thefouramigosblog

We began our tour today in the Rabbinical Tunnels which led us through the construction of the Temple Mount and their water system and the inner side of the Western Wall.

Our tour guide explained how of the tunnel is in continuation of the Western Wall and is located under buildings of the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. While the open-air portion of the Western Wall is approximately 60 metres (200 ft) long, the majority of its original length of 488 metres (1,601 ft) is hidden underground. The tunnel allows access to the remainder of the Wall in a northerly direction.

After we spent time in the tunnels we cleansed our hands and visited the Western Wall also known as the Wailing Wall. Woman went to the right and men to the left.

The Southern Wall is a wall at the southern end of the Temple Mount and the former southern side of the Second Temple (also called Herod’s Temple) in Jerusalem. It was built during King Herod’s expansion of the Temple Mount platform southward on to the Ophel. The Southern Wall is 922 feet (281 m) in length, and which the historian Josephus equates as being equal to the length of one furlong. These are the steps that Jesus walked to get to the Temple.

To get to Bethlehem, we had to cross over into Palestinian territory and Roman, our guide, turned us over to George.

As we sat in front of the shepherd’s fields, George told us about how this was where the angels told of Jesus birth.

This is what a cave that people lived in looked like in Jesus time.

After spending a little time here, we rode the short distance to where Jesus was born.

The Church of the Nativity is one of the most sacred Christian sites in the world since at least the 4^th century AD up to the present. The sanctity of the site is maintained by the three churches occupying it. The construction of the church in 339 AD above the grotto, and its reconstruction in 533 AD, commemorates the birth of Jesus and attests to seventeen hundred years-long tradition of belief that this grotto was indeed the birthplace of Jesus Christ.

The association of the place that was believed to be the birthplace of Jesus is documented from the 4^th century AD and from then on the buildings added to it have been constructed to enhance this religious significance. The majority of the existing church today dates back to the 6^th century AD, but retains part of the 4^th century floor and some parts of its walls and columns, and have 12^th century and later additions that are obvious in the icon painting on the columns of the church. The 12^thcentury additions reflect the Crusades that led to one of the upsurges in pilgrimage activity.

The star is supposedly the exact spot where Jesus was born.

This is the church that is televised from Bethlehem at Christmas.

Some random photos from the three churches.

Tomorrow we begin at the Garden Tomb!

We woke to another beautiful day in Israel, overlooking the Dead Sea.

Our first stop today is Masada, a fortress on top of a mountain used by King Herod. From a distance we could see Masada, majestically against the wispy clouds.

As we approached Masada, the plateau and some structures were noticeable.

We took a cable car to the top.

Herod who had many enemies, built a palace on the mountain and fortified it between 37 and 31 BCE.

According to Josephus, the siege of Masada led by Roman troops from 73 to 74 CE, at the end of the First Jewish–Roman War, ended in the mass suicide of the 960 rebels who were hiding there. There is no archeological evidence that this occurred so they are still seeking confirmation.

There are still frescos that have survived 2000 years. These are in the guard rooms.

The palace was 1300 feet above the Dead Sea and 100 feet below sea level.

We touched on only a small portion of Masada but it was an amazing place to visit.

We woke to a beautiful sunrise over the Sea of Galilee.

We had a delicious breakfast. The fruit was fresh especially the melon.

At the buffet, they had a honeycomb to get fresh honey.

Our first stop today is the Jordan River where several of our travelers will be baptized.

It was a serene site along the Jordan River. Several horses grazed near the river’s edge.

It was a calm river with very little rippling.

A large number of our group were baptized today! Some have been here before and have been baptized in the past.

The pastor lead the way into the chilly water.

It was a beautiful stop and we left before the crowds arrived.

Our next stop is Beth Shean, located at the juncture of the Jezreel and Jordan valleys.

The tool they used to move huge square blocks.

This city dates back to 4000 BCE and was occupied by Philistines, Egyptians then Israelites. In 732 BCE Assyrians conquered and destroyed the city. In the 3rd century BCE, a large temple was constructed. By 63 BCE it was ruled by the Romans. 18 levels of civilization have been excavated. A Roman Theater with mostly original stones.

A Roman bathhouse with many sections of it still in tact including the steps into the pool, the mosaic and the heating area.

There was an Avenue where shops would have been.

Beautiful original mosaics lined rooms throughout the ruins.

The last section we visited was the bathroom, lavatory or whatever you would call it. Literally, elbow to elbow.

We had lunch in Jericho, a Palestinian city in the West Bank. The food was delicious. The shop had some wonderful handmade items but I just couldn’t find anything for anyone.

Bruce liked this chair!

After lunch we headed to Ein Gedi, “spring of the goat”which is an oasis on the western shore of the Dead Sea. Along the way their was stark beauty in the sandstone mountains.

We walked to a waterfall in the park which was quite amazing because the surrounding area was so arid.

Ein Gedi is where King David hid from Saul and God defeated the enemies of the Israelites by praise and worship led by King Jehoshaphat.

We also saw a few goats roaming around and a baby goat too!

Our lodging tonight is at the Dead Sea. We arrived around 4PM and had time to float in the Dead Sea.

I wasn’t a big fan. It kind of made me feel itchy but it was interesting how buoyant we were.

Dinner was delicious and I had a hibiscus tea!

After dinner we played another round of cards! We have been playing canasta in many countries.

#israel#tours#deadsea#jericho#jordanriver#baptismal

We woke early this morning to begin our first day exploring Israel with Pilgrim Tours. This is really our first tour where we will be with a large group for 7 days. Our guide, Roman, is insightful but also humorous. There are 46 people on our tour so let’s see how this goes.

After breakfast we headed to Caesarea, a city on the coast of the Mediterranean. We visited Caesarea National Park where gentiles first heard the Good News from Peter and were baptized. Within the park we saw a Roman Amphitheater; much of it has been reconstructed but some of the slabs date back over 2000 years. .

We also saw the remains of King Herod’s palace, which he built on sand, so you can guess what happened to that.

A stone was found in the amphitheater with Pontus Pilatus inscription which was the only evidence that he existed.

The ocean looked lovely here!

Roman showed us what they used as a toilet, out in the open, elbow to elbow.

Then we entered the hippodrome, bringing back memories of watching Charleston Heston riding a chariot in Ben Hur.

This minaret is from a Mosque from the period when the Moslems ruled.

The aqueduct that brought water into the city and carried it 17 miles to Herod’s Palace.

The next stop was Megiddo, known as the Armagedfon Battlegield, where many people believe the end of days will be here. Battles have been fought here for over 3000 years with last time in the 1970’s.

We went down many steps into a tunnel that carried water .

Our last stop was Nazareth where we visited a replica of the Nazareth Village from Jesus time.

It was a busy day and we ended at our hotel in Tiberias, the Ron Beach Hotel. We had a great view of the Sea of Galilee.

#israel#ronbeachhotel#nazareth#seaofgalilee#pilgrimtours

We woke early for breakfast and we were on the road by 7:45, but I was able to photograph the morning as the sun was rising!

We traveled for about an hour to Dan which was up near the northern border. We could see Lebanon from an outlook. It was only about two miles away.

Dan is an ancient city dating back 4500 years and is mentioned in the old testament. We entered the park where the headwaters of the Jordan River are located. This was once Arab territory but has been under Israeli rule since 1967.

The Gates from the days of Abraham lie within Tel Dan. This existed during the time of Jesus.

Our next stop was Caesarea Philippi, and the Grotto of Pan, a pagan center of worship.

Our next stop was lunch. By this time, we had walked a few miles, over rocks and rivers and up and down. It was nice to have a break.

I had a fried fish – head and all!

We went for a cruise on the Sea of Galilee where we read scripture then sang and danced an Israeli dance! It was lively and fun! And such a beautiful day!

We visited Capernaum, where Peter lived.

Our last stop today was Magdala, hometown of Mary Magdalene. It was only recently excavated and they found coins from 29 AD during the dig!

The Boat Chapel and four side chapels are next to the Sea of Galilee.

It was a long day with much exploring the biblical times from the old and new testaments. Tomorrow we travel to the Dead Sea! Pilgrim Tours covers a lot of territory!

#magdala#caesareaphilippi#dan#pilgrimtours

We had reservations for two days at the Vert Lagoon before our tour was to begin this evening. We started off with a delicious breakfast – Mediterranean style.

After breakfast we took a two mile walk along the promenade by the beach stopping to take in the beautiful coastline.

My foot is much better but it still smarts if I step on it wrong. However, two weeks ago I couldn’t do this walk.

More spectacular views of the sea!

An exercise course was set up along the way where Bruce did a few tricep dips and Scott did some sit ups.

An interesting sun dial was erected on the promenade. It actually kept good time!

The elevator to the beach was off limits due to landslides. it looked like a elaborate set up so I hope eventually they get it fixed up. Apparently landslides are a problem all along the coastline.

What do you see in this picture?

Rabbits everywhere! All except the white rabbit!

And I wasn’t sure what this was but it was a mosaic.

Our hotel, Vert Lagoon, was a wonderful place to stay.

We spent a few hours by the pool; I stayed mostly in the shade.

Lovely down at the adult pool!

The rest of the day we played some cards and then met with our tour group, Pilgrim Tours, after dinner. There will be 45 of us! Yikes!

To bed early because we have a wake up call at 6 am. Then on to Galilee!

#israel#netanya#pilgrimtours#vertlagoon#Mediterranean

Our last day at sea was relaxing, as we played card’s with Sandy and Scott and had coffee with some new friends. It was time to say goodbye to our waiters and cabin steward. Ketut, our cabin steward, was the best we ever had. Everyday in the morning and evening he filled the ice bucket so I could tend to my foot.

We saw a great show called art in motion performed by a young couple from the Ukraine.

The ship’s crew had a flag presentation in the Centrum, which was the center court of the ship.

I woke really early to see a crescent moon over Haifa.

Afterwards I went back to sleep for a few more hours because we weren’t getting off the ship until almost 9 am.

A few pictures from the port in Haifa.

I have to say the disembarking was almost as bad as the embarking. We were delayed an hour but luckily we stayed up at the buffet for most of it. The walk off the ship and through customs was long. We did get to take a golf cart for part of the distance because of my cane.

We walked to the train station dragging our luggage. Again, luckily it wasn’t too far! All aboard!

We had to change trains and we looked like the four stooges! Four of us on a 4×4 elevator with all our luggage! It was hysterical! Then trying to get a cab and haggling over price. And finally we arrived at our hotel, Vert Lagoon.

The view from our balcony was stunning!

Off for a swim, which was much needed.

More photos of the area around the hotel.

Now I’m icing my foot!

Dinner was buffet style and it was sumptuous! Couscous, Mediterranean salads, hummus, fried fish, fresh made bread.

After dinner we played cards. After 3 hands I was doing awful with no chance of return so we called it quits! It’s going to be a busy week in Israel!

#netanya#vertlagoon#rhapsodyofthesea#haifa

Bruce and I did not book anything for Mykonos but figured if we were up to it, we’d get off the ship and wander about. I viewed the Island from our balcony and it looked lovely.

We decided to give it a try and it was well worth it. There was a 2 Euro boat ferry right outside the port which took us to the town.

It was a nice little boat ride looking out at the white washed buildings.

We walked around the little alley ways, which created a maze through the town. You could get lost here!

Little churches were everywhere!

We also went by the Panagia Paraportiani which is a Greek Orthodox Church which was built between 1425 and the 17th century.

Bruce and I stopped at a little cafe for coffee and baklava!

We stopped in several shops but alas I did not find anything I had to have! Bruce was a little tuckered out so we headed back to the ferry and onto the ship for a rest!

From the little taste of Greece we experienced, I surely would love to return again!

It’s been a few challenging days on the ship. My foot continues to hurt a bit and now Bruce has a cold. But we persevere.

We went to a wonderful show with Salvatore Hasard. He played piano, saxophone, electric guitar, harmonica and drums. He also sang.

Salvatore played an afternoon concert to a packed house.

In the evening Bruce and I ate early and retired to our cabin, hoping to feel better for our Sicily excursion. From our balcony we saw a beautiful sunset..

In the morning Bruce wasn’t feeling great but thought he could handle a bus ride. Out on our balcony I captured a sunrise.

Out on the balcony I watched as the ship sailed into the port of Messina.

Although my foot is sore and Bruce is sick, we decided to go on our tour anyway. We boarded our bus after the usual hour in the theater waiting. This is one of the reasons I don’t like ship tours. Our tour guide Nunzio was charming and entertaining.

Along the way to Mount Etna, we saw some beautiful scenery!

We stopped along the way to take pictures of Mt. Etna. Our guide said it had been overcast the past few days and you couldn’t see it.

We visited a jewelry making business housed in a mansion.

In the front yard was a lovely fountain and many statues!

Although most of the jewelry is made at another site, they did have a set up to demonstrate their trade!

They also served us a lovely brunch which included cannoli and fruit.

We ate on the patio which was lovely! I think Bruce had his mouth full.

It was a lovely place to stop.

We traveled on to Mt. Etna taking in the views of lava rocks from the many eruptions, the latest in November 2022.

Chairlifts operate up the volcano for skiing.

I don’t know what we were thinking when we booked this tour. It was freezing up there and I was wearing sandals and a light jacket. Locals were dressed with winter gear, hats, gloves. Needless to say even if my foot was ok I wouldn’t have been able to go – just too darn cold.

We had more cannoli and cappuccino at the little restaurant near the top.

As we rode back to the ship, we took in more of the beautiful landscape.

We finally arrived back at the ship. The Postal Virgin Mary watching over the harbor.

We have a lovely view from our balcony for the remainder of the day.

We had coffee with friends and will have dinner at 7:30. Tomorrow is another sea day before we reach Mykonos. And then on to Haifa!

#salvatorehasard#mountetna#sicily#postalvirginmary