So after moving in downtown, we immediately left for a couple of weeks to take a group to the Holy Land and Italy. It’s been a while since we’ve been to the Holy Land and can report back that it’s a great place to visit with no major concerns. It was a great trip but tiring. Much more of a pilgrimage than some.
It was an uneventful flight over if you don’t count the group being frisked at the Frankfurt airport on the way over. They take security seriously going to the Holy Land. Even though we had already cleared security the gate area for the flight had another security screening and this wasn’t just a quick once over with a wand. Not a big deal though.
We arrived at Tel Aviv late in the afternoon and after getting to the hotel, we had dinner and went to bed.
The next day was Saturday with is the Sabbath day so rather than head into Jerusalem which is highly religious and most things will be shut down, we headed north toward the Galilee area. On the way up we stopped at Caesarea to see the ruins of the roman city.
From there we worked our way up to Cana & Nazareth. Obviously wine was a big item in Cana and we renewed our wedding vows. We finished the day stopping in Tiberius on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.
The next morning we headed out for a trip on the Sea.
It’s a little cheesy with barges dressed up to like old-fashioned boats but it was fun and it gives you a good feel for the lay of the land.
An interesting side note: The “sea” is only around 7×12 miles and is fresh water. So why is it called a sea? It’s a dry desert area and they didn’t have a name for “lake” since there weren’t any others.
After the boat ride we caught the motorcoach up to the Mount of Beatitudes for mass and a lovely view of the sea.
From there we went up to the border with Lebanon to see the springs that are the source of the Jordan River. 
No particular concern but there are still signs in some fields warning of land mines.
The next day we did a few more stops visiting what is believed to be Peter’s house and then worked our way south along the Jordan River (actually a few miles to the east since it is the border with the country of Jordan).
We caught shuttles up to the top of Mount Tabor to have mass at the church there. Looking for an option for lunch with a tight schedule our bus driver stopped and found picnic supplies and we had lunch at the Springs of Gidian.
Something a little different but people seemed to love it.
Just as we came in sight of the Dead Sea we turned east and went into Jerusalem.
Highlights included side trips to Bethlehem (really a suburb now) to the Church of the Nativity, the Via Dolorosa (the way of the cross), Church of Holy Seplechure (includes Calvary and the Tomb). We also stopped by the Wailing Wall and saw the Dead Sea Scrolls.
On our last day we took a short trip out to the Dead Sea. We drove past Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. The travelers got to dip their toes in the sea (we hung out at the beach bar since it was 5 flights of stairs down and we’ve done it before). The sea is drying up since much of the Jordan River is being diverted for agriculture. There were spa complexes that are now a mile from the shore.
From there we went up to see the actual Jordan River. In Michigan, it would be just a large drainage ditch but in a desert world, a continuously flowing river was a life line. From there we stopped for lunch at Jericho for more shopping.
The whole country is pretty dry but the north end is a lot of scrub brush. As you move toward the south end, it is truly desert with almost nothing growing.
The next morning we had an early flight out to Rome. We had an overnight in Assisi so it was on the bus and head out (you can’t get into hotel rooms until late afternoon anyway so it’s better to keep the group occupied). We stopped for lunch and mass at Orvieto which is a midevil hilltop town and fun for an afternoon.
The hotels in Assisi are always fun. We try to stay in the old city so people can wander in the evening but the hotel is in a building that is several hundred years old so they get pretty creative with the facilities. We had a shower/tub that was only 3′ long. Not a big deal but the floor was two tier, so I felt like the Captain Morgan commercial while showering. After touring the town the next day we made our way back down to Rome.
Familiar territory for us and we felt very much at home. Tours of the basilicas, ancient Rome… We did get mass at the Tomb of Peter. After a papal audience, the next day we were off for home. Overall a good trip.
