In Which We Visit Israel, the Northern and Coastal Part

I returned to Israel on Thursday, so Sarah and I could finish out her trip in style.  After a minor fender bender (my first in the Middle East - not bad, given my total recklessness!), we managed to find each other and head up North to Caeserea Phillipi, a long-time sea port and one of King Herod's retreats.  We got there in that hour just before sunset when the light is perfect and beautifully golden.

crumbling ruins

murals and the sea

next time I'm going to be out on that sailboat

setting up for a rock concert at the amphitheatre

caught me and posed

I really need to practice my duckface...

After a sunset dip in the Mediterranean, we headed south to Tel Aviv.  We stopped on the way to get some ice cream from McDonald's...who can resist a "McDrive"?

Once we got to Tel Aviv, we realized that neither of us had really been and we didn't have a guide book to tell us what to do...so we just cruised around downtown.

there's a Thai restaurant someplace in this city?!?

Friday morning we got up and ate at Zuni's - it was the BEST French Toast, by far, I have ever had.  And I think this is going to be a Jerusalem tradition for the rest of my time visiting.

getting ready to have our minds blown

After breakfast, we headed north, to the Galilee.  We stopped into Yardenit, the "baptismal site" on the River Jordan, and discovered Sarah is deathly afraid of catfish.  The catfish suddenly arose out of the shadows as we were wading down the steps, to...nibble on our toes?  Or worse??  We didn't wait to find out, leaping with small screams out of the water when they appeared.

ack - what is that?

CATFISH AS BIG AS OUR LEGS?!

discovering a new fear

After Yardenit, we drove up through Tiberius and around the lake to Tabgha.  We stopped first at the church where Christ (perhaps) fed 5,000 people with a few loaves and fishes.  We then stopped in next door at the Church of St. Peter's Primacy where (perhaps) the resurrected Christ called on Peter to "feed my sheep".  We drove around the corner to Capernaum where Christ preached and Peter lived.  As we were leaving, we were approached by two French women who asked for a ride up the hill to the Mt. of Beatitudes.  Given that it was 97 degrees out, we gladly gave them a lift, to spare them a long, hot walk uphill.  

alabaster windows at the Church of the Loaves and the Fishes

Church of St. Peter's Primacy, my favorite

UFO, er, church built over Peter's house at Capernaum

view from the Mt. of Beautitudes (we read lots of scriptures afterwards, to make up for our vanity)

We closed out the day with a visit to the Basilica of the Annunciation, which was built over the site of (perhaps) Mary's house where she (perhaps) was told she'd become the mother of Christ (the Orthodox church believes she was told at her well, which is conveniently where they built their Church of the Annunciation).  We also stopped into St. Joseph's Church where (perhaps) Joseph's workshop was located.

Dome of the Basilica of the Annunciation which is supposedly the biggest church in Israel

love me some stained glass

Saturday morning, we got up early and spent some time at the Church of All Nations which stands (perhaps) upon the area of the Garden of Gethsemane where the apostles kept watch and then fell asleep.  We also visited the Grotto of Gethsemane, where Christ (perhaps) prayed...we didn't stay long as there was a tour group with one man rather obnoxiously asking each person who passed him "blah blah blah SIM card?"

Garden of Gethsemane

boxes of tesserae, for repairs being done to the roof of the Church of All Nations

mosaics in the Church of All Nations

We went from the Garden of Gethsemane, to church, and then to the Garden Tomb.  After a morning of contemplation, we headed back to the border.  We stopped, on the way, at the Dead Sea, so Sarah could get her float on.  We only had about 40 minutes to get in, out, and on our way to the border.  No problem...we put our mud on, got pictures, floated and marveled at our weightlessness, got out, looked at the clock, and panicked when we realized it was 2:34 and the border closed at 3:00. 

We ran to the car, towels wrapped around us, and drove like crazed people, weaving in and out of cars.  I spent the whole drive contemplating whether I could mentally handle drive all the way up to the Galilee, cross there, and then drive all the way back down the Jordanian side of the border.  My only consolation was that at least we'd be able to take a dip in the Sea of Galilee.  We pulled into the border at 2:46, just behind a car of diplomats from the Philippines.  Thank goodness they were there - with two cars, I think the border guards felt pressured to let us through.

We made it back to Amman in time for a delicious farewell dinner at Levant and an evening of packing and watching the Mummy and the ending of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.  Sarah - you are welcome back anytime.  The only condition is that next time we play Rock Band.