Muslim sites such as the most famous symbol of Jerusalem, the Omar Mosque with the golden dome, because of Ramadan.  We saw it from a distance of course from the Mount of Olives which has the best views of the city.

Eladio and I at the Mount of Olives overlooking Jerusalem.

As there was so much to see we decided to do a guided tour on the first day to get acquainted with the place.  So, after the service at the Scottish Presbyterian Church where we are staying, which I aborted because it was so dismal and empty, we walked through the Gardens of Jerusalem to Jaffa Gate and joined an international group of tourists who came from places like Peru, Colombia and Nigeria to go on the New Jerusalem Free Tour.  Regarding nationalities of tourists in Israel, my experience is that the majority come from Russia and Latin America and North America. 

The very nice but very empty Scottish church on Sunday.

The walking tour took us around the 4 quarters and through the suqs (markets), onto the rooftops of the walls, to the Western Wall (Wailing wall) where we had been already and ended, for us, at the the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where Christ was supposedly buried and resurrected.  This place is probably the holiest site for Christians in the world and it was a humbling experience to be there.  On the topic of Christianity, there is a clear domination in all the holy sites in Jerusalem and Bethlehem of the Orthodox religion. 

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre

At one point I sat next to two Russian Orthodox nuns who were chanting prayers in Church Slavonic and they looked just like my Russian Orthodox aunts, Olga and Darya who I imagine would have loved to visit the site.  They never managed to come here but one person in my family did and that was my Grandfather, John Lloyd,  my Father’s Father who was an Anglican vicar who later became a canon.  He came here in the 30’s many years ago on a pilgrimage. In a way I am following in his footsteps but not for the same reasons as my objectives here are more cultural or are they?  I have mixed feelings visiting all these holy places, the Christian ones of course.  But then again I was was baptised in the Russian Orthodox church (in Paris for the records), brought up at a Catholic school, and studied Religion A level as well as doing Theology subsidiary at Nottingham University.  So there is a lot of religious heritage in me, not to mention the fact that both my grandfathers were priests and that I even married one!  Therefore I could not help but light candles at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for my darling Mother, golden brother George and my dearest Aunt Masha as well as shed a tear for them whilst doing so.  Does that mean I believe?  Well I don’t know.

Lighting candles in the Holy Sepulchre Church for my Mother, George and Aunty Masha

From the Church of the Holy Sepulchre we went in search of the famous Via Dolorosa (after some food at the Samara café in Jaffa Gate), or the Stations of the Cross as they are known in English.  The  Way of Sorrows as it is sometimes also called has 14 stations which represent  Jesus’ last moments on earth, from being condemned to death, carrying the cross and being crucified to dying and being buried.

Station number 5 of the Via Dolorosa where Simon of Cyrene carried the cross for Christ.

On Monday we took a rest from visiting the old city and went to visit the Yad Vashem (a memorial and a name from a quote from Isaiah), the official Israeli museum dedicated to the memory of the Jews who died in the Holocaust in the Second World War.  This is a subject very close to my heart mostly because of my upbringing and Yad Vashem was a must on our agenda here in Jerusalem.  I had been warned it would be harrowing and it was certainly so.  The museum is beautiful, composed of various buildings in a big park and takes you from the uprising of the Nazi party to the persecution of Jews, to their being confined in ghettos, to being taken to the death camps, how 6 million were killed and so few survived.  There are many real life testimonies of survivors on videos and their stories are incredible.

The Yad Vashem museum of the Holocaust in Jerusalem.  A harrowing place.

 I took in as much as I could but I broke down when I saw a glass case full of shoes of dead people and when I entered the Hall of Names; the name of each and every one of the six milliion people who perished at the hands of the Nazis!  All I can say after visiting Yad Vashem is that I hope the world will never forget this awful episode of our recent history.  It worries me that very soon there will be no more witnesses as this happened over 60 years ago and there are fewer and fewer of the survivors who can bear living witness to the Holocaust.  I know one survivor, Magda, my dear friend Sandra’s mother.  Magda, a Hungarian Jew, was hidden by a gentile family during the war in Budapest as a young girl.  Magda is my friend on Facebook and she wrote me a message the other day wishing me a good trip to Israel.  When I cried in the Hall of Names I cried also for the people Magda lost in the war and for how she must have suffered.

The Hall of Names at Yad Vashem, includes all the names of the 6 million Jews who perished during the Holocaust

After leaving Yad Vashem we needed to go somewhere more uplifting, so decided on visiting Bethlehem, another must on our agenda.  After all it is where everything began.  When we cannot walk to places we take taxis and you have to haggle the price.  It was difficult to get one to Bethlehem as we learned that it is in the West Bank, part of Palestine.  On the way we asked to stop at Rachel’s Tomb (the Mother of Benjamin and wife of Jacob) from advice in the guide book.  Again we did not know this was in the West Bank right by the horrific wall which divides the communities.  The tomb was nothing special but its location an eye opener for us.  Even our Jordanian taxi driver was amazed.  As we left the building where the tomb is housed with its typical separate entrances for men and for women, we stopped a Jewish man to ask him about the area.  He explained rather angrily that the area had been taken by the Arabs and we got talking.  When we left we stretched out our arms to shake his hand.  He willingly shook Eladio’s but smiled at me and made me understand he could not touch me because I was a woman.  It was not a good feeling for someone like me who is an advocate of equality between women and men.

Our encounter with a Jewish man at the wall in the West Bank, the man who wouldn't shake my hand because I am a woman.

Bethlehem was nothing like the image you conjure up in your mind when you sing Christmas carols.  It is dirty, untidy, dusty and there has probably been no street planning since Jesus was born.  But of course it is extremely interesting to visit the Church of the Nativity and see the spot where Jesus was born.  You go through the door of humility called so because it is low and you have to bend your body to go through.  I think the original enrtrance was actualy for animals, but even so. The church has 3 parts, one run by the Armenian Orthodox, one run by the Green Orthodox and one run by the Catholics.  Underneath the church is the crypt which is run by the three churches and it is here you can touch and photograph both the star that represents where Jesus was born and the manger where he laid.  The star has 14 points to symbolise the 14 Stations of the Cross.  Unfortunately Eladio was not very well and we had to come back to the Guest House in a rush, much to the disappointment of the “free” guide provided by our Jordanian taxi driver, who wanted to take us to some special souvenir shop.  We are quite seasoned travellers however and have a smell for when the guides and taxi drivers are in cahoots with local business so probably wouldn’t have gone with him anyhow.

The place where Jesus was born in Bethlehem has a symbol of a 14 pointed star, a symbol of the 14 stations of the cross.

Today, our last day in Jerusalem, we visited the Mount of Olives, so famous in the bible and where you get the best views of the city.  From here we drove down towards Gethsemane.  Here we visited the Russian Mary Magdalene Church with its beautiful golden onion domes and I once again lit candles for my Mother, my brother George and my Aunty Masha.  As we left there was a group of Russians with the Patriarche of Germany and Switzerland.

The beautiful Russian Orthodox church, St. Mary Magdalene in Gethsamene

From the Russian church we walked to the actual Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus Christ spent the last night of his life before being arrested.  It’s a moving place.  We also visited Mary’s Grotto opposite where apparently the Virgin Mary’s tomb is. Jerusalem is rife with places which have become shrines because of their association with Jesus Christ and not always for important reasons. Further up the road from the Russian Church we could have visited another shrine or church famous for Christ having cried there but the road was far too steep and the sun too strong that we decided not to go.

In the Garden of Gethsemane with Eladio (sorry the photo won't rotate here!)

From Gethsemane we returned to the Old City, this time entering at the Damascus Gate, one of the busiest.  Here we sat and drank a cup of tea and I tried the pomegranate juice which seems so popular here. It is sweet but slightly acid and I don’t think I’ll be drinking it again. From here we walked to Zion’s Gate to visit the City of David where you can visit David’s Tomb, the place where most Christians think that the Last Supper took place as well as the Dormition Abbey dedicated to the Virgin Mary’s transit into heaven.

Where the Last Super took place. In the City of David in the old city of Jerusalem

So much culture and religion made us hungry today and just as we were on our way to Jaffa Gate or somewhere we could find a bite, a taxi driver stopped and offered to take us to a nice Israeli restaurant.  Our mistake was not to agree a price.  He turned out to be a Russian Jew and told me there were a million Russians in Israel! He was not a nice character and demanded quite a lot of money.  Eladio handed him a big enough note and said he would pay no more, threatening to call the police. It was a tense and tough moment until he drove away in a rage.  We were so worried we decided not to go to the restaurant he recommended in case he came back.  Instead we found a jewel of a place called Joy in Emek Rafaim Street in the German Colony near our Guest House which served great Kosher food including gazpacho (nothing like ours of course) and something wonderful called Moroccan cigars which are a sort of mini spring roll filled with lamb.

Our time in Jerusalem ended this evening with a wonderful walk around the so-called “golden walls”.  They are actually made of white stone (lime stone) as are all the buildings in Jerusalem and surroundings.  It’s funny and rather nice not to see the proverbial red brick. It’s sad to leave somewhere so special and to think you may never come again.  On the other hand if I think positively I should realise just how lucky and privileged I have been to come to the holy city of Jerusalem, so disputed by all religions and where so many people would love to come and can’t.  Goodbye Jerusalem, Shalom. You see shalom also means goodbye.  The irony of it is that shalom actually means peace.  So yes, I wish peace to Jerusalem.

Shalom my friends from Jerusalem.

Masha

Journey to Israel, our arrival and first impressions of Jerusalem, meeting people and visiting the old town, Eladio is a very lucky man and plastic weapons will not help peace.

Me by the Wailing Wall, a magical moment on the first day in Jerusalem.

Hi everyone,

Here I am writing to you from our spartan but comfortable room at the St. Andrew’s Scottish Guesthouse in the holy city of Jerusalem, what is known here as Christian accommodation.  It has been a long day and let me tell you about it.

We were up early at 06.30 today to catch the Iberia handled El Al 10.15 flight to Tel Aviv.  We went  early because I was worried about lengthy security procedures which turned out very smoothly in the end and left us with more time on our hands than necessary.  The plane was half full and the 4.5h flight was uneventful.  We spent the time reading the papers (The Daily Mail and El País), reading our guide books and nodding off occasionally.  Of mention, the food was quite disgusting (macaroni with watery cheese and tomato sauce) and we blamed the crisis.  They called it lunch and it was served at 11.15 which as you can imagine was far too early for us.  Hopefully we will eat better food in Israel.  I’m looking forward to the humus, falafel, baklava, etc, the typical middle eastern cuisine plus getting to try Kosher and Israeli cuisine.

Boarding in Madrid

Tel Aviv airport is enormous and I expected USA type security for entering into Israel, but it was much easier and the officials more polite.  Recommended by Olivia we decided to try our luck with the Sherut shared taxi service to our hotel and it worked out fine.  The taxi is actually a minibus and seats about 10.  We sat next to a talkative Italian Franciscan monk.  So for 55 shekels (NIS = New Israel Shekel), the equivalent of just over 11 euros each, we arrived about one hour later at our destination, the St. Andrew’s Scottish Guesthouse. 

St. Andrew's Scottish Guesthouse where we are staying in Jerusalem.

You are probably wondering why we are staying here and the reason is that in Israel we decided to go for more authentic vs modern top hotels, so’s to get a flavour of the country.  Originally I had tried to get rooms in similar accommodation within the city walls but everything was booked at the time.  It’s a 15 minute walk from Jaffa Gate (the heart of the old city) and has magnificent views.  We have a balcony and a sparse but comfortable room.  I suppose this is because the place is Scottish.  I was therefore not surprised to hear that breakfast is from 07 to 09h hours only.  Tomorrow is Sunday and there will be a service at the Presbyterian church here which I have threatened to take Eladio to.  The place is something of an icon in Jerusalem, built in 1930 to commemorate the Scots who died liberating the land from Turkish rule during the First World War. The place has an air of days gone past, the only problem being it has turned rather shabby and even grimey in parts.  On the plus side it is real haven of peace after the mad and bustling old city.

The view of the walled city of Jerusalem as seen from our balcony at the Scottish Guesthouse

Now let me tell you a bit about my impressions so far.  It was 30ºc when we landed at just before 16h (one hour ahead of Spain); nice and not humid. The landscape in the one hour journey from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem reminded me very much of the arid landscapes you get in most Mediterranean countries.  The vegetation is similar and I saw lots of eucalyptus and pine trees but also a lot of semi desert.  I read in the guidebook that nearly half of Israel is a desert.  However the Israelis have made miracles out of such dry terrain and are big exporters of fruit and vegetables.  I did see some crops, notably vineyards but funnily enough no villages for miles until we reached the outskirts of Jerusalem.  The houses, as you might expect, have flat roofs and are mostly white.  I began to see housing as we approached the city and most of it was white made of limestone and perched on the hills.  Later when I saw the houses close up, many of them had water deposits on their roofs like in India which I thought very odd.

Our arrival coincided with the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday, but like our Sunday) so there was little traffic.  Our rather delapidated Sherut took an hour to drop us off as it had to drop the other passengers off before.  We spoke to various of them including an American girl from Florida who had come here to study “Disaster Management in Humanitarian Aid”.  I suppose this is the right part of the world to study something like that.

Keen to explore the town, we asked Ibrahim from the guesthouse reception for a map and instructions how to get to the old town which you can actually see from our room but is tricky to reach if you don’t know the way.  So we stepped outside, camera in hand and eager to see what we could of Jerusalem in the little time we had left  before sunset.

Eladio walking up the hill outside the city walls towards Jaffa Gate

Not only had our arrival coincided with the Jewish Sabbath, it also coincided with the Muslim Ramadan so the old city was not as vibrant and alive as I imagine it usually is.  We walked through the amazing white stone walled city of David (of David and Goliath), gazed at the Citadel and then followed signs to the Holy Sepulchre which was actually through the semi empty Arab Bazar.  We reached the area where the city divides and could not cross to the Mosque as it was closed for non Muslims by Border Police.  During our entire stay we were never able to visit the Muslim part.

We wandered through the endless streets of the Bazar until, unknowingly, we came across the Western Gate.  Here we had to go through security (it is everywhere here), walk under a tunnel full of Ultra Orthodox Jews dressed in their traditional Sabbath gear and singing and eating, until we came out into the square by the world famous Wailing Wall.  It was night time now and the stone walls were floodlit and just being there and watching the Jews semi  hitting their heads against the wall and chanting as they have done for centuries was amazing.  The tradition of the wailing is for the destroyed temple of the Jews by the Roman Emperor Titus in 70ad. 

On the topic of Ultra Orthodox Jews, you see them in groups all over the old city, with funny headgear, dark long clothing and of course the men wear their hair long in sort of plaits which I am sure are not called plaits.  The women wear long frumpy unfashionable dresses, although their heads go uncovered.  I heard later that many of them wear big wigs when they go outside.  The reason?  Fanaticisim I would say: they have shaved their heads so as not to be attractive even to their husbands!

Typical Ultra Ortodox Jews in Israel. You see them everywhere here.

From the Wailing Wall we went in search of food and that is when Ramadan and the Jewish Sabbath got in the way; nearly everywhere was closed.  In the end we found a small Arab café called “Everest Kafeteria” (!) where we had a very nice pitta bread sandwich with chicken.

Eladio showing his pitta bread chicken sandwich at the Arab Bazar tonight.

Afterwards we wandered towards Jaffa Gate half thinking of returning to our hotel at 20.30 when we heard music coming from the Tower of David (also called the Citadel) and by chance were just on time to see the Night Spectacular there which was amazing; a spectacle of music, light and photography against the ancient white walls of the Citadel.  I sat next to a Jewish family from Washington DC.  The man was old enough to have survived the 2^nd World War and I wondered if he had.  Maybe he is here to visit the Holocaust Museum.  We certainly will.

Before I finish this post I must tell you something very funny that happened today.  Just as we were debating whether to go into the Tower of David, a man in the street who I think was an Arab, said to Eladio: “Is that your lovely wife?  She’s in a very good condition.  You are a very lucky man!” 

And that’s it for one day, from this amazing holy city in the Middle East which is not desperately clean, full of police and security, where kids play with toy rifles and which is considered by the 3 biggest monotheistic religions in their world as their capital, the city that cannot live in peace: Jerusalem.

You see many children with toy weapons here; peace is all about education too I think.

That’s it for today folks.  It’s been a long day.  Tomorrow we will see Jerusalem by day and if I'm not too tired tomorrow night I might write another post.

Cheers Masha

PS You can see more photos here.