Ashdod to Jerusalem

 

My shore excursion today was called Glorious Jerusalem, and it was! An 8:30am start for approximately one and a half hour drive into Jerusalem. The countryside starts out flat, and well cultivated. Everything is quite green, irrigation comes from recycled and purified water. Israel has a shortage of water, and usually no rain during the summer. As we progress we get into rolling hills, something like Tuscany with quite a few vineyards. Then into the Judean hills. We have a bathroom break at a cafe dedicated to Elvis. Not something I expected to see here!

We arrived into Jerusalem and drove up the Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of the city. While up there we heard the 2 minute air raid siren to commemorate the Holocaust, as this is Holocaust Remembrance Day. The city is built on several hills, although they are called mountains. Our next stop is the Church at Gethsemane, a beautiful church built on the site where Jesus is suppose to have been arrested. Then we drove up the hill and into the Old City to see the Room of the Last Supper, and King David's Tomb. Of course it's impossible to know where the exact places were, but it was in this general area, and these are the accepted and worshiped spots. I hadn't expected the city to be so beautiful although many people had told me! And the sense of history here is quite remarkable.

Then we had our lunch break at a hotel just outside the Old City, an excellent lunch with lots of salads, dips and pita bread, and a local red wine.

In the afternoon, back into the Old City and through Jaffa gate. We walked through many winding streets and market areas, and into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It's an Orthodox Church and incredibly ornate. Many worshipers here, though our guide told us that it's much less crowded here and everywhere else we went today than it usually is.

We then followed part of Via Dolorosa or Walk of Suffering. There are of course shops and restaurants along these streets, but the stations are marked. The weather is very good, about 25C and most of the time a bit of a breeze.

Our last stop is at the West Wall, lots of people in prayer, and many also sightseeing and a large group of students singing and dancing.

I'm not religious myself, so it was very impressive to see many people from different beliefs gathering in one city to follow their rituals and to do so peacefully. I know it isn't always the case, but I hope it can be for the future.