Sea of Galilee

If anyone is thinking of visiting Israel it is worth it. 

We’re lucky as we’re here for three weeks and so delayed our trip to Jerusalem until just before we plan to leave. Hilde, daughter-in-law who is Norwegian diplomat, said things will be ok there as long as we go along quietly and stay in the main areas. We’ve booked two nights down there, although Hilde thinks we only needed one, so if situation suddenly turns we can hop it. 

Tel Aviv is amazing you have several high rise buildings mixed in with a fair number of middle rise, approx 8-10 stories, mixed with low rise , about four stories. This falls away quickly to only low rise within four blocks of the beach. The high rise look good to. Not just Lego blocks stacked top of each other. 

The battles are definitely not for any commercially viable land as all of Israel is a desert. The only green is on the irrigated farmlands.

Yesterday  we went to the Sea Of Galilee and visited Capernaum where Jesus lived. We also visited the Church  of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes  ..... yes that is its name. At the front of this chapel you can see where Jesus is believed to have divided the fish. 

The mountain where he did his sermon on the mount is just behind the church. 

Anyway the loaves and fish happened twice, firstly to mainly Jews and later they were mainly gentiles (non Jews).  The church is built over the rock where the fish and loaves were placed. You could see the rock! It was in an area of some impressive excavations. 

Two days before that  we went to Haifa where the temple for the Baha’i faith is. The tour through there was impressive .... and we even had no difficulty walking the 700steps .... yes we did walk down. It is also well worth checking out.

Considering I am secular and I am enjoying all of this from the historical aspects I can see why more religious ppl find the religious aspects of Israel significant.

All has been good here but the fun should really start tomorrow as that is when Paul and I head off to Akko ...without Richard or Hilde. Luckily I have my trusty phone which I have practiced using over the past week so all should be fine. I have learnt how to read Tel Aviv in Hebrew which will help us for the return trip and as Richard doesn’t trust us to find the correct train there he is taking us to the station 

Tonight Paul and I  went out and bought takeaway by ourselves! Mind you we repeated the order in Hebrew to each other repeatedly as we walked there, shabish with the lot, I can’t remember it now  but there were THREE words.